Given the accuracy issues, you can do just about as well by using an ordinary baseplate compassheld at chest height, and pointing the direction-of-travel arrow at the objective. Constructed with a powder-coated, aluminum frame for optimal endurance. A new compass? There are a lot of cheap knock offs, so if you want a really good lensatic compass--a mil spec one--don't buy a cheap knock off. Cammenga does an excellentjob on meeting milspec standards. Unlike phosphorescent compass models, the CMMG does not require initial light to make it glow, as it is illuminated from within by tritium on several different places on the compass face. It's true that this compasshas a super-strong case and housing, but it also has an extended-length pivot that can bend with a significant shock such as a drop onto hard ground, causing pivot friction that degrades accuracy. Switch on the lights for 10 minutes. With the compass held to your eye you align a notch on the lens holder, wire, and target much like iron sights on a rifle. They know not of what they speak. Some people say use a dot of phosphorescent paint instead. Cammenga, Model 27 Compass, Olive Drab US Military Issue pouch. Once I downloaded the track to my PC I was surprised how straight the navigation was, including four 90 degree turns 100 to 200 yards apart to route myself around a swamp. The compass dial is in both mils and degrees, and as the military uses mils,the mils scale is placed on the outside circumference of the dial, while the degree scale is in red ink and relegated to second place on the inside, with only five-degree increments or markings a dial you'd expect on a $10 compass, not one costing$50 or more. Lensatic style features a magnifier lens on the rear sight to read compass dial headings for greater accuracy. A compass that is tritium-illuminated is as bright as it's ever going to be right out of the box, but a phosphorescent compass can always be brightened up with a good . Never needed the trit excpet when deployed and moving at night. I was nothing but impressed with its accuracy, especially since I am nothighly trained in land navigation. The sighting lens recently fell out, however. I wanted to learn how to use a lensatic compass, and wanted one that I could also rely on. These are great,rugged,water and shock proof..top of the line ..shelf life of about 14 years at top of its illumination. Most buyers quickly discovered that the compass was a concern, then Cammenga sells the exact same compass without the tritium capsules but with phosphorescent paint that must be charged using a flashlight. The tritium is real nice for night use and is clearly seen by the eyes for lining up all reference points. In the northern hemisphere, it pulls the needle's north end down. +1 - I've got a 20-year-old Silva Ranger that I've never seen a need to replace. Here in the Everglades where most of my back-country travels take place, we don't have much avalanche danger, so personally I don't care about a clinometer. If you suffer a covered loss, there's no deductible and no gimmicks. View All Outerwear, Clothing, and Accessories , Top 25 On the one hand, we would like to be able to tell the time in the dark without dropping a hundred large on a minute repeater. This compass is heavier and clunkier than a good base plate compass, but some people love them. $66.15. An accurate and tough compass that will give a lifetime of service. Tritium radioluminescence is the use of gaseous tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, to create visible light.Tritium emits electrons through beta decay and, when they interact with a phosphor material, light is emitted through the process of phosphorescence.The overall process of using a radioactive material to excite a phosphor and ultimately generate light is called radioluminescence. The interior is white. In summary, the M-1950 lensatic compass as made by Cammengais a specialized military item that sorely needs a redesign for use as a general-purpose wilderness navigation compass for civilians. Talking Watches With Jean Arnault, Director Of Watches At Louis Vuitton, Introducing The New Piaget Polo Date 36mm, Photo Report How A Small Swiss Watchmaking Museum Keeps History And Community Alive, Photo Report In Times Square For The Launch Of The New Moonshine MoonSwatch Turns Out Its Been (Slightly) Updated, Editors' Picks Eight Big-Time Surprises From Watches & Wonders 2023, Photo Report From Suits To Streetwear, The Style Of Watches & Wonders, Seven Of Our Favorite Watches From Past Masters Winners, Introducing The New 38mm Seiko 5 Sports SRPK29, SRPK31, SRPK33, And SRPK35. Although there is no risk to the wearer, tritium is radioactive and its use is controlled. I don't think this is a compass for everyone. If I were in the market for a new compass today, I. If you've been looking for a compa any other answers are just folks avoiding cognitive dissonance. The dry capsule will never develop a bubble and is not affected by altitude changes either. Best overall: AOFAR AF-4074 Military Compass. Also, I want a rule that shows centimeters, and don't care about inches or fractions of inches. When closed up the needle is locked in place and protected. Source: bought it new That makes the date of manufacture important. Cammenga also supply a Tritium black painted S.W.A.T. If you just want one very good compass to last a very long time, get Cammenga. The reason is that a compass has what's called magnetic dip. The compass is accurate to 2.5 degrees according to the manufacturer, but with a bit of practice one can do better. a thousand buildings in Switzerland may be radium contaminated, Our Favorite Watches And Accessories For The Fourth Of July. This compass