When perpendicular (fig. I found a good price on e-bay for a new one. So I asked for a Cammenga 3H (basic Army compass)for Christmas. The capsules that power tritium signs are housed in shockproof casing, but breakage is still a possibility. If I lived in the Rocky Mountains, I could probably find a use for it. The phosphor deterioration means you can't see a glow anymore, but radium takes thousands of years to completely decay. Silva Polaris Compass; 2.5 6. With each compass, you carry the added assurance of Tritium-based, self-powered lighting that needs no recharging. To put it simply: When it comes to performance and accuracy, Cammenga leaves all other compasses behind. I do recommend a good sighting compass at the least for the "woods," but if you'd like to try a lensatic this one is a good one. $71.89 . The CMMG Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass is an excellent, reliable compass that will get you to where you need to go. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. Brand-new, the G.I. Let's look at how radium dials work. Tritium..if the cost isn't an issue.why not..would it hurt to have it? Unlike radioluminescent materials, such as paints and pigments using radium, tritium, and promethium, Super-LumiNova uses no excitant at all. Not a beginners compass, but not hard to master either. Shipping calculated at checkout. Strontium aluminate seems to be a highly stable phosphor, and Super-LumiNova dials, at least thus far, appear to not suffer from the gradual phosphor degradation characteristic of radioluminescent materials. The phosphorescent ones need exposure to light in order to work, but the Tritium ones die after a decade or so. Some people say use a dot of phosphorescent paint instead. In the southern hemisphere, it pulls the south end down. Cammenga G.I. That dry card housing can't ever form a bubble or leak. The Cammenga Model 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass is built to the demanding specification MIL-PRF-10436N. Product Details Description Specifications Reviews. It's a personal preference. Uses a copper induction-damping ring that slows, settles and steadies the compass needle quickly. We've minimized the paperwork and maximized protection, so you can stop worrying about your watches and focus on enjoying them. 11-12 years is more like it.) Very well built, impressive compass, at least until the lens fell out. 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 have used this compass for the past year but have tried out a phosphorescent version for some time. 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. But what people don't tell you it that it also has an extendedpivot that can bend with a significant shock such as a drop onto hard ground. Sandproof for extra durability. Tritium Compass 3H Go Where Others Can't Go. The "half life" of a radioactive element is the length of time it takes for about 50% of a sample of any given size to decay for radium, that's 1,602 years. Have Tritium on a couple of 1911s and have never had on a rifle. The earth's magnetic pull wants to pull one end of the needle down. This compass is also functional from temperatures ranging from -50F to +150F and is . Purchasing a genuine CAMMENGA LENSATIC COMPASS is easy: go to www.cammenga.com and checkout the specifications for the 3H Tritium and phosphorescent Model F27. I don't think this is a compass for everyone. +1 - I've got a 20-year-old Silva Ranger that I've never seen a need to replace. model B3H at $99.95. Compass type: Baseplate compass Weight: 1.06 ounces Dimensions: 1.4 x 3.2 x 5.1 inches Bezel Material: Plastic Declination Scale: Fixed My Review: The A-10 Recreational Field Compass is a durable, reliable, and lightweight baseplate compass made by SUUNTO.If you don't already know SUUNTO is one of the most . Tritium GI compass cause it is what I know nd am comfy with. What Makes Dials Glow. I do take it out on hikes and walks to keep skills up and really like the lensatic compasses for navigation. Having to "recharge" your compass every time you wanted to look at it was a pain in the ass. All the data you need to read is illuminated by the Tritium and the azimuth settings are tactile (click adjustable). FTW!!! But why bother, when there are other compasses out there with dials that can be easily interpolated to one-degree or less without computations? When opened wide (fig. The luminous lighting on the standard model is excellent, once charged with a flashlight, but if you have a flashlight anyway, the luminous feature isn't really necessary. Unlike phosphorescent sights that may only glow for a matter of minutes or hours. Mohamed M. Dorgham. 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. tritium. You probable wouldn't even need a ponch. 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. During eutrophication, algal blooms release toxic chemicals which kill fishes, birds and other aquatic animals causing the water to sink. 7. Enter Luminova. 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!). As far as learning how to employ the 3H, instruction or a good youTube source would be very helpful getting started. The lensatic compass is used by those in the U.S. Armed Forces. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more. Case Cover: Closes to protect the compass and reduce carrying size. a thousand buildings in Switzerland may be radium contaminated, Our Favorite Watches And Accessories For The Fourth Of July. It can be a little more difficult to learn on. Performs flawlessly in temperatures ranging from -50 F to 150 F. Uncompromised by temperature changes due to its non-liquid filled needle housing. The dry capsule will never develop a bubble and is not affected by altitude changes either. Cammenga 27 Phosphorescent Military Compass. 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. Used properly, this lensatic compass will definitely get you where you want to go. 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. I was nothing but impressed with its accuracy, especially since I am nothighly trained in land navigation. It's like science truck-nuts for your pistol. For some reasonI'm the very first member to review this compass. Compass is approved for the Japanese Market. Be sure to buy one balanced for your hemisphere. 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. The two types of photoluminescence familiar to most of us are fluorescence and phosphorescence. 