dblust
FNG
In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model 54 Expedition, ($90 - $100), and the Cammenga M27 (luminous - $65) or 3H (tritium - $100) lensatic.
No one wants to spend more than necessary, and while bargains can be found on Internet auction sites such as eBay, caution must be exercised; it’s easy to inadvertently buy the wrong compass or, in some instances, be ripped off. I'm going to put up three posts on buying these compasses on the Internet - one each for the Francis Barker M-73 or M-88, Cammenga Lensatic, and Silva Expedition 54. (The reason for splitting them up is that I just found out only five images per post are allowed.)
Silva Expedition 54
The danger here is not in knockoffs, but in confusion.
Below is the correct compass, a Silva Model 54 Expedition.
What can happen is that the seller and/or prospective buyer confuses the Silva Model 54 with the Silva Model 4, shown below.
While the Model 4 is an excellent compass and a great choice for a backup, it has no sighting system for taking precise bearings.
Telling the difference is a straightforward proposition - look carefully at the images of the Model 54 and Model 4; the Model 54's prism sight is visible on the compass dial and it’s a card compass, while the Model 4 has no sight and features a magnetic needle instead of a circular card.
In addition, the Model 54 is also available graduated in mils rather than degrees. Once again, working with mils is completely practical, but if what you want is a 54 graduated with degrees, you’ll want to confirm that it’s so with the seller.
No one wants to spend more than necessary, and while bargains can be found on Internet auction sites such as eBay, caution must be exercised; it’s easy to inadvertently buy the wrong compass or, in some instances, be ripped off. I'm going to put up three posts on buying these compasses on the Internet - one each for the Francis Barker M-73 or M-88, Cammenga Lensatic, and Silva Expedition 54. (The reason for splitting them up is that I just found out only five images per post are allowed.)
Silva Expedition 54
The danger here is not in knockoffs, but in confusion.
Below is the correct compass, a Silva Model 54 Expedition.
What can happen is that the seller and/or prospective buyer confuses the Silva Model 54 with the Silva Model 4, shown below.
While the Model 4 is an excellent compass and a great choice for a backup, it has no sighting system for taking precise bearings.
Telling the difference is a straightforward proposition - look carefully at the images of the Model 54 and Model 4; the Model 54's prism sight is visible on the compass dial and it’s a card compass, while the Model 4 has no sight and features a magnetic needle instead of a circular card.
In addition, the Model 54 is also available graduated in mils rather than degrees. Once again, working with mils is completely practical, but if what you want is a 54 graduated with degrees, you’ll want to confirm that it’s so with the seller.