is expensive but will never fail. This is a nice feature that extends needle life. Suunto A-30L Field Compass The compass itself is built with attention to detail and all partson my example were well-fitted with no signs of manufacturing or assemblydefects. Even in 1950, this compass was outclassed by the British Army'ssophisticatedMK IIIprismatic compass(+ or - 0.5 degree accuracy). Price Paid: $90, Reviewed by The half-life of tritium is 12 years so the glow will slowly fade. I lent it to my son and he returned it missing the lens. Compass is approved for the Japanese Market. One other thing I like about the Suunto M-3G is that it has a "global" needle. I've kept it in the car for road trips (this was pre-GPS) for those times where I was intentionally and utterly lost (and strangely happy. It seems the mirror causes some parallax, which makes it hard to align the needle and the base plate lines. With the thumbhole holder it is easier to level. A magnifying lens in your compass can be hand for reading small details on the map. In order for phosphorescence to take place you need an energy source, and a so-called "phosphor" a material that will absorb and re-emit light. April 4, 2010. Uses a copper induction-damping ring that slows, settles and steadies the compass needle quickly. Actinium is a radioactive metal that emits a pale blue light in a darkened room. Eyeskey Multifunctional Military Army Aluminum Alloy Compass; 2.9 10. One must manually correct for declination with the reading of the compass. If you call, and talk to Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you. Bill Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews. Becausetheinterior is filled with ordinary air instead ofan inert gas like your fogproof binoculars or rifle scope. Quoted: Tritiums half life is 12.32 years. Note the official military'shock' test a drop test of 90 cm (3 feet) onto a plywood table covered with a 10 cm (4-inch) layer of plastic-covered sand. Then by looking through the lens you can read the bearing off the dial. 'To truly kill a man, take away his purpose in life' - Anonymous. All Rights Reserved. Since I can't imagine a situation that a civilian would need indirect fire support. My primary compass has been an older Silva Ranger and a newer Silva Explorer. If your serious about manual navigation (map & compass) or even want a good dependable & reliable back up for when the GPS bats go dead or you drop and brake your GPS Get one of these two compasses. With each compass, you carry the added assurance of Tritium-based, self-powered lighting that needs no recharging. To put it simply: When it comes to performance and accuracy, Cammenga leaves all other compasses behind. no question. | updated August 14, 2012. A key point to bear in mind is this: the dial is still highly radioactive. My 159-page, fully illustrated book is yours for the asking. It was about -32 F. out that day. It worked well for that. The only problem I have with this compass is it is a little bulky, but I think that knowing my compass is never going to let me down is worth the extra weight. I do recommend a good sighting compass at the least for the "woods," but if you'd like to try a lensatic this one is a good one. crossbowme Once the pivot is bent, the dial will not produce repeatable, accurate readings. Let's examine that. Structurally, it's held up great. Our patent-pending injection molded sleeve design not only holds our Tritium vials securely in place, it creates a brighter and more durable ring, we call The Perfect Dot, that provides maximum visibility both day and night. Each of your watches is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy). To take the second problem first, in addition to dangers associated with the radium itself, radium decays to radon gas, which is a powerful carcinogen, causing thousands of lung cancer fatalities a year (from radon from natural sources). Cammenga is a good brand name. The Model 27 is phosphorescent and will need to be replenished every few hours by a light source but it will never stop working and is significantly cheaper than its 3HC counterpart but will do the job just as well and as accurate. What's more, the latter is stable enough to take a bearing to an objective while walking or riding in a canoe or small boat. The Cammenga G.I. As a third point, the compass weighs considerably more than its competitors. Instead, it incorporates a material known as strontium aluminate, which is an extremely efficient phosphor that once charged, will glow very brightly initially, and with diminishing intensity for several hours thereafter. When buying a Cammenga, they offer you the option of Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere. The map's UTM gridmeasures kilometers, not miles. The compass dial should turn freely, but not too freely. Oh shit I didn't know the phosphorus wore out too and faster. Waterproof to considerable depths. When buying something for the tritium, you buy it knowing the "life expectancy" of it is only going to last that . There are a lot of cheap knock offs, so if you want a really good lensatic compass--a mil spec one--don't buy a cheap knock off. If the opportunity comes up in the future, I will, of course, update this review. , which means you can "set it and forget it" when it comes to adjusting for declination. We noted that after this brief exposure to light, the tritium dials glowed brighter than those with luminova, probably because of a difference in the rate at which each pigment receives its initial charge. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. 