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 Quality Compass 
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Location: Faxon, OK
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Real Name: Chuck
https://www.brunton.com/collections/truarc

http://silva.se/products/compasses/

My two favorite companies.

REI
Cabela's

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 3:03 am
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Location: Round Rock, TX
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Real Name: Dave
Ditto the recommendation for Silva and Brunton. Both companies with solid navigation products.

We used these pretty much as a standard when I was younger in my first career as a professional forester. Brunton also makes pretty nice comparable compasses:
http://cspforestry.com/products/silva-ranger-compass-sighting-compass.html?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&attributes=eyIxNTcwIjoiOTExMiJ9&_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLHhwtD62AIVWrbACh0b_wfvEAQYBSABEgJ3n_D_BwE

Basically with the sighting mirror and base dial in 2 degree increments used to be able to navigate property boundaries from one surveyed corner to another (1/4 to 1/2 mile straight line) and usually only wound up at most 10 or 15 feet off after sighting lines through rough and broken wooded terrain. Would just take a bit of grubbing around to find the destination corner marker within a fairly small lateral deviation from the sighting line.

Worked as a forester for around ten years before changing careers and used a compass regularly that whole time. In that period probably went through almost a dozen Silva compasses as I changed employers or compasses got worn out or damaged and needed to be replaced. Almost all of them developed bubbles that grew larger over time. So the bubble thing isn't just Brunton or out of the ordinary unfortunately.

These compasses used to run around $50-$60. Prices definitely have come down.

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:17 am
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Location: Everson, WA
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Nice. I check my Hiking compass because I didn't know what brand I have been carrying all these years. Brunton!

And this sucker has been through a lot and works fine.

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 5:40 am
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Location: Lynnwood and at large
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Real Name: Vick Lagina
Silva used to be made in Sweden. Then they moved production to Finnland. Now they are made in Taiwan! (I found this out when looking recently to "upgrade" my 30+ year old compass.)

I have a Finnish made Silva Ranger and it is the bom. It has served me well for more than 30+ years. But while the tritium still shines brightly, it does fade with time and I had hoped to get ahead of that.

Also: with my old eyes I had hoped to get a compass that has a magnifying bubble on the base plate.

Bruntons have very poor reviews on REI's website and many other places I looked, at least for their upper end models I was looking at. I really wanted to like them because, I think, they are U.S. made. EDIT: The bubble issue was one of the complaints I read in re Brunton. A smallish bubble shouldn't affect your compass and is due, I've learned to atmospheric pressure. Sometimes it will be there and other times not. A HUGE bubble may affect function.

In the end, I didn't get a new compass!

Suunto is still made in Sweden and are the gold standard these day.

A few things to consider when looking for a compass. While it adds to bulk, having a lengthy base plate aids GREATLY in triangulating your position.

IF you are traveling to the Southern Equator, you will need either a compass calibrated for there or get something like Suunto's MC-2g Global compass.

A mirrored compass will help greatly in taking accurate bearings.

Here is a website for finding your declination:

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#declination

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“Finding ‘common ground’ with the thinking of evil men is a fool’s errand” ~ Herschel Smith

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." ~ Samuel Adams

“A return to First Principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by simple virtues of a single man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example. Before all else, be armed!” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

Láodòng zhèng zhūwèi zìyóu

FJB


Last edited by jukk0u on Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.



Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:38 am
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Location: Everson, WA
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Mine is nothing fancy, rather a cheapie. Brunton Nexus. I bought this compass around 1978. 40 YEARS and Still sealed!

Image

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:51 am
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Location: Faxon, OK
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Juk thanks for the reminder of Suunto, I forgot about them. Also an excellent brand.

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:11 am
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During my time as a land surveyor, I almost always used a Silva Ranger, although I now prefer Suunto compasses, as the quality at the price point can't be beaten. I think I have 3-4 Rangers out in my garage that are in various condition depending on how much they got used. I also have a highly regarded Chinese knock off of a Brunton pocket transit.

Image

I couldn't afford the $400-$600 for a real one, but I was able to pick up the knock off for about $70, and it's what geology and mines students buy for their coursework. I have different requirements on my boat, so I have a couple of different hand bearing compasses (hold up to your eye and take a bearing on another vessel to determine if they're going to cross ahead or astern of you and make course adjustments as necessary).
Image

Since my sailboat can't go very fast with respect to things like ferries, water taxis, tugs, etc., almost all of my decisions are to go astern of them, it's rare indeed that I'm in a position where cutting across their bow makes any kind of sense.

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:31 pm
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Here are the four I'm looking at:
Brunton TruArc 15 $45
Suunto NH USGS Mirror MC-2 $40
Silva Expedition $70, Ranger CL, or CLQ $42-$50.

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Sun Jan 28, 2018 9:29 pm
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I considered:

http://www.thecompassstore.com/alpin.html

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“Finding ‘common ground’ with the thinking of evil men is a fool’s errand” ~ Herschel Smith

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." ~ Samuel Adams

“A return to First Principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by simple virtues of a single man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example. Before all else, be armed!” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

Láodòng zhèng zhūwèi zìyóu

FJB


Sun Jan 28, 2018 9:41 pm
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Just for jollies I looked at both links as I have a Brunton and Silva. I see no reason to upgrade as both of mine still work fine. My Silva is the BSA model and at least 45 years old. In this age of GPS on you phone or in my case with my Rino 530 I see very little need for compass work.


Mon Jan 29, 2018 1:04 am
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hartcreek wrote:
Just for jollies I looked at both links as I have a Brunton and Silva. I see no reason to upgrade as both of mine still work fine. My Silva is the BSA model and at least 45 years old. In this age of GPS on you phone or in my case with my Rino 530 I see very little need for compass work.

What if you get hit with an EMP? icon_eek :runforthehills:

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Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:30 am
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Or a Coronal Flare? Or your GPS falls in the drink?

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“Finding ‘common ground’ with the thinking of evil men is a fool’s errand” ~ Herschel Smith

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." ~ Samuel Adams

“A return to First Principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by simple virtues of a single man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example. Before all else, be armed!” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

Láodòng zhèng zhūwèi zìyóu

FJB


Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:52 pm
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jukk0u wrote:
Here is a website for finding your declination:

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#declination



If you don't know declination... having a map is "almost" useless.


Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:02 pm
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oldkim wrote:
jukk0u wrote:
Here is a website for finding your declination:

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#declination



If you don't know declination... having a map is "almost" useless.


Declination is different not only by position but it also changes year to year.

Maps good enough to "recon" by usually have declination noted in the margin, but whether that is accurate depends on when the map was printed since magnetic North "wanders"

Remember there are THREE Norths: True, Grid, and magnetic.

The guy I was listening to the other day claimed that grid north was sufficient to utilize for orienteering...

_________________
“Finding ‘common ground’ with the thinking of evil men is a fool’s errand” ~ Herschel Smith

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." ~ Samuel Adams

“A return to First Principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by simple virtues of a single man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example. Before all else, be armed!” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

Láodòng zhèng zhūwèi zìyóu

FJB


Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:16 pm
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oldkim wrote:
jukk0u wrote:
Here is a website for finding your declination:

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#declination



If you don't know declination... having a map is "almost" useless.

Especially here since it runs almost 20 degrees!
Thanks OK

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Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:23 pm
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