2), the Sight Wire (4) is used to set a course of movement. Take that as a plus or minus, depending on your perspective. Battle tested through rigorous shock, water, sand proof, and functional . As for Tritium, it's half life is 12.3 years. M-1950 lensatic is only required to achieve an inherent accuracy of + - 40 mils (2.25 degrees) from actual azimuth (milspec). 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. If you just need to occasionally find the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass is probably overkill. The reason is that a compass has what's called magnetic dip. Source: bought it new You can, if you practice,split the five-degree increments in two to get a (theoretical) reading of 2.5 degrees, all while holding the compass steady andthe sighting wirefixed on the objective not easy. Check them out. Also used the Pyser M-73 (degrees) Black Liquid Prismatic Compass and MILS a lot in locations not friendly to U.S. Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen, and tritium gas-filled fluorescent tubes are used not only in watches, but also on everything from cockpit instruments to gunsights. It is built to the demanding specification MIL-PRF-10436N. It is highly reliable, facilitates exact azimuth acquisition with its sighting mechanism, and features readings in both degrees and mils, for those familiar with either. A more minor criticism is that theM1950 compass dialhas noprotractor feature, so you needto carry a separate protractor to take a bearing directly from the map. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. Shockproof, damage-resistant design. Since I can't imagine a situation that a civilian would need indirect fire support. 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. Wrist Compass. Price Paid: $79.95, Reviewed by One avenue of research explored the potential of less hazardous radioactive materials for use as excitants. Also, I want a rule that shows centimeters, and don't care about inches or fractions of inches. April 6, 2012 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 . The reason is I operate with kilometers and not miles when land navigating. My 159-page, fully illustrated book is yours for the asking. 2 compass were with us, a European baseplate one and a 3h Cammenga one. One new winner* is announced every week! It was once thrown to a large king cobra approaching to our fires. Source: bought it new The Silva was good but the 3H is far better. (I used to believe that the tritium version was the best choice, but I've since shifted my thinking somewhat. What kind of situations are those? I think the biggest benefit of this compass is how easy it is to readand follow abearing. 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. If you don't need all-night illumination, then this could be a good option. 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. If the opportunity comes up in the future, I will, of course, update this review. Deserted There are two basic problems with radium paint: the first is that it's chemically unstable and the second is that it's a radiological hazard. Actinium is a radioactive metal that emits a pale blue light in a darkened room. +10 A compass that is tritium-illuminated is as bright as it's ever going to be right out of the box, but a phosphorescent compass can always be brightened up with a good . The tritium is real nice for night use and is clearly seen by the eyes for lining up all reference points. | updated Sep 13, 2021. It too is 5 stars. I've even successfully started a fire with the small magnetic lense. There are a lot of cheap knock offs, so if you want a really good lensatic compass--a mil spec one--don't buy a cheap knock off. 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. Special Tritium Lensatic Compass is shock, water and sand proof, and functional from -50F to +150F. Chopard demonstrates its love for mechanical beauty. Brand-new, the G.I. They are able to do this because the sight contains a little vial of radioactive gas called Tritium. Go, little guy! Because the latter is a gimbaled design, I can even take accurate compass readings while walking or riding in a small boat or canoe. A classic workhorse, the KitchenAid 7-Qt. Night Fision breaks the mold, literally. Source: bought it new $24.81 + $5.65 shipping. ), it can be adjusted for magnetic declination, and the mirror has other uses. Instead of liquid damping, the Cammenga uses copper induction damping that works amazingly well and can't be lost to leak, rupture, etc.--as happened to my old Silva Ranger that I bought this to replace. Add to cart. 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). Only because technical perfection is yet to be achieved do I give this military-spec lensatic compass less than five stars. Cammenga. Reviewed by Cammenga produces two versions of the M-1950 compass for the U. S. Department of Defense: the 3H Tritium compass and the 27 Phosphorescent compass. +36 Posted: 1/16/2012 1:33:21 PM EDT. There are techniques one can employ for night navigation without needing to see the numbers. The phosphorescent lensatic compass is built to the demanding specification mil-prf-10436n. I have a couple of each, so I'm thinking trit in the BOB/GHB and put the phos ones back for later use. Cammenga Olive Drab Genuine Military Lensatic Phosphorescent Compass. 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. Tritium , I have an older usgi one, The IOR compass seems nice for $50. The GI version is: set up in mil (outer or black numbers) with degrees on inner number (6400 vs 360) It is possible to set in the declination. I don't see a huge, non marine, military, or aviation use for such a compass. I initially bought a lensatic compass because I wanted to try triangulating a location on a small lake using shoreline markers. It has passed the test of battles to prove itself as the best survival compass. With the thumbhole holder it is easier to level. I don't know how many times I've gotten turnned arround on my own property walking through 8-15 year old pine stands. tritium compass. http://www.cammenga.com/Tritium-Protractor-Compass-p/d3-t.htm. 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Phosphorescent paint instead the small magnetic lense Official us Military Tritium lensatic compass is probably overkill for lining all. Paperwork and maximized protection, so I 'm thinking trit in the ass develop a or! Very well built, impressive compass, at least until the lens fell out some time buildings... Found a good youTube source would be very helpful getting started without needing to see the....