What compass?

[Cgrutt]

Becoming more involved with Scouts lately. Time for a good compass.

Been looking at two different styles:

"Orienteering"



Pros:
Easy to use/follow headings ("point and shoot")
Good with maps
Can easily adjust declination
Relatively inexpensive
Fluid dampened
Small/easy to carry

Cons:
Plastic - not durable
Accuracy (relative)

"Military" (Lensatic)



Pros:
Best accuracy for taking bearings
Metal body - durable
Available with Tritium dials
Copper dampened
Less common -- give kids opportunity to see/learn different types of compass
Learning to use proficiently will make better navigators
"Cool" factor

Cons
Harder to use with maps
Cannot easily adjust for declination
More expensive
Bulkier/heavier than Orienteering style
Slower navigation
Tritium models have limited shelf-life (albeit a long one)

Which one do you recommend and why? Any specific brands/models? I'd like to stay within $100.

[usmcveteran]

I personally would buy lensatic compass. Maybe because I was military. Lens and sighting wire are important to get more precise location when using map and not being sure where you are by finding known points on mal to calculate your position. Tritium is used for night operations and even when it does stop working you still have functional compass which you can still use at night with compass.

Best answer....... Buy both.

[usmcveteran]

Oh and buy this one .

http://www.amazon.com/Cammenga-3H-Tr.../dp/B00O5I4NBU
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FE...uDL&ref=plSrch

Your at about $100

[Cgrutt]

Thanks. I actually have a bunch of the Orienteering style just not sure if they're are better brands/models. I know the Tritium is for night and it still can be used after it fades. Do you know what the difference is between the Cammenga 3H and 3HCS? Is it just packaging?

[Cgrutt]

Oh, in link that you posted, were you saying right about $100 including the book and protractor? Thanks for your help!

[WARFAB]

The only lensatic compasses I've ever used weren't liquid filled, so the amount of time they took to settle down was pretty annoying. Silva makes some orienteering style compasses that incorporate sighting features. That's what I used throughout my scout career, so I'm biased by being familiar with that style.

http://store.silvacompass.com/sighting-compasses

I think I used one of the Ranger versions.

Any accuracy you'd gain with the lens and wire sighting would be wasted if you can't adjust the declination.

[usmcveteran]

I think 3h and 3hcs is same thing based on this site .

https://www.combathunting.com/COMPAS...c_Compass.html

Looks like it's part of SKU?

[usmcveteran]

Yes you can adjust, it's been a long time since I used one but why would the military buy something that you couldn't adjust for declination.

[usmcveteran]

F. DECLINATION ADJUSTMENT (ORIENTING A MAP)
1st Method - Using the maps declination diagram. (see fig. 4,
section I)
Place the fully opened lensatic compass on map with the
scale edge alongside the Magnetic North line of the
declination diagram. Adjust the map (with compass on it) so
that the compass cover points to Magnetic North (North
arrow of compass is pointing directly to the Index Line). The
map is now oriented to the terrain.2nd Method - With no declination diagram shown on the map.
1. Find the magnetic declination value in the map margin.
This will state the difference between True North and
Magnetic North to be so many degrees East or West.
Example: Magnetic declination 11 degrees West means The
North arrow of the lensatic compass will point 11 degrees
West of True North.
2. Place the fully opened compass on the map with the scale
edge alongside a North/South meridian (longitudinal line, grid
line). The case cover should be pointing toward the top of the
map.
3. Turn the map and the compass together until the North
arrow of the Dial is the same number of degrees East or West
of the Index Line as stated on the map. The map is now
oriented to the terrain.
3rd Method - When your position on the map is known.
1. Select a prominent terrain feature on the ground that can
also be located on the map.
2. Sight an azimuth from your position on the ground to the
selected terrain feature.
3. Align the fully opened compass on the map so that the
scale edge runs through the selected terrain feature and your
known position.
4. Turn the map and compass together until the azimuth
sighted lies under the Index Line. The map is now oriented to
the terrain.

[WARFAB]

Unless I'm missing something, none of those methods seem like they would help you when you're holding the compass in your hand and trying to sight a landmark to guide your direction of travel. Set the silva compass once and never have to calculate it again for the rest of your trek.

I'm biased by what I've used and know. If I had taken the military training I'd probably feel differently.

[Cgrutt]

Thanks guys. Yeah I know you can orient any compass along magnetic north line on map to adjust for declination, I was talking about a physical adjustment on the compass itself. Some Orienteering compasses provide a declination scale on its base. That's what I was talking about. Not sure about the Military compasses actually but didn't think they had this. No biggie either way, more for conversation than anything else. I think I actually have a couple of the Silvas. Need to find them, LOL...

As far as actually adjusting for declination, I believe you only need to do this when taking a bearing from a map. If you were simply sighting and following a bearing to a visible object, you don't need to adjust anything. Could be wrong...

[usmcveteran]

If you know your declination in degrees you can easily use math to calculate proper headings.

Could be fun to learn to use all of them

[mondo]

I bought a orienteering compass made by Silva when I was 14. I was in the scouts and went to Philmont in New Mexico for a 10 day back packing tri.I still use that compass today and it works as well as the day I bought it 35 years ago.

[Ham_Chu]

Used lensatics throughout my 20 year Reserve career. Trust them implicitly. Try to get the radiological hazard model (tritium for 20 year glow in the dark N-seeking arrow and bezel ring). Cheaper models will have the 1970's glow tape that needs constant recharging with flashlight, ruining your night vision. The precision the lensatic provides can't be beat.

Silvas are more for Orienteering, where you are guiding off of relevant terrain features during the day i.e. head towards this road intersection, hilltop, etc...which only requires you to get close 'nuff, and use the map to get to known map locations. Lensatics are for Dead Reckoning; following a precise azimuth for a specific distance regardless of the map (although you are a fool NOT to use the map in conjunction).

Declination is a simple subtract/add 12 degrees (for Roch, anyways; should be printed on any decent quality topo map) depending on Grid to Mag North or vice-versa; once you convert your azimuth from the map, you can forget it...until your next leg. If the whole trip is already planned out, declination becomes transparent. (much better to do all map work prior to getting out there, if possible). Try to get a military protractor (GTA) and cut off the mil scale.

IIRC Camenga (sic) is the contractor providing the military compii (compuseses?!?)

[LibertyOrDeath]

I use lensatic. I had a cheap orienteering one but it broke. Like you said plastic.