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Proper Compass Care?

 
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tempe8





Joined: 04 Jan 2003
Posts: 66
Location: Tempe, AZ

PostPosted: 1/24/2004, 2:23 pm    Post subject: Proper Compass Care? Reply to topic Reply with quote

I've got a nice Suunto compass that I bought a while back and when I wasn't using it I put it in my plastic 'gear' box with all my other junk. I pulled it back out after a few months and noticed it was sitting right next to a metal fuel canister and some other metal things.

My question: does prolonged storage of a compass near something metal do anything to the magnetic properties of the needle? Does it make it 'less' magnetic / less sensitive...thus making it less accurate?

Another compass question: When I'm out in the field, the compass is either in my pocket or in my pack...being bounced around and vibrated for hours and hours at a time. Can this damage a compass (the bearing inside) and cause it to be in-accurate?

I ask because they seem like very sensitive instruments and I'm just getting into orienteering...I wonder if there's proper care I should be giving them.
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DesertHkr





Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Posts: 24

PostPosted: 1/29/2004, 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Liquid-filled compasses are protected a great deal by the shock absorbing qualities of the dampening fluid combined with a high quality jeweled bearing. This liquid serves the same purpose as the needle/cover lock on a traditional compass (U.S. military lensatics for example). The stabilizing fluid reduces wear from vibration and jostling while in your pack. That being said, it's always a good idea to store the compass in a pouch or soft felt bag to reduce scratches on the transparent surfaces and in case the compass is dropped. Very extreme impacts could bend the balancing fulcrum sufficiently to cause error of a few degrees. So, keep it pouched or on a lanyard attached to you when in use. Liquid-filled compasses can stand a great deal of outdoor heat, but should not be left out to sit for long periods in full sun as the liquid can expand and in extreme cases, leak out or dislodge the capsule. They should also be protected from extreme cold to avoid bubbles from contraction.

Normally storage near metal objects does not affect the operation of a well-made compass, but magnets or magnetized metal could in certain circumstances reverse polarize or otherwise affect accuracy. I keep my compasses separated from each other and from large metal objects and electronic equipment 'just in case'.
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