• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Compasses?

mine:

00001-2.jpg


00002-2.jpg


00001-3.jpg


00001-5.jpg


its a SUNNTO forestry sighting compass. To use the sight feature you look thru the peephole while also looking at your landmark. The two images superimpose and you can see both the landmark and the degree mark. Or just use it looking down at the face, while on a map. Its a major step up from having to be backwards from your landmark and looking into a tiny mirror...........

built tough, solid slab of 1/2" aluminum. Has tripod hole for mounting on tripod, though you better be using a brass tripod base and bolt....
 
adaman04 said:
No experience with that model. The truth is there will be negative reviews about nearly everything, no matter how good it is. Find a compass you like from a reputable name and go with it.
Click to expand...

Normally I would agree with you on this one but in recent years some things have changed. For instance I believe the Silva product line has been sold and many of the old standard models that were made in Finland and concidered some of the best are now made in China. The Silva Mod.15 Ranger to name one. It is getting terrible reviews on line. Brunton is marketing basically the mod 15 Ranger and is still made in Finland.
 
I was thinking I might up grade, but I guess I'll just stick with my 1985 Silva Type 17 Director, made in Sweden. 24 years and no bubble. :thumbup:
 
Been using this on the job, forever... Only bring it into the field for fun, now:

2001_Transit_L.jpg


This is my workhorse:

41R2LSNlSyL._SS500_.jpg
 
Older Silva compasses are fine, the more recent one's are not.

The US Silva distributor held license to the name in the states and lives off past reputation. Brunton and Suunto don't cost any more and you know where they came from.

I keep looking at the Brunton 54Lu baseplate/sighting compass but wonder if it will sight as well as a mirror on hilly terrain.
 
Ramm9 said:
Older Silva compasses are fine, the more recent one's are not.

The US Silva distributor held license to the name in the states and lives off past reputation. Brunton and Suunto don't cost any more and you know where they came from.

I keep looking at the Brunton 54Lu baseplate/sighting compass but wonder if it will sight as well as a mirror on hilly terrain.
Click to expand...


AYUP! heck i could phone up the SUUNTO head office in Finland and give them my serial number and they could tell me which staff member made it.......:D

when i'm working more steadily, i want to start collecting compasses again, like these ones:

http://www.stanleylondon.com/compsurv.htm

http://www.amesinstrumentcompany.com/images/rittenhouse-1-2003.jpg

http://www.compassmuseum.com/images/geo2/fb01_dial_gr.jpg

Museum: http://www.compassmuseum.com/geo/geo_1.htm
 
I have an older Brunton Nexus Ranger 25 with light, but I wouldn't recommend it. The declination screw is stripped and the compass can become detached from the base (pops right out). I do like the dial, which is hard to turn, and you don't have to worry about it unintentionally moving.

How about this one? It is a K&R and is made in Germany. It is cheaper ($64) than the Brunton Ranger and looks to be of good quality.

http://www.kandrusa.com/Compass_Products.html

alpin_250.jpg
 
Last edited:
I live in an area with 15 deg. declination. I have a Brunton Classic baseplate compass with adjustable declination, but the two mirrored sighting compasses I have (both Silvas) lack the adjustment and that bugs me.

I've been looking at the Suunto MC2, but after reading about the "G" model, I guess that's the one I'll be buying in the near future.

I think ALL compasses should have a declination adjustment, not just a declination scale.....


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Last edited:
The Silva Ranger has an adjustable declination also and a clinometer which is helpful in determining height.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Commenga. Period.
Click to expand...

It's Cammenga, and there are TONS of reasons not to use one. They are built like a tank no doubt, but they lack in the following areas:

- No declination adjustment.
- If you don't want to remember your bearing, the bezel is only good for 3 degree clicks.
- If you like to work in degrees, there are only 5 degree graduations.
- And the biggest, is the lack of a protractor. Requires you to do the "orient the map to north" and then rely on accurate magnetic reading just to get a bearing off a map. Very difficult in the field and next to impossible on a flat surface. Most tables have metal, most counters have screws.

The military uses a separate protractor for measuring angles. PITA for outdoorsman. They also use MATH :barf: Again, not good for an outdoorsman. Working with MILS does make the math incredibly easy, but why do that to yourself when a built in protractor is so much easier?

Good for calling in mortar rounds, but not so much fun for the outdoorsman.

Same goes for the Suunto pictured above. It is one nice piece of equipment, and is a super nifty toy. The lack of it working easily along side a map makes it a conversation piece. It is not sold as an "outdoor" compass, but rather for "forestry." They know those folks want the extra precision, are willing to carry tripods, and other measurement tools. They do not want the "one tool to do it all" like the rest of us should have.

B
 
Brian Andrews said:
It's Cammenga, and there are TONS of reasons not to use one. They are built like a tank no doubt, but they lack in the following areas:

- No declination adjustment.
- If you don't want to remember your bearing, the bezel is only good for 3 degree clicks.
- If you like to work in degrees, there are only 5 degree graduations.
- And the biggest, is the lack of a protractor. Requires you to do the "orient the map to north" and then rely on accurate magnetic reading just to get a bearing off a map. Very difficult in the field and next to impossible on a flat surface. Most tables have metal, most counters have screws.

The military uses a separate protractor for measuring angles. PITA for outdoorsman. They also use MATH :barf: Again, not good for an outdoorsman. Working with MILS does make the math incredibly easy, but why do that to yourself when a built in protractor is so much easier?

Good for calling in mortar rounds, but not so much fun for the outdoorsman.

Same goes for the Suunto pictured above. It is one nice piece of equipment, and is a super nifty toy. The lack of it working easily along side a map makes it a conversation piece. It is not sold as an "outdoor" compass, but rather for "forestry." They know those folks want the extra precision, are willing to carry tripods, and other measurement tools. They do not want the "one tool to do it all" like the rest of us should have.

B
Click to expand...

I have NEVER had issues using it with extreme accuracy. And if you don't want to do trig while navigating, get a freakin GPS. I guess it's all how ya learn and your navigation techniques, but I have used this compass to hell and back and it still looks factory new. And those built in sextants aren't very accurate at all.
 
PayetteRucker said:
get a freakin GPS.
Click to expand...

There you go!!! Excellent advice!!!

Beating it up and having it survive is much different that knowing what you are doing with it.

What you are saying shows exactly how much you don't know.

I highly recommend not taking navigation advice from anyone saying "get a GPS." ;)

B
 
Brian Andrews said:
I highly recommend not taking navigation advice from anyone saying "get a GPS." ;)
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you Brian. I use GPS professionally on a daily basis, but if I go in the woods, I have a compass and a map in my pocket. Not a GPS.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top