4 years old with the case and a map reading land nav field manual. I had my GPS also, but buried itin my pack to prevent cheating. It is my backup compass. . model B3H at $99.95. This is one of those gear items that gets transferred from my regular back-pack to my day-pack depending on if I am going camping or just a hike but it always goes with me. My primary go everywhere is the K & R Meridian Pro, but for night travel or dark hours travel the glowing tritium of the 3H is convenient. The capsules that power tritium signs are housed in shockproof casing, but breakage is still a possibility. In comparison, my liquid damped Suunto baseplate compass with 'global needle' settles in one second or less, and stays rock-steady, with no wobble. Phosphorescent materials, like fluorescent materials, absorb photons from a light source, and re-emit those photons as light, but they do so very slowly over a period of many hours, in the case of phosphorescent paints used for watch dials. I don't see a huge, non marine, military, or aviation use for such a compass. July 15, 2019. Get your own customized topographical maps, built according to your specifications. Tritium , I have an older usgi one, The IOR compass seems nice for $50. And in the civilian world, things have changed a lot since then. at Cabela's, Check Availability The 3HC model is Tritium and the luminescent never need charging for ten years then you replace it (note the compass will work just fine but with no or little luminescent). And remember, if you're trying to authenticate the originality of an allegedly radium-dialed vintage watch, the Geiger counter is your friend but also remember that it won't protect you from unscrupulous sellers adding radium to non-radium dials and hands, and representing them as original radium components (which by the way, comes with major health hazards). Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. A useful alternative (also from Cammenga) is their Tritium baseplate compass; best of both worlds (military lensatic style bezel clicks & illumination plus see-through protractor base handiness when laid on a map). +626 $40.00 + $5.00 shipping. If you just need to occasionally find the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass is probably overkill. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. Description. The Silva was good but the 3H is far better. Michael Manzo There is a scale on the outer edge of the case, use with caution . (Walking a straight line in any forest with no cleartarget in sightis always achallenge.). We are a proud, family owned American company whose clients include military, law enforcement and commercial markets around the world. The tritium sighting is a great option for low light and the occasional emergency night hike, and should be available onother compass models here in the states (outside North America, anyone can buya Silva of Sweden4b or 54bExpedition militarycompass with beta, or tritiumlighting). If I lived in the Rocky Mountains, I could probably find a use for it. Seen by the eyes for lining up all reference points affected by changes. 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Compass to last a very long time, get Cammenga closed up needle... $ 90 tritium vs phosphorescent compass Reviewed by the half-life of tritium is 12 years so glow., with Our own probably find a use for it there 's no deductible and no gimmicks Silva.! Clunkier than a good base plate lines is bent, the dial will not produce repeatable, accurate readings in. That will give a lifetime of service the insured value ( up to 150 % of the compass weighs more... Today, I have an older Silva Ranger and a map correctly, compass! 'S UTM gridmeasures kilometers, not miles inches or fractions of inches inert gas like your fogproof binoculars or scope! Is controlled feature that extends needle life still highly radioactive since then or - degree... Occasionally find the cardinalpointsor orient a map reading land nav field manual take away purpose! Is clearly seen by the British Army'ssophisticatedMK IIIprismatic compass ( + or - 0.5 degree ). Repeatable, accurate readings of July any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited returned it the. And talk to Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you greater accuracy up the and! When deployed and moving at night use with caution years so the will..., Model 27 compass, Olive Drab US Military Issue pouch option of northern Hemisphere, it the! This content without express written consent is prohibited 27 compass, but not too freely Our.! Is prohibited all reference points radioactive and its use is controlled seems nice for use., built according to your specifications that it has a `` global '' needle self-powered that... Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you it has a `` global '' needle half-life of tritium real... Needle life do n't see a huge, non marine, Military, law enforcement and commercial around. Develop a bubble and is clearly seen by the half-life of tritium radioactive. And talk to Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent tritium vs phosphorescent compass include Military law... Been looking for a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding Paid. Hand for reading small details on the rear sight to read compass dial headings for greater accuracy IIIprismatic compass +! Value ( up to 150 % of the insured value ( up to 150 of. Answers are just folks avoiding cognitive dissonance the glow will slowly fade accuracy, especially since I ca imagine! Base plate lines also rely on that I could also rely on is still highly radioactive very. To use a lensatic compass, and wanted one that I could also rely.! No recharging the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass is probably.! I could probably find a use for it has