Compasses - Digital or Liquid?

J

JBP

Joined
Aug 26, 2000
Messages
65
Which type of compass is best? I am thinking of buying a new one to go with my GPS and wondered if the digital/electronic are as good as a high quality liquid filled.

Thanks!

Jon
KNIVES4SALE
 
One word: BATTERIES!

I wouldn't want to rely on a compass that takes batteries!



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Plainsman
primitiveguy@hotmail.com
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Get a Silva or brunton. Your GPS might have a digital compass in it.

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"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today"
-- James Dean
 
I'm just on the front end of a pretty comprehensive review of compasses so I don't know a lot about the eletronic compasses BUT I don't believe batteries are going to be an issue. Even the cheapest electronic compasses will operate about 500 hours on the battery. Eveything else is about the same in that they still operate of of the magnetic field.

They also have one big plus that regular liquid filled compasses do not: they will operate anywhere in the world because they can be quickly be reoriented to whatever geographic region you're in. Most liquid filled will only operate accurately in the hemisphere they are calibrated for. Price is about the same for decent eletronic and decent liquid filled compasses. Hope this helps for now. The complete review covering 10 -15 different makes and models should be on our website later in the year.
Mike
 
Great. Thanks to all who replied! I will be looking for your review also!

Just a note... my Garmin GPS 12 does have a compass but you have to be walking to use it... if standing still, it doesn't help you at all.

Jon
 
What is the price range for an electronic compass? I really dont want to spend a lot on something that I going to drop in a river sooner or later.
 
The 'compass' in your Garmin is not a true compass. It operates off of satellite signal, not magnetic field. For this reason it is suceptible to the same problems a gps is, ie, blocked signal, unable to get a lock etc.. When you aren't moving the gps has no idea what bearing is or direction. It only knows location. The satellite "watches' the gps when it moves and thus tells you what direction you are traveling.

You can get a $40 eletronic compass that operates off of magnetic field from Brigade Quatermasters made by "Corsa". It is waterproof to 30 meters. Mike

Correction: The Corsa is waterproof to 10 feet-- not 30 meters.. That's what happens when you read specs on 15 different compasses at one time. Mike

[This message has been edited by mike perrin (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
Josh, I have one word for you... LANYARD!!!
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My compass never leaves my neck until sleepy time, and then it gets looped through my pack harness. Still I carry a small back-up, must be the redundency I was taught as a child.
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Where no law exists there still must be justice- Dan Mahoney
 
Guess I should have checked in on this one sooner.....

Batteries may have a 500 hour life but that doesn't take into account cold soaking, corrosion, accidentally leaving the damn thing on, exposing it to salt water or sand, etc. Lets not forget line of sight issues either. Yes, even with the newer devices and the recent opening of satellites this is an issue. I have field tested them (newest models) recently and on several occ we could not lock in.

Don't rely on these things. Take them to augment your map and compass... not to replace them. I don't even own one....

Learn how to use an orienteering compass (like the Silva ranger ~ $39) and a map!!!!!!!!!!!

Learn how to use constellations to travel... learn how to terrain navigate...

Don't be like the California Search and Rescue team that (in 1999) used a gps to find their victim... dusted the victim (subject for all you SAR guys
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) off... and then 1 hour later called the USCG back because their GPS battery went dead and none of them knew how to use a compass. They were lost and their piece of battery-operated machinery was nothing but a throwing device that might help them get dinner. True story! Relying on these is like relying on a cell phone to call for help (well actually a little better but you get my point).

If you want solid map and compass skills... come to my 7-day program next summer and follow it with my advanced navigation trip afterwards....

If you want to play Russian Roulette ... well ... I can tell you many more stories about these devices ... and about people who have perished depending on them or a cell phone instead of depending on solid skills ...

Nothing but the facts.

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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
 
Greg, I think the original question and what I addressed was compasses, not gps's. The eletronic compasses which cost about the same as the Ranger compass has nothing to do with sattelites. They operate by magnetic field same as any regular compass. As to resistance to saltwater and sand and such we'll be taking these to Costa Rica soon and find out what happens since we'll be on the beach a lot. A stint in the freezer will help determine what cold does to it. Cold may indeed affect battery life. We'll see.
I totally agree with you that a gps does not replace a compass and folks would be foolish to think so. Compass and map skills are only augmented by a gps. Didn't mean to cause confusion between compasses and gps's. Mike
 
oooooppppppps. I have been skimming so fast lately that I miss things. I went back and see I misunderstood. I got side tract on the GPS thing.

I am on the last push to finish my next book and due to going to bed late (11 pm or so almost every night) and getting up early (3 AM almost everyday) I have only been skimming the topics. Guess this was bound to happen.

BTW... my post wasn't meant to degrade or be confrontational... it was just me giving my point of view on GPS's... which wasn't even the topic was it
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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
 
Don't know a national source for all states on maps. Locally I found out where the engineers and geologists buy their topos and that's where I went. You might check with a government agency called "USGS" (U.S. Geological Survey) and ask if you can purchase topos from them. Mike
 
Jon, The USGS does in fact sell topos for any state. Go to www.usgs.gov and then to map lists for states. You'll need to have an idea of the quadrangle or general latitude & longtitude of specific areas you're looking for within that state. You can buy em online. Mike

[This message has been edited by mike perrin (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
Originally posted by mike perrin:
Jon, The USGS does in fact sell topos for any state. Go to www.usgs.gov and then to map lists for states. You'll need to have an idea of the quadrangle or general latitude & longtitude of specific areas you're looking for within that state. You can buy em online. Mike

[This message has been edited by mike perrin (edited 09-28-2000).]
Click to expand...


GREAT! Thanks Mike.

Jon

 
What about a liquid compass prevents it from functioning well in a different hemisphere? I know the whiskey compasses in planes are weighted, depending somewhat on latitude, to take into account bends in the magnetosphere, but I wasn't aware that a handheld silva or brunton was weighted.


Stryver
 
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