I initially bought a lensatic compass because I wanted to try triangulating a location on a small lake using shoreline markers. I have used this compass for the past year but have tried out a phosphorescent version for some time. Shockproof, damage-resistant design. Close-up of the 3H closed. When they are quality built they are accurate and dependable. 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. Fluorescent materials aren't much use for watch dials, however; for that application you want a phosphorescent material. The dry capsule will never develop a bubble and is not affected by altitude changes either. Get nighttime visibility with brief exposure to any external light that "charges" the phosphorescent markings allowing you to see your markings. 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. I have popped out on other people's property, and not known if I'm facting North or West. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win. Looking for specific info? Source: bought it new Free shipping. They know not of what they speak. This compass is built like a tank. I've always been a major fan of this compass. 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). In the southern hemisphere, it pulls the south end down. Source: bought it new When buying a Cammenga, they offer you the option of Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere. 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 wanted to learn how to use a lensatic compass, and wanted one that I could also rely on. It is my backup compass. I rarely need one in the areas I go, but wanted the assurance that if I did need it, it would be working. Invented by Bjorn Kjellstrom, his brother, and some others, it has become the world's most popular compass style. This compass is heavier and clunkier than a good base plate compass, but some people love them. model B3H at $99.95. This is a glue-like substance that mixed with a phosphor, (Shapiro used zinc orthosilicate) can be painted onto surfaces. If you just need to occasionally find the cardinalpointsor orient a map correctly, this compass is probably overkill. Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all Definitely worth the extra tariff. Never needed the trit excpet when deployed and moving at night. It is more accurate than a regular plate compass, it is light weight (about 2 oz. Copyright 2013-2019 Collingwood Publications LLC. Best overall: AOFAR AF-4074 Military Compass. I like this compass and do recommend it for anyone, as far as the quality goes. When buying something for the tritium, you buy it knowing the "life expectancy" of it is only going to last that . Reviewed by 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. Tritium, I guess I'm the only one who gets lost at night. So I like to use the good ol' GI style compass, despite the fact that there are lighter weight options available. Silva Polaris Compass; 2.5 6. Go, little guy! It has no romer scales, and only one 1:50,000 metric scale, which isn'tmuch use for USGS 1:24,000 topos. Emission of an alpha particle. I paid $70 for the bloody compass. The shortcomings I have encountered with it are modest but worth noting. I like the compass, but I'm extremely dissatisfied with the Cammenga. Some come with intentionally dimmer rears. Features of Cammenga 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass without Tritium. Cammenga does an excellentjob on meeting milspec standards. Now in defense of the Silvas - if you're a part time land navigator and do not have a need to cross really tough areas the Silva is more the good. Open the lensatic compass as shown in . Kjellstrom introduced the sport of orienteering to the USA in 1946. The ability of materials to glow in the dark is called phosphorescence, which is a special case of photoluminescence. Or you could use the mils scale and convert each and every azimuth (bearing) you takeback into degrees for the benefit of your companions (all of whom will havedegree scale compasses). Still, it is a disadvantage of the material relative to the always-on glow of radioluminescent solutions (which is part of the appeal of Luminox and Ball). 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. data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAKAAAAB4CAYAAAB1ovlvAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAw5JREFUeF7t181pWwEUhNFnF+MK1IjXrsJtWVu7HbsNa6VAICGb/EwYPCCOtrrci8774KG76 . It will glow for 1-2 hours after brief exposure to light. 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. You could easily do that with a glow-indicator compass. In summary, the M-1950 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. The alternative is half the price though, The way I look at it is that for the price you can get multiple compasses in your gear for the price of one Tritium compass. With the thumbhole holder it is easier to level. Reviewed by Let's look at how radium dials work. Hated the cheap ones in the Army. However, along with that weight comes a very sturdy construction that really has proven itself over the last twenty years or so in the roughest circumstances imaginable. The compass is accurate to 2.5 degrees according to the manufacturer, but with a bit of practice one can do better. Choosing the best compass for you depends on what you want to use it for. Extensive hiking and hunting using topo maps. The Cammenga Model 27 Phosphorescent Lensatic Compass is built to the demanding specification MIL-PRF-10436N. The whole point of the Tritium Lensatic compass is that you don't ever have to shine a light on it (either to read it or to set an azimuth). Well in typical Arfcom fashion I got both. 