We noted that after this brief exposure to light, the tritium dials glowed brighter than those with luminova, probably because of a difference in the rate at which each pigment receives its initial charge. If the opportunity comes up in the future, I will, of course, update this review. Tritium. Two of the best known users of tritium gas tubes for watch dials are Ball and Luminox. It is a bit heaver than you average compass but it worth the extra weight for a piece of mind. Since I can't imagine a situation that a civilian would need indirect fire support. Fully opened. Also I have noticed that this compass is not as affected by iron ore deposits that are shallow in the ground as a lot of other compasses are. Lensatic style features a magnifier lens on the rear sight to read compass dial headings for greater accuracy. Cammenga 27CS Lensatic Compass, Phosphorescent, Clam Pack; 2.4 5. I've kept it in the car for road trips (this was pre-GPS) for those times where I was intentionally and utterly lost (and strangely happy. Cammenga does an excellentjob on meeting milspec standards. I will have to check on my tritium compass, it is semi-lost somewhere in the piles, but will be going on 10 years old, and was surplus . That makes the date of manufacture important. As another reviewer has mentioned, its case is as sturdy as can be imagined for a hand-held compass, being machined of aluminum to house the compass workings. The military lensatic compass comes with either tritium or phosphorescent illumination for night navigation. With some basic instruction it can be learned with very little effort. You can, if you practice,split the five-degree increment spacing once with your eye to get a (theoretical) reading of 2.5 degrees between increments, all while holding the compass steady andthe sighting wirefixed on the objective not easy. However, if the bezel is original it's basically just as radioactive as the day the watch was made an important caution for any collector who owns one. Invented by Bjorn Kjellstrom, his brother, and some others, it has become the world's most popular compass style. Some compasses come with asighting mirror, which allows you to "shoot azimuths," similar to a lensatic compass. Ever. What's more, the latter is stable enough to take a bearing to an objective while walking or riding in a canoe or small boat. Tritium has a half life of 12.3 years so its brightness will start to fade after that and most manufacturers give the tritium illumination a longevity of between 10-20 years. What kind of situations are those? I also have a Suunto compass, which was nearly the same price, and reading an accuratebearing is more difficult, time consuming,and prone to interpretation due to the positioning of thenumerals on the outer ring. 2001-2023 Trailspace. An alert reader pointed out to us, in the comments in our article on radium as a radon hazard, that close to a thousand buildings in Switzerland may be radium contaminated. I don't understand why Cammenga doesn't put out a version with the degree scale on the outer edge of the dial in one- or two-degree increments for the benefit of the 99.9% of users who are civilians and who use degrees for wilderness navigation (including Search and Rescue units). Night Fision night sights carry more tritium than the average night sight on the market and a domed lens engineered to create the a crisp, defined glow. $ 48.00 - $ 119.00. Radioactive materials, as they emit radiation, decay to other elements. model B3H at $99.95. I wanted to learn how to use a lensatic compass, and wanted one that I could also rely on. Shockproof, damage-resistant design. Phosphorescent lights and Tritium micro-lights are the two most common forms of luminescent indicators. I use the 3H mainly for navigating at darker times as we move to lookout areas for early morning calling. As the U.S. Militarys official compass manufacturer, Cammengas Tritium Lensatic Compasses have proven themselves repeatedly in almost every kind of environment and situation. Was: Description. Benjamin Hirsch Cammenga makes these with both phosphorus or tritium, the tritium being the more expensive (I'm a cheapskate so I went with the phosphorous both times). $24.81 + $5.65 shipping. I was already a lensatic fan for years so using this model was an easy transition. I say it is what you prefer to use. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality . 4.6 out of 5 . Luminous dials are a compromise. +10 I had my GPS also, but buried itin my pack to prevent cheating. Picture Information. Reviewed by Talking Watches With Jean Arnault, Director Of Watches At Louis Vuitton, Introducing The New Piaget Polo Date 36mm, Photo Report How A Small Swiss Watchmaking Museum Keeps History And Community Alive, Photo Report In Times Square For The Launch Of The New Moonshine MoonSwatch Turns Out Its Been (Slightly) Updated, Editors' Picks Eight Big-Time Surprises From Watches & Wonders 2023, Photo Report From Suits To Streetwear, The Style Of Watches & Wonders, Seven Of Our Favorite Watches From Past Masters Winners, Introducing The New 38mm Seiko 5 Sports SRPK29, SRPK31, SRPK33, And SRPK35. It has no romer scales, and only one 1:50,000 metric scale, which isn't much use for USGS 1:24,000 topos. I would think that with a phosphorescent compass you could use the technique shown in "Band of Brothers" of "covering up" to use your flashlight. The reason is that a compass has what's called magnetic dip. Fine, except that in comparison, my liquid dampened Suunto compass with 'global needle' settles in less than one second, and stays rock-steady, with no wobble. in tritium. The lensatic compass is used by those in the U.S. Armed Forces. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why Tritium over Phosphorescent compass. SC As far as learning how to employ the 3H, instruction or a good youTube source would be very helpful getting started. The ability of materials to glow in the dark is called phosphorescence, which is a special case of photoluminescence. Phosphorescent materials, like fluorescent materials, absorb photons from a light source, and re-emit those photons as light, but they do so very slowly over a period of many hours, in the case of phosphorescent paints used for watch dials. When they are quality built they are accurate and dependable. All Rights Reserved. Waterproof to considerable depths. For those who need night illumination, the tritium has an effective life of about 12 years, after which the compass is difficult to read in the dark. any other answers are just folks avoiding cognitive dissonance. The compass is accurate to 2.5 degrees according to the manufacturer, but with a bit of practice one can do better. Proudly made with the highest quality in the U.S.A.. Destinate Tritium Protractor Compass D3-T $78.75; Phosphorescent Wrist Compass J582 $40; Tritium Compass 3H PINK $108.25; Magazine Dust Cover DC556M $2.85; Magazine Well Dust Cover DCM16 $3.80; Tritium Compass 3H $105; Tritium Compass 3HJP (Japan) I just bought the tritium compass about one month ago, glad I did. Some come with intentionally dimmer rears. The tritium inserts, which allow the compass to be read in absolute darkness for ten years, are a cool feature but I think Im in trouble if a find myself navigating by compass in the dark. Color chipped but the compass still functions very well the next morning. All rights reserved. This compass is built like a tank. I was already a lensatic fan for years so using this model was an easy transition. I have a 1985 Stocker & Yale phosphorescent. Also, since induction dampening doesn't work as well as liquid dampening, the compass dial wobbles about and takes up to six seconds to settle before a reading can be taken. When buying a Cammenga, they offer you the option of Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere. That said, I don't think everyone would like this type of compass. Get my Land Navigation coursehere. I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. El ciudadano reportero Johnny Bohorquez envi estas imgenes con el siguiente comentario: "En el barrio Las Gaviotas (entre las manzanas 29 y 28) se ha venido presentando un problema con las tuberas de aguas negras. Strahwk As a result the M1950isn'tas well-suited to usewithUSGStopo maps and GPSunits for plotting locationas a more modern baseplate compass. Once the pivot is bent, the dial will not produce repeatable, accurate readings. Note the official military'shock' test an easy 'drop' test of 90 cm (3 feet) onto a plywood table covered with a 10 cm (4-inch) layer of plastic-covered sand. That dry card housing can't ever form a bubble or leak. Shockproof, damage-resistant design. I don't see a huge, non marine, military, or aviation use for such a compass. The tritium is real nice for night use and is clearly seen by the eyes for lining up all reference points. Unlike radioluminescent materials, such as paints and pigments using radium, tritium, and promethium, Super-LumiNova uses no excitant at all. Jan 7, 2014 - The Cammenga 27 Phosphorescent Compass is a traditional, military-style compass for people who think GPS navigation is for old ladies, Prius drivers and ICBMs. I have used the milspec/issue Tritium H3 clam since 1979. Price Paid: $79.95, Reviewed by Green is the color that's universal for night sights in terms of the actual glowing tritium vial. Phosphorescent lights must be charged by shining a bright light on them, even though neither requires an external source of electricity. Constructed with a powder-coated, aluminum frame for optimal endurance. Features of Cammenga 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass without Tritium. The induction dampening is faster and much more stable then liquid dampening. Suunto A-30L Field Compass +626 The Cammenga Model 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass is built to the demanding specification MIL-PRF-10436N. Shipping calculated at checkout. Accuracy +/- 40 mils. In the southern hemisphere, it pulls the south end down. AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. . Some are day / night, some not so much. Weekly reviews, exclusive deals, giveaways, and more: Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. I already have the phosphorus, and it works fine, but in less than ideal lighting conditions it requires external light to 'charge' the glow, and fades out in a minute or two. But that's a story for later). Well-made, but less than ideal for non-military users. Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all the Tritium is what the military uses because it doesn't need periodic recharging with a light. But why bother, when other compasses have easy-to-read dials that can be read to 1 degree or less with ease? Why? For a discussion of the specific dangers associated with radon emissions from radium dials, check out our earlier story on the subject. Let's examine that. Well in typical Arfcom fashion I got both. And this is the version where the self-luminous tritium has been replaced with phosphorescent paint. Item# J582. The two types of photoluminescence familiar to most of us are fluorescence and phosphorescence. Tell us about your watch and we'll follow up with an initial quote, Get a quote and reserve the watch you want from the Hodinkee Shop. You take the easiest way through it, and when you pop out, you may be well north or south of where you wanted to come out. The compass dial should turn freely, but not too freely. I wanted something more dependable than my old standby - the Silva's. Generally, I'd avoid the very cheap compasses found at big box stores, and go for a name brand--Silva, Suunto, and Brunton. 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