Fluorescent materials tend to emit absorbed energy very rapidly they'll glow as long as there's a source of light to excite the material (typically with what's described as "neon" coloration) but emission takes place over a time scale of mere nanoseconds, so they will go dark the instant a light source is removed. You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers. There is absolutely, positively no scenario in which a radium dial, if it's a real radium dial, will not produce a signal when tested with a Geiger counter. 2 compass were with us, a European baseplate one and a 3h Cammenga one. Folks in avalanche country might like this. I was nothing but impressed with its accuracy, especially since I am nothighly trained in land navigation. Tritium paint for watch dials and hands will lose its ability to photoluminesce over time, although as with promethium, degradation of the phosphor will take place more slowly, as tritium is a much weaker radiation source. They are often referred to as self-illuminated, though anymore this is a fairly redundant term. On the other hand we would also like our dials to age well, and inherent in the nature of many luminous materials, is that they will sooner or later dim to the point of uselessness. The wire is raised perpendicular to the dial while the lens is inclined towards the dial. It will glow for 1-2 hours after brief exposure to light. Chuck Mellette The first one I lost on a hunting trip, and when I went back to look for it, well, the olive drab paint is difficult to spot in the grass. 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. Avoid those unless that's specifically what you want. Be sure to buy one balanced for your hemisphere. The orienteering, or base plate, compass has the advantage of being a compass and protractor rolled into one. +10 In the northern hemisphere, it pulls the needle's north end down. Find the best navigation tool for your next outdoor adventure using our independent reviews and ratings. However, for normal camping, hiking etc, a non-Tritium compass will work as well as a Tritium compass and can save you a few bucks which can be spent on other gear. Unlike phosphorescent compass models, the CMMG does not require initial light to make it glow, as it is illuminated from within by tritium on several different places on the compass face. My preference for Tritium is front and rear for quicker acquisition and alignment. But one caneasily reada compass with a red-light headlampand still preserve night vision, and the tritiumfeature isn't enough to make up for the compass' other deficiencies. Other than the fact that its luminosity diminishes over time, Super-LumiNova appears to be a near-ideal solution to the problem of nocturnal visibility. 3. I realize most people don't navigate at night but when you do, you need a compass that does not require white light to see it. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews. September 1, 2012. The half-life of tritium is 12 years so the glow will slowly fade. This means it is balanced so that it will work fine in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Eutrophication results from continuous pollution in the form of agricultural run-offs or sewage outflows. Well, skiing/snowmobiling in back country areas far from any man made land marks (no Virginia, they don't have cell phone coverage out there!). The baseplate was broken from a few drops, while the Cammenga was with us throughout the walks and has helped us back to the main camp. The beta radiation from tritium makes the phosphor glow. Once you use the Tritium version, you'll never go back. Cammenga G.I. ), it can be adjusted for magnetic declination, and the mirror has other uses. JavaScript is disabled. Nuclear reactions may produce a glow. April 22, 2009. Radium by itself glows weakly, so it's combined with a phosphor in radioluminescent paint almost invariably, zinc sulfide, which is often combined with a "doping" metal to give a specific color. Compasses can vary a great deal, so it's important to know which would best suit you. Constructed with a powder-coated, aluminum frame for optimal endurance. When buying a Cammenga, they offer you the option of Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere. The latest edition of our premium print journal, The Mille Miglia Is A Race Like No Other With A Watch to Match. Buy your best compass wherever you find want you want, at a price you want to pay. Structurally, it's held up great. These are colloquially known as "black lights," and black light posters were a dorm room staple in the '70s (and for all I know might still be). That is something to think about if you do. Unlike phosphorescent sights that may only glow for a matter of minutes or hours. (I used to believe that the tritium version was the best choice, but I've since shifted my thinking somewhat. Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all the Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? 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. 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. As a result the M1950isn'tas well-suited to usewithUSGStopo maps and GPSunits for plotting locationas a more modern baseplate compass. Most people will waste there money if they buy a 3H. 3. The sleek metal build lets you stay anonymous. This compass is identical to the Army model, except for phosphorescent markings instead of the self-luminous Tritium vials. 4 stars for accuracy and occasional pivot point/card slip, but for the $, it's great. 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. 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. At that point, dials and hands are usually replaced if nocturnal legibility is desired of course, do that to a vintage watch whose high value rests on originality of all parts, and you may have a watch you can read at night, but you will have destroyed its investment value. Tritium has a half life of 12-13 years. The interior is white. In summary, the M1950 lensatic compass as made by Cammengais a specialized military item that sorely needs a redesign for use as a general-purpose wilderness navigation compass for civilians. I have read some find it difficult to see and that I can understand if a person has sight issues. But that's a story for later). AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. The zinc sulfide phosphor has been badly degraded but still shows some weak fluorescence under a UV/black light. . 