Compass?

[wattsy]

do you reckon these are any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-C...uipment_RL&hash=item3cc7ff52ae#ht_3922wt_1396

I'm going to get a Recta DS50 for my own use I'm just thinking about getting a couple of these for my scouts to use (they can already use baseplate compasses we're moving onto more advanced stuff)

anyone got any experience with them?

cheers
matt

 

[santaman2000]

They mostly look like a knock-off of the Cammenga or a variant thereof. What would make me question their quality is the cost; however I don't have any personal experience with them so who knows.

BTW. Why do you say, "more advanced" when moving away from baseplate compasses? I was taught that the baseplate compass was the more advanced; was that wrong?

 

[wattsy]

They mostly look like a knock-off of the Cammenga or a variant thereof. What would make me question their quality is the cost; however I don't have any personal experience with them so who knows.

BTW. Why do you say, "more advanced" when moving away from baseplate compasses? I was taught that the baseplate compass was the more advanced?

advanced is probably the wrong word sighting compasses give more accurate bearing determination which is an advantage for my group as we're moving on to more complex navigation problems. however, we aren't rich by a long chalk and £100 odd for a pair of decent sighting compasses from Suunto or Silva is too much for us.

cheers
matt

 

[Wook]

I've had a few of those military style lensatic compasses. Unless they were genuine American surplus (and those ones are expensive!) I wouldn't trust them to get me home. Build quality is variable at best.

They are meant to be much more precise than orienteering compasses to allow for artillery spotting, although truthfully I thought they sacrifice some ease-of-use for the enhanced precision.

These days I use a Silva mirror sighting compass. Best of all worlds. I think compasses are something, along with boots, knives and jackets, that it is really worth not skimping on.

 

[northumbrian]

if you have a look at waylands website (ravenlore) he has a good piece written about the prismatic and transit compass's.
when he's next on i'm sure he'll give you the lowdown about them.

cheers andrew.

 

[santaman2000]

I've had a few of those military style lensatic compasses. Unless they were genuine American surplus (and those ones are expensive!) I wouldn't trust them to get me home. Build quality is variable at best...

Cammenga is the company that mkes the geuine military ones (and the link you posted looks like it's based on them) Their price new from the company is much cheaper than 100 quid; only $59.95 for the phosphorescent one (about 38.69 pounds)

Here's a link to their site www.[B]cammenga.com[/B]