A-30 NH Compass

The compass is an absolute bargain. Very well made with a fast and accurate needle and easy to read markings. The compass is a dream to use for navigation in the day and in low light / night time. The markings on the bezel are very clear and the luminous plastic is bright without disturbing my eyesights night vision. The fixed declination markings are simple to use and very clear. The bezel turns very smooth and is easy to grip to turn. The base plate is very comfortable in my hand / palm when taking a bearing and the contoured back is a nice touch. The markings on the baseplate are for 1:15000 scale and also 1:25000 scale (OS explorer map scale) and a metric ruler. The magnifying lens is 3 cm in diameter and crystal clear with minimal distortion on the edge of the lens (very small / negligible). The direction of travel arrow is luminous for low light and night time use. The lanyard will be a little on the short side for some but the snap-lock system is handy to use if not a little fiddly in the beginning. I like the fact I can detach the compass from the lanyard quickly and sit the compass on the map and quickly snap it back on. The compass packaging has a diagram to show the geographical area that it can be used. It shows it can be used in pretty much all of the northern hemisphere with the exception of the USA and Alaska on this model. It can even be used as far south as Brazil and from west Africa to the Horn of Africa and as far south as Thailand in south east Asia so all in all a very big area. It also has a limited lifetime warranty for a little piece of mind I just hope I wont have any problems.

Out performed all the competition (Silva explorer, ranger etc ) on recent night mountain navigation exercise. Good night visibility, good base plate, accurate romer quickly stable needle. Designed and manufactured in Finland and the quality is evident. Do not be fooled by the competition designed in Sweden but assembled in a sweat shop, even if recommended by D of E award people.

Clear markings and easy to use. I particularly like the large magnifier (the main reason I bought this one, as my eyesight isn't what it used to be). The large luminous ring (where the numbers are) will also be great for night orienteering. The rounded rear edge is good, but I'm not sure about the quick-release cord attachment - I didn't bother with it, as I was worried about it coming unclipped when running!

Nice little compass. Tolerant to sub-horizontal use and, when checked against another compass which has always been two degrees out (a Silva with mirror and clino, twice the price and itself compared to a number of others) proven accurate. The needle takes no longer to settle though, dampening from a larger swing, gives the appearance of taking longer. Markings are very clear and luminous parts are delightfully bright. Only gripe, and it's my own fault for not checking, is that baseplate scales are for miles at 1:50 k and 1:24k and inches, making two scales redundant and the third one I'm very unlikely to use. However, I can't blame the product for my being a sloppy shopper. As it happens, I only very rarely use the baseplates for measuring distance and can happily convert back anyway. All in all, I'm quite happy with this and look forward to getting slightly lost so it can prove its worth. Four stars because it'd have to be special for five, not to indicate any shortcoming as an item.

One of the best compasses out there.

Do not be put off by the bargain price or the fact that it's not a Silva. Perfectly adequate for occasional use, cheap enough not to be totally heartbroken if/when you loose it. Once I figure out how to do this, I'll attach a photo of the label which includes details of areas outside of UK/Europe where it can be used (clue: don't take it to Patagonia) I needed a safe and reliable compass for recreational walking/scrambling in UK and higher-up stuff like tourist paths in the Swiss Alps. I've used various models, mostly Silva, since childhood in 1970's; basic boy scout stuff - taking bearings of landmarks to and from the map, walking on a bearing etc. I'm also practiced at taking a bearing of the aspect of a slope to confirm location in poor visibility. I need to continue to do all of these things. I was looking for a Silva or another trusted brand. Haven't used Suunto much before, but think they are as dependable as Silva, can't remember hearing anything scary about them, many decent climbing shops sell the brand, how else would I be able to tell?... Made in Finland since Adam was a boy, specialise in compasses, should be absolutely fine. I haven't taken it outdoors yet, but I can see no reason not to reccommend. Some caveats and observations based on memory of previous Silvas: - don't put it in your back pocket and sit on a rock, it's likely to break. (same as cheaper Silvas, shouldn't treat a compass like that anyway...) - magnifier is larger than many Silvas (nice advantage) - rotating circular scale seems a bit smaller than some Silvas (I'll cope, even with gloves on) - doesn't come with a case (no problem, it'll live in the map case anyway) Hope this helps - it's worth adding that I did consider spending quite a bit more for a mirror-sighting compass, but decided that for my needs it isn't worth the extra expense or weight. I've worked with both types and compared them side by side in the field - it's possible to take accurate bearings without a sighting mirror, just keep taking those bearings when the conditions are fine so you can totally trust yourself when the visibility drops. In any case it's hard to find a sighting compass that also has a magnifier without paying silly money and I'd rather have the magnifier. If you can't afford this one, have a look at the wee ones that don't have the magnifier. Get a trusted brand - there's absolutely no way you want to find yourself using a compass with the same brand name as a disposable festival tent to guide you safely off the hill in poor visibility, failing light and when the weather is starting to turn to mush...

Needed a new compass for ML assessment. This was recommended as it has a larger magnifying glass for detailed map work and I’m not getting younger. Got me through the course.

Good compass but the needle is a little jumpy when trying to walk on a bearing, turned out that the copper wire had fallen out