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. The cross hair style lensatic compass is EXTREMELY accurate. Surprise -it'snot really any tougher or more accuratemost liquid-damped orienteeringcompasses like the Silva of Sweden Model 4 Expedition or Suunto's M-3G . It holds its "charge" pretty good. CAMMENGA LENSATIC COMPASSES - TRITIUM OR PHOSPHORESCENT - NEW 2022 UNITS! Then by looking through the lens you can read the bearing off the dial. With the thumbhole holder it is easier to level. data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAKAAAAB4CAYAAAB1ovlvAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAw5JREFUeF7t181pWwEUhNFnF+MK1IjXrsJtWVu7HbsNa6VAICGb/EwYPCCOtrrci8774KG76 . April 4, 2010. Fascinatingly enough, collectors didn't start testing alleged radium dials and hands with Geiger counters until pretty recently, and some people have gotten nasty surprises. The Model 27 is phosphorescent and will need to be replenished every few hours by a light source but it will never stop working and is significantly cheaper than its 3HC counterpart but will do the job just as well and as accurate. If you call, and talk to Jay, tell him Reid and Land-Navigation.com sent you. Features of Cammenga 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass without Tritium. $24.81 + $5.65 shipping. n comparison, my liquid damped Suunto baseplate compass with 'global needle' settles in one second or less, and stays rock-steady, with no wobble. The U.S. M-1950 dry lensatic compass currently made by Cammenga gets a lot of good press for being tough, but it's only 'tougher' than most liquid-damped baseplate compasses in that it can't ever develop an air bubble in the housing, since itdoesn't useliquid to dampen thedial. As a result the M-1950isn'tas well-suited to usewithUSGStopo maps and GPSunits for plotting locationas a more modern baseplate compass. I have done it and it is accurate enough. Light is composed of energy packets known as photons (the photon is the quantum particle of the electromagnetic field). 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. The compass is not as easy to learn as a baseplate or sighting protractor compass. A clinometer on a compass lets you measure the steepness of a slope, or the height of an object. I wanted something more dependable than my old standby - the Silva's. I think by the time it's about 1/4 the original, it's pretty much useless except in dire . It is built to the demanding specification MIL-PRF-10436N. The Cammenga G.I. The compassusesmagnetic 'induction dampening' instead of the more common liquid dampening used in many baseplate compasses, which is advertised as an advantage (no way to form air bubbles or leak). | updated August 14, 2012. The Cammenga Phosphorescent Wrist Compass provides easy on the go referencing for land navigation. 1), it can be used as a straight edge or ruler. If I lived in the Rocky Mountains, I could probably find a use for it. Just stick the compass and flashlight in a pocket or something. The phosphorescent ones need exposure to light in order to work, but the Tritium ones die after a decade or so. The other problem is that radiation from radium causes zinc sulfide to break down chemically (in a way similar to the mechanism by which UV radiation in sunlight causes materials like ordinary paint, vinyls, and other plastics to deteriorate). A classic workhorse, the KitchenAid 7-Qt. The compass also comes with a nylon carry case, a lanyard, and belt clip for the case, as well as a brief instruction manual written in very direct military style. 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. Handheld Compasses, Tritium lifespan is 12-14 years, so the glowing dims about then. Chopard demonstrates its love for mechanical beauty. 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. As a cavalry scout the ability to have excellent land navigation skills is a must. To get away with this, you need a phosphor that will glow enthusiastically for hours after exposure to light something that will act as a sort of "light bank," emitting stored energy in a measured fashion. Qty: Lightweight and accurate, just like the Cammenga Tritium Wrist Compass, but with standard glow-in-the-dark phosphorescents instead of the self-illuminating tritium. It is a bit heaver than you average compass but it worth the extra weight for a piece of mind. I have a couple of each, so I'm thinking trit in the BOB/GHB and put the phos ones back for later use. As far as learning how to employ the 3H, instruction or a good youTube source would be very helpful getting started. Some come with intentionally dimmer rears. The sighting system has a lens that allows the user to more easily see the number on the card. 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. 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). The compass dial is in both mils and degrees, and as the military uses mils,the mils scale is placed on the outside circumference of the dial, while the degree scale is in red ink and relegated to second place on the inside, with only five-degree increments or markings a dial you'd expect on a $10 compass, not one costing$50 or more. I don't see a huge, non marine, military, or aviation use for such a compass. I'm not sure how it happened. Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. It has no romer scales, and only one 1:50,000 metric scale, which isn'tmuch use for USGS 1:24,000 topos. Uses a copper induction-damping ring that slows, settles and steadies the compass needle quickly. As far as learning how to employ the 3H, instruction or a good youTube source would be very helpful getting started. If it costs $8, I'd be leery of it. MSRP: $40.00. Emission of an alpha particle. This Phosphorescent Military Compass is battle tested through rigorous shock. Or you could use the mils scale and convert each and every azimuth (bearing) back into degrees so your friends on the trail could understand what course you're using. Price Paid: $79.95, Reviewed by For some reasonI'm the very first member to review this compass. Eyeskey Multifunctional Military Army Aluminum Alloy Compass; 2.9 10. I haven't ever needed the tritium version other than military uses.and the non-tritium would have worked too. Because the latter is a gimbaled design, I can even take accurate compass readings while walking or riding in a small boat or canoe. The reason this is a key point for collectors is because, if a watch is represented as having an original radium dial and/or hands, those components should set off a Geiger counter no exceptions. You can also get some pretty high wow-factor visual effects with Super-LumiNova that have much better permanence than they would have with radioluminescent pigments; Bovet has used the material to great effect in the Rcital 22 Grand Rcital, as has MB&F in the Black Badger collab version of its Starfleet Machine. Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. The Silva was good but the 3H is far better. Cammenga is a good brand name. It worked well enough for that. It can be a little more difficult to learn on. These are great,rugged,water and shock proof..top of the line ..shelf life of about 14 years at top of its illumination. Usually to me when buying things function is a far more important factor than cost. They have have been good solid compasses which is more than adequate for what I have been doing. An accurate and tough compass that will give a lifetime of service. I do have failing (aging) sight, but am still near 20/20. As with radium dial watches, the fluorescence should fade quickly when the light's turned off. All the watches you need to know about, delivered to your inbox daily. Strontium aluminate is a much more efficient phosphor than zinc sulfide it's about ten times as bright and glows about ten times longer and the color can vary between various shades of green and blue, with blue supposedly producing the longest glow time, and green offering better brightness. Picture Information. Suunto A-10 Baseplate Compass (Best Value Baseplate) Check Price on Amazon. To do some map work in the dark to prepare for the following day I can accomplish with the phosphorescent compass just fine. 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