Baseplate (1-2-3) Compass Use at Night

Continues the previous introduction to baseplate compasses, for the UK issue models especially, with use at night. This is specifically for the surplus market, and is almost entirely about those with expired radium markings, and how to make them work at night anyway. If you have a good, new compass, good for you; you should watch this, then try yours out and see how much better it is.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• New
• Project

[iandstanley]

sorry for being a bit *&^*# but at 0:40-0:45 the two compasses are pointing in different directions for magnetic north :)

[shoobe01]

@iandstanley That's because they are not just on a table, but on an electronic device. The camera also has rear projection, so lights and stuff under the frosted glass. None are pointing remotely to north during any part of the video, but to whatever the nearest chunk of electromagnetic energy is.

[shoobe01]

I mostly tried to hide this, by not even moving the compass across the surface. If you look at the map plotting I keep scooting the map under the compass. It's not just because then I can keep the compass in the frame, but so that the compass doesn't overtly drift as I move it.

Now you know my secrets.

[Gail940]

it's a shame some one doesent combine the 2 together, a cammenga compass in a translucent protractor base plate, instaed of that weighty bit of aliminum, if cammenga did that it would be the worlds best outright ah well, (hello cammenga)

oh by the way open a shop up in uk for us squaddies instead of having to send off to USA or trading with your guys for them, thier is a massive market in europe for them hello, even the swedes and german troops are always trying to trade your guys.

[shoobe01]

@Gail940 Yeah, I wonder what is up with the marketing at Silva/Brunton. They have some stupid compasses, and rarely have a good one, which then is discontinued. They do make mil/degree compasses, world compasses, and night compasses, but none that really have all the features. It's not secret tech, they just need to make what we want. Oh, well.

[Gail940]

hi guys we get issued with these in brit army but a lot of us love the Cammenga, it's a lot more robust and sometime we need to call up you yanks to give support fire power & the cammenga has the Milatary degrees appropriate which ours don't, and + you dont have the same tilt declination problems, as a compass alone the cammenga is unrivaled, but when you have to speed read & accuracy on a map the protractor compass as in the silva is better, you take your choice i guess.

[shoobe01]

@Gail940 Every issue baseplate I have seen has mils as well. MOD should be issuing those, and regardless they do make them, so you can just buy one of those. Harder for us, as export restrictions are odd, but should be available normal shops. Ask the naafi guys to carry it if you can't find it or get it issued.

[ema576]

what you said about the tritium and radium is kinda off. tritium has a half life of about 12 years, so after 12 years the glow will only be half of what it was. as for radium most of the zinc sulfide has been used up, not the radiation, but if you let your eyes adjust for up to 30 minutes the glow is still faintly visible, after more than 50 years. after 50 years the tritium won't even be that bright.

[Gail940]

hi guys we use these as issue in brit army, but a lot of love the Cammenga, as it's more robust and has less tilt declination problems, as a compass alone the cammenga is the one to have, but when you wanna use it in conjunction with a map the Protractor ie Silva/Sunto is the one to have it's easier to use quick and very accurate, given a choice out there i alway take my cammenga, it's as important as a survival knife, i know the cammenga will work, but usually take my silva as well for map use.

[0122358]

@shoobe01 I have the cammenga and i love it, but with this one when i said it seems a bit more useful, i meant in the way it has a magnifying lens and protractors already on it.