We have an expert on camping stoves, a good number of HAMs, sailors, etc. Any compass guys?

I am looking for a keychain compass. Small would be nice. Keychains get dropped, so the ability to withstand shock would be nice. I don't expect to go into the wilderness and read topographical maps with it. Most of the time I'll be using the keychain compass in an urban setting, or while driving.

I can't tell whether there is any difference amongst the items I found online. The technology seems pretty simple to me, but perhaps there are fine differences that only real experts can tell.

I had a keychain compass with thermometer (Suunto), but after two or three years it stopped working so well. I also have a compass app on my Android, but it failed me this afternoon. The digital compass on my watch (Highgear) has a 20 second limit, and I'm still not sure how much I trust it.

Thanks!

Just had a lunch of BBQ ribs. Man, am I full and loaded with cholesterol!

Through the years I've collected a fair number of compass brands and models. I can speak about those I have experience with.

My preferred compass is a good plastic baseplate version with adjustable declination. Specifically, my preferred models are the Suunto M-3 and the Brunton TDCL, though I like the Brunton 9020G as a nice pocketable compass.

As for keychain compasses ... I've had several of the Suunto models - I liked the one with the rotating bezel, but none lasted for very long. I suspect that the key/pocket environment is pretty hard on them.

These days I rely on a decent "real" compass when in the field, and either a GPS or my Android phone other times. I know they both would require calibration to be accurate, but that is pretty darn easy to do.

Looking at Brunton's web site it looks like they are coming out with a new line of updated O.S.S. compasses based upon their circle over circle system like on the Eclipse compasses. I have an Eclipse and like it A LOT, but its durability has not been too good (bubbles). If they've resolved that, then those could be nice compasses.

I've heard good things about the Silva Metro. I wouldn't want to go off pavement with it, but it good for urban use. For that matter, any of the major brands (Brunton, Suunto, and Silva) should produce reliable leychain compasses. I have a Stansport knock-off of a Suunto clipper that I use when I travel (purchased after getting lost trying to return the rental car).

If you adapt something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-43739-Compass-Pin-on-Luminescent/dp/B000P41RC6/
It ought to be fairly indestructible.

My experience with map and compass, over several years, is that in terrestrial situations, with anything like normal visibility, a compass is not particularly necessary. In an urban setting, with numerous possibilities for conditions that will disorient a compass, they are even less so.

In general, the more money you spend on a compass, the more reliable it will be. If you ask me, keychain compasses are cute gadgets - I would certainly not care to have to depend upon one for any serious purpose. Any city street map will show the orientation of the street grid with respect to cardinal directions and would be far more reliable and dependable than a compass.

When I pop out of some public transport system in an urban area it takes some time to get my bearings. Such as a large train or bus terminal, or coming up from a hole in the ground.

Unless the sun is up or I can see the North Star (not very likely) or a prominent terrain feature I will have to actually move a block or two to get my bearings from the street signs and my map. Having a compass allows me to move in the right direction at once - it doesn't have to be accurate, it just has to put North into the right quadrant...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets disoriented in cities. After a while I got tired of having to walk a block or two to figure out which way I'm facing, so I got a compass for my keychain.

In an enclosed space like the mall or the airport, I am always tickled by directions like "the information desk is at the east court of the building" unless there is some sort of map. We have nothing to navigate with!

I don't have so much of problem with enclosed spaces as new spaces. My sense of direction disappears for a couple of days when I'm traveling to a new city. The compass' do skew a bit in the city, but not enough to affect street navigation.

In similar circumstances I can whip out my iPhone and not only use its compass but have the map oriented in the direction I'm facing. This is very handy. I just make sure that I don't lose my situational awareness and to have some ne'er-do-well snatch it from me or worse.

This is not to disparage having a backup, non-electronic compass.

I completely agree!!! That is when I carry the Brunton 9020G in my pocket. That and when visiting large zoos, Disney parks, and similar.

My local suburban train station dumps out downtown at Chicago's Union Station, and I was happy to see large bronze (I assume) cardinal points embedded in the pavement just outside the station doors. Smart idea!

Went to Washington DC years ago, first time I was ever on a subway like that. Came up out of the ground and the streets were labeled like D4, I had to walk one way and then another to see if the letters and numbers were incrementing or decrementing to figure out what direction I was facing.

I like having a small, simple compass for coarse direction finding. I have found the Suunto Clipper (luminous) watchband compass to be pretty good. I have tried the no-name watchband compasses and they always fell apart.

