Brunton watchband compass

Fallbrook Forge

Fallbrook Forge

Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
1,649
First off, I am recommending AGAINST this compass.

DSC02841.jpg


If you can see it in the picture there is a buble that takes up about 1/4 the compass(it looks smaller in the picture because it has seperated into one large and a bunch of small bubbles). I have had this one on my watchband for 3 months, this is the third I have had. They all started out with a very small bubble and slowly it got bigger and bigger.

The Suunto clipper is a much better watchband compass, however it wont fit the band of my watch

Just a heads up for anyone who looked at these
 
That's bizarre. I have two of them from Bass Pro Shops, purchased early in 2008 and they are good to go. Not even a tiny bubble in them and they're quite accurate for what they are.

Having used a Suunto, the one mounted in the K & M Matchsafe, I would say that it's a little less flighty and more stable than the Brunton.

I popped both of the Bruntons out of that rubber housing and both of them are in RAT Fire Kits.

Jeff Randall recommended a 20mm dry button compass manufactured by SUN but I had the Bruntons lying around in various other kits, etc., and popped them in until I could get some dry ones to check out.

Did you purchase all of them from the same place?

Have you been flying with them on?

Going up in high elevations in the mountains, etc.?

Brunton's QC might have went right in the toilet or they might have a bad batch out if you purchased your three from the same place, etc. Just curious.
 
I agree with gruntinhusaybah about the Brunton and the Suunto. My Brunton seemed to get hung up and wouldn't always point north. This and the bubbles was unacceptable to me.

I was so frustrated with my Brunton, I drilled a small hole in the back to drain the liquid. That didn't help, so I got rid of it.

No such problems with the Suunto clip on. I keep one clipped to a pack strap (usually sternum strap) to get quick directional fixes.
 
I almost bought one of these the other day, but now I won't. I passed up the Suunto because I was unsure of how secure it is on the band. I'm looking for something that will fit a 20mm NATO G10 strap.
 
Mine crapped out too for the same reason. Im waiting on a batch of the SUN dry compasses right now. I will report back what I think. I do like the Suunto ones K&M uses though.
 
I'm not a big Brunton fan. I bought several of their pin-on ball compasses and they have stayed relatively bubble-free, but they frequently hang and stick. The couple of larger Bruntons I have have developed bubbles.

For some reason, having a bubble in my compass irritates the hell out of me.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I traded a Cammenega off to a friend of mine a few years back but I still have my '59 Waltham Lensatic and they really are tough compasses. Anyone that gets that contract has to produce the same Mil-Spec compass.
 
Yeah, bombproof indeed.... Waltham made a helluva compass on that pattern too.:thumbup:
 
j willimas-please keep me posted on the Sun compass, I've never heard of them, do you have a link to them?

w00d- you'll be GTG with the Suunto, as long as the strap isn't too thick, I have one on my Marathon rubber strap and it works fine
 
I am going to keep an eye on my two Brunton watchband 20mms, hopefully they just went to hell after I purchased these, or it was a bad batch.
 
I have one. It stopped working, would point north only. I had no bubbles, the compass would not move off north. I contacted Brunton and to their credit, they issued a RA number and back it went. They sent me a new replacement and it has been working OK. It cost me more to mail the defective compass back to them than it did to purchase it new, so if this one dies I'm tossing it away.
 
IUKE12 said:
I have one. It stopped working, would point north only.
Click to expand...

Oh, a Bravo-Two-Zero, Wrongway McNabb Compass! His pointed North whatever way his rifle pointed in the movie...because he had the compass mounted on the side of the rifle. 8-)
 
I wouldn't of expected anything great, given the brand and price, but a bubble like that is absolutely unacceptable. You should sent it back.
 
My Brunton died after three months. When I noticed the word china on back, that explained why. I thought since Brunton was in Riverton, WY the compass was made there?
Somewhere someone told how to get rid of bubbles.
I've tried freezer and left in sun, neither worked.
 
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