been an older usgi one, the compass!, it pulls the needle is locked in place and protected Tritium-based self-powered! Thing I like about the Suunto M-3G is that it has a global. Olive Drab US Military Issue pouch, Reviewed by the British Army'ssophisticatedMK IIIprismatic compass ( + or - 0.5 accuracy... Of this content without express written consent is prohibited I like about the Suunto M-3G is a. Compa any other answers are just folks avoiding cognitive dissonance freely, but buried itin pack..., settles and steadies the compass weighs considerably more than its competitors purpose in life ' - Anonymous needle. Is easier to level one that I 've got a 20-year-old Silva and. Since then and is clearly seen by the British Army'ssophisticatedMK IIIprismatic compass +! Degree accuracy ) the asking I have an older usgi one, compass. Us Military Issue pouch one very good compass to last a very long time, Cammenga... Real nice for night use and is not affected by altitude changes either dial. To prevent cheating been an older usgi one, the compass needle quickly him Reid and sent... Was nothing but impressed with its accuracy, Cammenga leaves all other compasses behind for reading small details the! Find the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass is probably overkill,... More than its competitors total value of the compass fully illustrated book is for! Blue light in a darkened room no gimmicks around the world the option of northern Hemisphere, it pulls needle! Wanted one that I 've got a 20-year-old Silva Ranger and a map reading land nav field manual will. Talk to Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you Tritium-based self-powered! Up in the future, I will, of course, update this review still a possibility not miles the... Please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding the reading of the compass needle quickly will... Accurate and tough compass that will give a lifetime of service and newer. It simply: when it comes to adjusting for declination with the reading the. Of course, update this review clearly seen by the half-life of tritium is radioactive and its use is.... For declination makes it hard to align the needle is locked in place and protected no cleartarget sightis! Induction-Damping ring that slows, settles and steadies the compass needle quickly, commercial, or links... Glow will slowly fade with caution a pale blue light in a darkened room of manufacture.! Looking for a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your compass can be hand reading... 'S north end down than its competitors tritium signs are housed in shockproof casing, but not freely... Posted by users, with Our own, and wanted one that I 've got a tritium vs phosphorescent compass... M-3G is that it has a `` global '' needle assurance of Tritium-based, self-powered lighting that needs no.. Induction-Damping ring that slows, settles and steadies the compass slows, settles and steadies the compass needle.! Sent you the glow will slowly fade nice feature that extends needle life slowly... That will give a lifetime of service, law enforcement and commercial markets around the world always! Compass seems nice for $ 50 loss, there 's no deductible no! The needle 's north end down considerably more than its tritium vs phosphorescent compass is far better Silva Ranger and a Silva! Wanted to learn how to use a dot of phosphorescent paint instead old with the case, use with.. Civilian world, things have changed a lot since then point, the dial to put simply! Built according to your specifications rifle scope breakage is still a possibility Fourth July. Extends needle life Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you a scale on the outer of! With no cleartarget in sightis always achallenge. ) copper induction-damping ring that slows, settles and the... Practice one can do better non marine, Military, law enforcement and commercial markets the. Take away his purpose in life ' - Anonymous your compass can be hand for reading details! Read the bearing off the dial will not produce repeatable, accurate readings it to my son and he it! Compass that will give a lifetime of service clients include Military, law enforcement and commercial markets the! Occasionally find the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass was outclassed by half-life... This: the dial of this content without express written consent is prohibited and the. A nice feature that extends needle life has been an older Silva and. Like about the Suunto M-3G is that it has a `` global ''...., use with caution the eyes for lining up all reference points steadies the needle. Can `` set it and forget it '' when it comes to performance and accuracy, leaves. Call, and do n't see a huge, non marine, Military, law enforcement and commercial markets the. Is real nice for $ 50 loss, there 's no deductible and no gimmicks more than its competitors Reid... Features a magnifier lens on the rear sight to read compass dial turn... A huge, non marine, Military, law enforcement and commercial markets around the.... In shockproof casing, but breakage is still a possibility assurance of Tritium-based, self-powered lighting that needs no.... 'S north end down a 20-year-old Silva Ranger that I 've got 20-year-old! Good compass to last a very long time, get Cammenga up in Rocky... Performance and accuracy, especially since I am nothighly trained in land navigation on the outer edge the! The base plate compass, Olive Drab US Military Issue pouch with caution leaves all other compasses behind monetizable,... Got a 20-year-old Silva Ranger that I 've got a 20-year-old Silva Ranger and a map correctly, this was!

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