The Clipper's mounting plate is open on 1 side. In my experience this invited the compass to get pulled off my watchband. I used a little JB Weld to close that side of the plate and it has been secure for over 2 years of daily wear in both urban and bushwacking environments.



A distinct advantage of a simple watchband compass is that you can casually glance at your wrist to read it. You don't have to take out your phone or keychain. People who see you think you're just looking at your watch. When standing or seated with your watch arm relaxed casually in front of you, you can check the compass by just glancing downward.

I love the idea of the digital watches from Suunto and Casio that have electronic compasses in them. But my research has shown that those puppies are expensive; the Clipper costs about $12. Besides, the Casio literature says their compass accuracy is spec'ed at only +/- 11 degrees, and I just need a general sense of the cardinal directions anyway.

I have been wearing a Casio w/ integral compass for a couple of years now. I don't remember precisely what I paid for it ($35, maybe), but if it was expensive, I would not be wearing it. Mainly the watch keeps good time and is water resistant to 200M, which is a lot more water resistant than I am. I don't think I have ever needed to use the compass feature, although it is nice to have around.

Sad to say, I do not have any experience with the smaller compasses being discussed. I will need to look into that. Appreciate the info on the Clipper.

I agree that the Brunton 9020G is a excellent pocket compass. I really like the fact that the 9020G can be adjusted for declination.

Visit www.magnetic-declination.com for declination info.

If there are any small models worth checking out please let me know.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.biz
www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com

I got the Sun compass with thermometer. The polarity is reversed. Does this sort thing happen a lot?

I assume there is no way to fix it other than throwing it away...

Your's is the second one I've heard of. The other was a baseplate compass (Suunto?) about 12-14 years back. I'm guessing it's rare. I don't think it can be fixed, but I'd hang onto it as a conversation piece.

Bingley... my Suunto Clipper also reversed

I your compass' polarity changes then it's time to put it in the trash.

The clipper looks interesting but also seems very hard to find.

The small ball compass with the safety pin type of clip are just OK. I find they will give you a trend of direction and thats about it.

Blake

I keep a couple 20mm button compasses with me most every day. In my job I might start a day in a motel, but end the day a 100 miles away searching for receivers or shot points in the densest thicket imaginable in the absolute middle of nowhere (just me, my machete and Big Foot). All I need is a general idea of true north and I can generally locate the lines and points (miles from nowhere) and when through, can generally meander my way back to my vehicle on some overgrown logging road before the sun completely sets. I loose these tiny compasses all the time (maybe one or two a week). Be sure to purchase the liquid filled Grade AAs. I purchase them six dozen at a time. They are much better quality than the Grade As for numerous reasons, but to me its mostly because the Grade AAs are more heat tolerant if left in a car on a summer day. When I'm in unfamiliar cities I use them when on foot trying to orient so as to locate a Starbucks or some shade tree attorney's office. However I always go a little out of my way to find a road that I'm reasonably certain runs due North and South and check the button compass's declination for that area. (Good roads to use for determining declination are harder to find than you may think. It's best to ask a local surveyor to tell you which local road or road segment comes closet to running true North and South.) Just remember to check it a couple times before you start depending on it in the woods or in the city --- to rule out outside influences.

By far the best button compasses in my view are the Nato ones. However, there extraordinarily expensive (expensive as all get out) and hard to come by. In any case, every member of my family keeps one of these Nato compasses with them in their PSKs.

As for key chain compasses, in my view the best in the business is the machined solid brass 150C Tru-Nord Key Chain model. What really separates the US made Tru-Nords from the European (Scandinavian) pack is that the Tru-Nords are compensated at the factory for the zip code where the key chain compass is to be used. When I work on projects outside of the USA, I just send Tru-Nord the Lat & Lon of where it will be used and they quickly have a new compensated one delivered to my door step. When using the Tru-Nord, you get true north only without having to fret over declination - although there's nothing they can do about the wobble of the earth. I have a drawer full of the factory compensated Tru-Nords, each tagged by location. They're my work horses on all my major field projects. They're light but built like tanks. High end in every respect.

Thanks for the tips, Grady! They're very useful. I'm looking seriously into Trunord.

It is easy to reverse the reversed polarity and does no harm to the compass. Reversing happens all the time, you should always check daily before starting out.

There are plenty of instructions on the internet, basicly hold a powerful magnet close to the needle the correct way round which is the trick.

Now you tell me. I was planning to go to Mexico to get some relief from this winter weather, and now I'm in Yukon.

Great info Grady, thank you.



I do this with every compass I have with me on a given trip. In an area where I know north's direction, I give each compass a quick check to ensure it hasn't reversed.