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. A not-negligible point for some is this next one--no available declination adjustment. I learned to navigate on sighting compasses in grade school (1970s), then in the late '90s went to a lensatic. Price Paid: $90, Reviewed by Photoluminescence is the ability of some materials to emit light after exposure to light. The GI version has Tritium (glow) markers. . Trijicon rear sights are $24.00 at Optics Planet which does not seem too expensive. 4 years old with the case and a map reading land nav field manual. What kind of situations are those? crossbowme The lensatic compass is used by those in the U.S. Armed Forces. Generally, I'd avoid the very cheap compasses found at big box stores, and go for a name brand--Silva, Suunto, and Brunton. 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) With the compass held to your eye you align a notch on the lens holder, wire, and target much like iron sights on a rifle. Although there is no risk to the wearer, tritium is radioactive and its use is controlled. $27.76. Step 6. Cammenga 27CS Lensatic Compass. 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. 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. Some are offered in contrasting colors. I was curious myself so I dug it out of my BOB. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, troubleshooting, accessories, classifieds, and more! This is one of those gear items that gets transferred from my regular back-pack to my day-pack depending on if I am going camping or just a hike but it always goes with me. 'To truly kill a man, take away his purpose in life' - Anonymous. item 5 CAMMENGA LENSATIC COMPASSES - TRITIUM OR PHOSPHORESCENT - NEW 2022 UNITS! Thank you! Luminova was invented in 1993 in Japan, by Nemoto & Co. and in 1998, RC-Tritec AG joined with Nemoto to establish LumiNova AG Switzerland, to supply the Swiss watch industry. Just a word of caution. Avoid those unless that's specifically what you want. CMMG Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass 2.6 7. 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. Then there is the issue of inherent accuracy. 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. 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. Of course, if you change areas and your declination changes, you have to set it all over again, but that's no big deal. Check them out. Each of your watches is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy). Lensatic style features a magnifier lens on the rear sight to read compass dial headings for greater accuracy. I don't know how many times I've gotten turnned arround on my own property walking through 8-15 year old pine stands. Why? The only difference is this version employs a phosphorescent paint for lightness visibility instead of self-luminous Tritium. It's a personal preference. The decay chain finally ends in a stable isotope of lead, but you get things like polonium and thallium en route. Seiko is one manufacturer that used promethium-147 as an excitant; the half-life of promethium is only 2.62 years, and so any promethium dial watch is likely to radiate only very weakly if at all. I like the locking card, the tritium dial and the maginifier. The zinc sulfide phosphor has been badly degraded but still shows some weak fluorescence under a UV/black light. Really? 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. In order for phosphorescence to take place you need an energy source, and a so-called "phosphor" a material that will absorb and re-emit light. Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. Many were unpleasant where accuracy was/is critical. 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. After that it's time for a replacement. Oh shit I didn't know the phosphorus wore out too and faster. 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. jett Also used the Pyser M-73 (degrees) Black Liquid Prismatic Compass and MILS a lot in locations not friendly to U.S. The earth's magnetic pull wants to pull one end of the needle down. All the data you need to read is illuminated by the Tritium and the azimuth settings are tactile (click adjustable). This Phosphorescent Lensatic Military Compass is the same compass Cammenga has been supplying to the US military, except the tritium has been replaced with phosphorescent paint. I was nothing but impressed with its accuracy, especially since I am nothighly trained in land navigation. $66.15. Brand-new, the G.I. Overview. Having to "recharge" your compass every time you wanted to look at it was a pain in the ass. If the opportunity comes up in the future, I will, of course, update this review. VIEW DIMENSIONS. I talked to Cammenga and they said that they could send touch up paint free of charge or I could send it back for repair. Performs flawlessly in temperatures ranging from -50 F to 150 F. Uncompromised by temperature changes due to its non-liquid filled needle housing. Color chipped but the compass still functions very well the next morning. Equipped with 7 Tritium micro-lights, providing continuous illumination for over 12 years. September 10, 2021 This is because in phosphorescent materials, the excited electron is in a special energy state, in which the re-emission of a photon would require a "forbidden" energy transition. Traversing unfamiliar terrain at in the dark is very dangerous even for experts. The opportunity comes up in the dark is called phosphorescence, which is a glue-like substance that mixed with glow-indicator. 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