Originally Posted By: Alex
A bubble has almost no effect on the dampening quality of the rest of the liquid, nor on the compass' precision. In fact, it gives you an advantage at holding the compass naturally horizontally (working like a bubble level).


Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but I have to disagree on pretty much all counts.

A large bubble can and will destroy the accuracy of a liquid-filled compass. The accuracy of a compass depends on the ability of a small magnetized needle to swing freely and point to magnetic north. The magnetic force that orients the compass needle is tiny, so it is important to ensure that the compass needle can turn without the slightest hindrance. That's why any decent compass will have a small jewel (usually sapphire) bearing to ensure a smooth needle movement.

A bubble inside a liquid-filled capsule essentially acts as an air pocket trapped against the housing. If large enough, it will block the movement of the compass needle and push it around forcibly as you move the compass and the bubble begins to shift back and forth. Once that happens the needle will no longer point north consistently. Instead, you will be getting totally random bearings with no way of knowing if any of them is actually right.

I don't speak about this from theory. I have seen it happen in real life and have done a fair bit of land navigation in my time, sometimes under pretty demanding conditions. YMMV but in my experience it is a scary proposition to be caught out in the wilderness with a compass you can't trust and no other effective navigation aid when you really need it.

There is absolutely no advantage to having a bubble in your compass. Other than highly specialized surveying compasses (usually prismatic type) that make use of a spirit bubble (attached separately to the compass housing) there is absolutely no point in adding that feature to a general purpose compass. Same for a photo tripod mount - what the heck is that all about? I see these features becoming more and more common on the cheap Chinese compasses sold lately. In reality, it's nothing more than a pathetic attempt to attract uninformed customers who'd be much better off getting a quality compass from a reputable manufacturer.

Actually, the eBay special on your link is a pretty obvious example of a low quality Chinese knockoff. As a matter of fact, I know that particular model well, it seems to be very common these days. I would not rely on that compass under any circumstances. The build quality is very low and the "advanced" features are a joke. I've had an opportunity to test three identical examples a couple of years ago. None of them would point north accurately, each was off by up to 10 degrees IIRC. Then again, not sure what more one could expect from a "New Professional Pocket Military Army Geology Compass for Outdoor Hiking Camping"?? Honestly, you would be much better off with any inexpensive baseplate compass made by a decent brand if money is a concern.