Alright, I found this (from <http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/segwayed/lessons/exploring_magnetism/exploring_magnetism/s1.html>):



This last part about making sure the needle does not move may be a problem for a compass one cannot open, such as a keychain compass. I'll try to hold the compass vertically so as to immobilize the needle against the side. The instructions above say to hold the needle horizontally, but I don't think that's significant. We're just reversing the polarity on the magnetic field of the needle. We don't have to line up the needle with the earth's magnetic field. Will let you know the outcome. May still buy the Tru Nord.

That sounds like a heck of a lot of trouble just to avoid adding and subtracting. Especially since those compass cards are only marked with the cardinal and ordinal directions to begin with.

With all other small keychain or zipper pull compasses, you're just eyeballing or roughly guesstimating when making declination adjustments - which can cause errors of 2 or 3 degrees or even 5 or more degrees (and then you're lucky if they ever find your body). Single degree markers don't appear on keychain or zipper pull compasses. (At least I can't see them with my eyes, and I'm near sighted to a fault). Much easier just to eliminate that issue entirely on my projects where time is of the essence and/or there are immense safety concerns and particularly in remote, hostile areas and where capability, language or translation barriers run rampant for starters. All we need and all we want is a simple small rugged high quality compass with one big, clown-sized arrow (did I say big arrow and universally simplistic?) that always points in a single (one) direction, that being true north. Of course my clients use the most sophisticated cutting edge engineering and geophysical programs with ultra-high resolution imagery during other project phases, but there is a consensus among the geophysicists and engineers that understand my responsibilities, that the Tru-Nord compass is the one. Door step delivery doesn't register as an issue. In regard to direction and distance, I wear lots of hats. But I do more than my share of coordinate system troubleshooting for others. I presently use ArcInfo (formerly used GeoMedia - and I stated out in MicroStation during the civil war). My systems are loaded or are streaming with practically every conceivable type of geo-referenced raster and vector surface and subsurface data imaginable (i.e. that's out there) for reference and contrast, whether proprietary or acquired through public sources. My people are generally the first in. I agree that it's ironic that we use such a low tech tool for such critically important work in one of the most high tech environments of them all. Restated: If you need a zipper pull compass, and care about your employees, I recommend the factory compensated Tru-Nord 150C zipper pull one.

Grady,

What is you source for your compasses.

Great info too, thanks a bunch.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com

Tru-Nord compasses sound intriguing, and I looked up the company's website - I was glad to find they are located in Brainerd, MN, one of my favorite places. Their compensating service is certainly novel.

However, my compass use ranges across a fair variety of zip codes, usually in the western US,and I find a baseplate compass,like the Suunto MC-2 works very well. I can easily set the declination for any location quickly and easily. I can also easily determine the setting at any time (I usually leave it pointing to magnetic North,but that varies with the locality and the task). Included with the compass is a clinometer, inch and centimeter scales, a backup signal mirror, and a small magnifying lens. I have found it adequate for making sketch maps (usually of archaeological sites), as well as the all important task of finding my way back home. If I am using it, it hangs on a lanyard around my neck; otherwise, it is tucked inside the pack where it doesn't get banged around. I use a GPS a lot, but I like keeping a compass handy, even if it is not in constant use. When you need it , you really need it.

I have a Casio watch with electronic compass, which I use like that. Actually I have a poor sense of direction, so if, for example, the tour bus parks on the east side of a market square, my watch makes me more confident I can find it again. For proper navigation I'd take a proper compass (and GPS); the advantage of a watch is I always have it on me. (I used to carry a button compass, and now I don't have to.)

I trust my watch more than I do my phone. That said, I was quite impressed at how well my phone did on my last holiday. I have a dedicated GPS unit which I trust most, but it didn't have local maps, which the phone could get via free hotel WiFi. A compass would probably be better if I was stuck in a building during a power cut.

One test of a magnetic compass is to turn it on its side so the needle can't spin, then rotate it, and return it to level so the needle is pointing south, and see how long it takes find its way north again.

This came in the mail recently.

http://ilbob.blogspot.com/2012/01/meritline-39-cent-keychain-compass.html

It would be interesting to see how many locations can be fitted with auxiliary compasses. I have a match safe with a compass (K&M), as well as a replacement lid for a Nalgene bottle. I really like the latter - take a refreshing swig and check your direction, all at the same time...What else is available?

Hey, I fixed my compass! (My compass had reversed polarity.) Even though I couldn't get the needle to stay put, it still somehow worked.

I always keep a few button compasses stached in my gear for redundancy.