Discussion: thumb compass

we had a dicussion last night at intervals concerning buying a compass what to buy thumb or baseplate? suunto or brunton?I have been very happy with my brunton thumb...

Hello, I live in Switzerland so don't know wether we have the same brands.
I also have to change compass. I have from 5 years thumb compass, and belive me, will never go back to baseplate. I think thumb is really practical and allows you to be more efficient.
Regarding brand, well, I read once that of the top 50 elite competitors, 49 use silva 6 jet spectra (that's the first link I found, only to show you how it looks like http://www.aries.fi/ostosrasti/products.php?p=d939... ). the only handicap? it costs a lot (would say around 80 $ or more depending where you buy it).
I definitively will buy one next month (I'm going to italian championships where I can find one for a cheaper price)
Other brands? well, in those I'm not expert at all (seen that I fell in love with silva :P )

I like my Moscow Thumb compass.

Don't forget to look at the previous discussion on this topic--
http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

:-)

Thumb for O (6 Jet Spectra) and Baseplate (1S Jet) for Rogaines and Adventure Racing. I have no trouble switching between the two. I do think the "Jet" needle from Silva (sold as Brunton in the US) is the best.

Aside from being at the expensive end of the thumb compass price scale, the Silva Jet (of 12 years ago) was pretty fragile. I broke two of them in a pretty short time span by tripping and hitting them on the ground. (I dont think of myself as particularly clumsy, but falls happen once in a while in orienteering.) I have found the Moscow Compasses to be more durable. Perhaps the new Spectras are made more sturdily, but I like my Moscow model 3 just fine, anyway.

Don't know about fragility, but spectra offers (at least in Switzerland) 5 years warranty...so they have to be pretty sure it's not fragile, in order not to sobstitute too many compasses :) Maybe I'm wrong, as I said I have still no experience in using Silva...
I had Moscow once, but it broke after 2 or 3 years (air in it). It was ok however and cheaper. Only think is warranty (less years) and needle durability (silva's one is "more" metallic, as they told me, and even after years don't loose its magnetic charge...moscow's are more plastic made, so may loose speed with the time).
Silva has then another tool that I think is very useful, which is color for doing azimut (is it called like that?). Don't know how to explain...it's when you fix a point in the horizon, with the compass, in which direction you have to run...With silva you don't need to turn the compass, but just look at colors, that are much more immediate...don't know if I was clear, sorry...

thumb silva 6 jet spectra

I don't know anybody who hits the ground more often than I do, yet I used my last Silva baseplate for 10 years (I finally replaced it last year when I noticed the needle was doing some strange things). I've only started using the thumb compass in the last three years, so it's still a bit early to say how that will hold up. It's certainly not showing any signs of cracking. The real test will be to see how it holds up now that I've put the magnifier on it. That whole arrangement is inherently more fragile.

Just a question here regarding the magnifier not to open another discussion: does it work well? you find it useful? I have problems sometimes reading the map while running, and was wondering about having it, but worried about fragility.

Around St. Louis I don't need it because our terrain is not particularly complex. In a more detailed area (particularly 1:15), it's a huge help, especially now that my near vision is going (the joys of getting older). Haven't used it enough yet to comment on durability.

I use the thumb compass for AR too. I don't remember the brand (I'll check), but it's taken a beating and it's still in one piece. A recent fall jammed it straight into the ground....

"Around St. Louis I don't need it because our terrain is not particularly complex. In a more detailed area (particularly 1:15), it's a huge help, especially now that my near vision is going (the joys of getting older). Haven't used it enough yet to comment on durability."

Eric - Can you bring the magnifier to S-F this weekend? I'd like to see what it is and how it works. I either have to run in my bifocals (which I don't like to do) or carry a separate magnifying glass...

Bill:
When I switched to bi-focals a few years ago, I brought in an O map and said, "This is what I need to read." The prescription and location of line are excellent - especially for outdoors map reading. Indoors, I do better reading the map without glasses. So, I'll avoid the magnifier a bit longer :).

See you at S-F.

I didn't like the wide needle on the silva jet very much.

Thumb for me.
I have used this since starting and find it better then a baseplate.
Models to go for would probably be the silva Jet.
Moscompass also makes a nice one at a good price.

I like the wider needels on the silva range as it is easy to read at a glance. the jet also has markings for ppl to see what direction the are pointing ie cardinal points.

I have a thumb Moscompass model 8, I find it great, stable and fast, this model use color for doing azimut. But a friend say me that silva spectra is a good compass. I think plates are for children and beginners, they have to learn how to use a compass, for good orienteers is absolutely better thumb, more fast and comfortable.

Like Ricka, I had special bifocals made with the reading segment bumped up a few clicks to make map reading easier. But I still find the magnifier (the Scarbrough version) on my Moscow useful for 1:15 and dense maps (and sturdy as well). But I do often feel compelled to swing the lens out of the way to plan longer legs and such.

HI, I HAVE A SILVA 6 JET SPECTRA AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE USES A MAGNIFIEING GLASS ON THEIR COMPASS AND WHAT DO YOU THINK??

I don't expect to be at S-F on Sunday, so no demos for the STL crowd. Of course, I will be at the sprint next Thursday so I can show it off there. I've just started using it, so I can't claim any real expertise. It does seem to help.

sorry for mixing threads...

I'll try taking a map in for my next prescription. Mostly, I don't like running in the bifocals because of the "gotta tilt your head down to look where your feet are going" thing. Since I started running with single vision lenses, and I don't wear the progressives all the time, tilting up and down is not habit yet. But the bifocals do make reading the map a lot easier.

Then there's always the "one eye close, one eye far" approach, that's most often done with contacts, although you could get glasses with two different lenses.

I've got thumb Moscow..

Try having a cataract operation so you get a plastic lens for far sight in one eye, while the other one remains short-sighted. It works for me....

"I think plates are for children and beginners, they have to learn how to use a compass,..."

They do?
Certainly nothing more than "The needle points North", and "You can/may use the compass to orient the map", which is what the thumb compass is designed for.

I believe it is historically correct to remind people that the thumb compass was a co-invention between a competive coach and a beginners instructor. Both wanted simplicity, and the focus on the map. I believe this is the (nearly?) universal approach for teaching beginners of all ages.

One could also point out that there are some pretty darn good orienteers that use a baseplate all the time. It's a preference. Most prefer thumb, but a baseplate works just fine.

I don't think my insurance company will cover a cataract operation for that purpose....

Moscow Model 11. I like the hi-vis markings on the base.