HI John, what an incredibly accurate, simple and precisely spoken explanation of using a mirror compass. The model you used looked like my beloved Silva Ranger, Type 15T. Your orienteering/ land navigation students are definitely in good hands with you Sir! OMG oops, Fred just escaped from my shed in my backyard!!! What now?
.....used a Silva SCOUT compass the whole time in the Army......used line of sight...tough to walk without tripping etc., had one trooper fall in a hole trying to be too accurate......to each his own...good video Grizz
Many thanks! This explained clearly the advantages of the mirrored compass over the base plate compass to me. Please keep making these videos to help those of us who might not be as well versed in outdoor equipment . Cheers Mike.
Nicely explained John. One thing I have learned from using different models of mirror sighting compasses. That you did not mention. Is that due to parallax seen in the mirror reflection of the compass housing - at some azimuths you can't really see the magnetic needle completely centered inside the orienting arrow printed on the bottom of compass housing. And what you have to do is turn the compass ring to where the needle is aligned as precisely as possible parallel to the orienting arrow along the entire length of the needle to get the most accurate aiming of the compass or get the most accurate azimuth reading if taking a bearing from the land. At some azimuths one side or the other of the orienting arrow may be hidden below the magnetic needle. (on some compass models, depends on how wide or narrow the orienting arrow is on different models of compasses) At those azimuth bearings, make the needle and orienting arrow as parallel as possible. The most parallax is seen at azimuths near east or west. At azimuths near north or south, as in your example, you can usually see the magnetic needle completely centered inside both sides of the orienting arrow. I thought your explanation of how the v-notch gives you the most accurate aiming the farther away from your eye the compass is held was excellent. I would also encourage people go to your website and look at other helpful information in the Navigation Skills section under the Articles & Videos link. Good information. Thank you for making the information available. That is where I finally learned the real purpose of the extra 4 luminous dots inside the compass housing of the Suunto / Recta matchbox compasses. Later I learned Recta calls them detour marks, but they don't explain their purpose as clearly as you did.
Great video John, I didn't know about the line in the mirror lining up with the pivot point. I look forward to taking your navigation course at Uitwaaien this year. Thanks for sharing.
Very nicely done video as usual and thank you! Since you are a veteran with great knowledge, it would be nice to make a video comparing the more robust Military 3H Lensatic Compass to the baseplate.
I really like the mirror compass, but I have used the baseplate compass to find corner markers over a distance of 600 feet through very thick woods and it worked great. I took the land owners right to their land marker. So I say it is more of what you practice with that matters most.❤
I normally use mine that way. But instead of out front, you can also hold it backwards like the Brunton Pocket Transit (with mirror ~135 degrees open and towards body, held close to bellybutton) and look down directly at the dial and through the mirror at the horizon/target with the etched line across the target. It can be good for stability and keeping the needle damped for a good reading.
@@j3ngel All compasses do NOT show magnetic north very accurately. Just read the 1000s of reviews online of compasses. Most compasses are made in china. They break down fast develop bubbles in weeks etc.
I have taught mountaineering navigation using base plate compasses that do not have a mirror. Part of the class has teams using their calculated back azimuth for a mile or so. No one has ever been lost and the last class had several teams dead on the money.
I don't really find the mirror very useful. i guess if you are on a high point and you want to go to a specific mountain in the distance. being able to free aim can increase the accuracy a lot. But in most use cases for me. i align the compass with the help of the map. which means it's just as accurate.
Too much parallax if one does one's azimuth the way you say with a mirror compass,, although of course what you state about baseplate compasses is absolutely true and fairly obvious. In addition, you've done a false equivalence with a hand gun. Much of the reason for holding a handgun out in front is to brace and not have movement in the process or aiming or firing. A compass has neither the weight nor the recoil of a handgun both of which cause movement. The v-notch of a typical high quality mirror compass is certainly small enough to eliminate the problem you are describing. The parallax is a far bigger problem. I respect your experience, but like you I've taught and handled both compasses and firearms for years. And I've experimented with other super accurate compasses (more even than Lensatic ones although I know them having grown up with them and owning several currently. My experiments do not support what you are recommending.
Mark, it is not the compass that is inaccurate, but the technique in which it is used. If your statement were true, then when shooting a gun, you would have the same accuracy whether you shoot from the hip or used sights or a scope. You will never be as accurate if you can not aim and read your compass at the same time.
