![]() ![]() Most often we work in a general direction and around obstacles. Unless you are on a flat desert or the ocean nothing is done in a straight line. I have very extraordinary and some very simple tools I use but the simple are just as handy for finding my way. ![]() If you understand how a compass works it do not have o be real sophisticated unless of course you like the toy aspect and or you are doing some serious government mapping. I wish current compasses had that feature, which gives the user the luxury of choice. The only reason I’m posting the final photo is to illustrate the dual markings: both mils and degrees. I’ve never had bubbles or any problems with this compass it just quietly does its job. It has a clinometer and adjustable declination, both of which are superfluous but harmless. Turned on their sides, it is obvious that the M-73 is considerably deeper than a Ranger or similar baseplate compass.įinally, above is a close-up of the Ranger (model 515, made in Finland back in the 1990’s IIRC). The Silva is actually a little bit bigger. I generally prefer 360 degrees.įor size comparison, the above shows the M-73 alongside a bog-standard Silva Ranger. Many of these compasses are marked in mils (6400) and some - which I understand were made for the Iraqi military - are marked in Soviet mils (6000). The locking knob for the ring is visible at 1 o’clock, and the prism is at 6 o’clock.Ībove is a close-up of the compass dial, with the prism folded out of the way. With the top cover open we can see the floating compass card surrounded by the adjustable ring for the quick reference marker. This is a great feature on the move, and is why these are popularly known as ‘marching compasses’. Looking down from the top, you can see that the hinged cover protects the compass whilst still allowing the user to easily align the quick reference Tritium markings (here set for 140 degrees). Simply put, it is overkill for most civilian applications. It’s heavy, needs to be used with a protractor, and most of all is quite expensive. To be clear: whilst this is an excellent compass (sturdy, very accurate, reliable), I wouldn’t particularly recommend it for bushcrafting. Save the mirror for emergency signaling or for shaving.īelow are a few photos of the M-73 prismatic, which I’m posting just for reference as they are fairly uncommon on this side of the Atlantic. I've always said that an experienced user of a baseplate compass can be just as accurate as a mirrored model, especially where the topography and terrain association may tend to make the compass a secondary tool to navigation. As another method, what I have long done, if I have the time before a trip or SAR incident departure, I will draw magnetic north lines for use with a non-adjusted compass. In addition, you can apply grid north correction to the declination adjustment, and use the grid north lines on the map as a reference line on the map to measure directions with your baseplate compass. In some regions, SAR managers prefer to use magnetic reference, while others use true or grid. When a SAR crew boss says to walk xxx degrees True, no thought is required, especially by those many volunteers who are a bit unsure of how to apply declination. Plus, once set for the declination of your location, for those who tend to become a little dyslexic with fatigue and heat, it may eliminate applying declination in the wrong direction, making for a doubled error. Click to expand.I earlier advised getting a declination adjustable compass because most of the better quality made compasses that are not the most basic will tend to have that feature anyway. ![]()
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