Compass

[THOaken]

Hello, BCUK. Which compass should I purchase? I know that I need a baseplate compass and know the general features. For some reason, the one recommended in The Ultimate Navigation Manual, the Suunto M3 Global, isn't available on Amazon.co.uk. Well, there's one available but it's vastly overpriced. Curious. Are Silva good? What compass do you use?

 

[James1173]

hi mate. in my opinion you cant go wrong with a silva expedition 4, ive had mine for ages and its sound. you can spend a small fortune on various compasses but to be honest i dont think you need a fancy expensive thing. just knowing how to use one properly is the key to good nav. so yeah id recommend the expedition, cheap enough at about 20 quid and more than good enough.

 

[Mesquite]

Silve are one of the leading makers of compasses. You won't get many people saying don't buy one

 

[ozzy1977]

I bought a silva expedition 4 last year to replace my Suunto that I lost after all the recommendations on here

 

[Chilliphil]

Another vote for Silva here, had mine for about 20 years.

 

[wingstoo]

Next big question though will be mils or degrees? I have bought both types, mils is a lot more accurate measure than degrees having 6400mils in a full circle , but to be honest when on a compass it doesn't really make a lot of difference without the use of a mils protractor.

 

[James1173]

no need to use mils, i mean you can if you like but you'll find that your gma on civvy maps is in degrees so it makes sense to use degrees unless you have military maps.

 

[wingstoo]

no need to use mils, i mean you can if you like but you'll find that your gma on civvy maps is in degrees so it makes sense to use degrees unless you have military maps.

That's why they have conversion tables... After all squaddies ain't rocket scientists all the time... Unless they are Artillery or Mortar operators.

 

[wingstoo]

A conversion chart for those with a mils compass who might find only GMA info in Degrees.

 

[James1173]

i definitely agree that mils can be confusing but after all its the same principle. i dont think there is a mils-degrees conversion table on an os map but i might be wrong.

 

[wingstoo]

Don't really need one, just knowing that there are 6400 in a circle and divide by 360.

or copy and paste the chart above encapsulate it and put it in your map pocket.

It's no different to using a tape measure, metres and millimetre on one side and feet and inches the other.

The old military saying that the only person more dangerous than an officer with a map, is an officer with a map and a compass looks like it can be adapted for civvies as well...

 

[James1173]

good saying, i like that one!

 

[Graham_S]

Silva type 4.
You can't go wrong with one of them.
Nice long base plate, magnifier, roamer scales, accurate.

 

[Kerne]

Another vote for Silva. Got a Ranger and several Explorers. Swear by them and use them to teach nav to DofE kids.

 

[KevStorr]

Always been a Silva user

 

[Gweedo]

I've got the Suunto M3 and really like it. Very well made in my opinion.

Remember, you'll need mils if you're calling in artillery, but for fast air you'll need degrees.

Joking aside, mils only really provide accuracy if you're using a sighting compass and you need to navigate with extreme precision.

 

[The Ratcatcher]

The reason the military use mils, is that an angle of one mil equals an offset of one metre at a distance of 1000 metres, which means you can measure distance from the angular width or height of a known object, very useful for artillery range finding. For the shooters among us, that's the proper use of a mil-dot scope reticle, not as a way to aim off for wind.

Alan

 

[Ecoman]

+1 for Silva expedition 4 in degrees

 

[Bluffer]

Baseplate compasses are only accurate to about 25 mils, which, err, makes degrees more accurate...!

 

[wingstoo]

Baseplate compasses are only accurate to about 25 mils, which, err, makes degrees more accurate...!

Interesting, I thought the needle always pointed Magnetic north, and the bezel was what made it accurate, the bezels are mass produced by the same makers so maybe the degrees are inaccurate as well ... Both are of course only as good as the person using them.