Customer Reviews

Bell 24000-8 Traveler Compass

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I know some people have complained about this compass. You have to understand your car is metal and has several electric currents running through which will have some effect on any magnet, including that little tiny one in the compass. Some people have complained about the labels being backward as well. The reason for this is so when the compass is on your dash ( or wherever) you can tell which way you are going without hovering over the compass. If you are headed north the compass will show north on the BACK of the compass so YOU know that is the direction you are headed.

As far as compass adjustments go. I spent five years in the Navy and had to adjust two ship's compasses. That process was far more complicated and took around 8 hours to complete for each compass. The instructions for this compass are fairly straight forward. Find a residential area on a map that is oriented N-S and E-W, I say residential so traffic is a minimal problem. If you normally drive with your radio on make sure yours is on when you adjust your compass. read the instructions a couple of times before you go to make the adjustment and it should be a pretty smooth process.

Remember if you are buying this you are looking for a cheap alternative to GPS. On the order of 10 times less than the cheapest GPS I think this is an excellent deal. The fact that you can adjust this compass means that it will be more accurate than other compasses. And hey, if you don't want to adjust it you should be alright without. I imagine you would still be within 10 degrees of what it indicates (probably closer than that), which will still keep you pointed in the right direction.

I would recommend this to anybody looking for an affordable compass for their automobile.

I just installed this compass on the dashboard in my Passat. I found the directions easy, if not comprehensive for newbie types like me, and I am pleased with my compass. I even took the time to confirm the basic (if not precise) accuracy using a solar compass and a brass dry card compass (placed far away from the car or anything else magnetic obviously). The results are satisfactory if one takes the time to do the setup correctly.

It is easy to make the adjustment between true and magnetic north. What is also important is to calibrate this compass while the car is running; with the radio on, if that is usually in use while driving; with the lights on, if they are usually in use while driving, to get this set up right. These things really have an impact on the compass requiring adjustments using the simple to employ adjusting dial and thumb wheels. In other words, read the directions first and follow them.

The price on Amazon ($10) is about what one would pay at a retail store if not a little less. I recommend this product and I can say that I made a fun afternoon project of installing a practical something.

Very good, although 2 problems: it vibrates on the road and it does not shine in the dark, so you cannot see it during nigh travels.

I have tried this item in a variety of suitable places in my car. I have changed the settings as suggested in the accompanying directions. No matter what I do I cannot get it to work. It would have been helpful to know that very specific locations inside the car are necessary for this item to work accurately.

It's OK except for the fact that the instructions say that to adjust it, you have to point it toward the North and then use a compensation scale to adjust it to true North. I wouldn't have bought a compass if I could tell directions! I had to have someone with a better sense of direction than me adjust it. They also checked it against thier factory installed compass, and it was accurate in all directions.

I like having a old fashion compass in my truck that works and this one does , and does not take up a lot of space yet is easy to read

People say it's backwards. If you are going north is says south. This isn't true. The red line tells you what direction you are going. It's a great auto compass. I do a lot of driving for work and keep it my work truck. The main reason is when I'm in those tight neighborhoods and get turned around and need to exit out another street, this will help you get your bearings back.

Works fantastically and so far has held up well in the Texas heat/sun.

Also a word for delivery people: When I first got it and tried to use it at work as a delivery driver, I found that it would only point north just as some other reviewers have said. I drove around for a few hours trying to figure out what part of my vehicle was causing the magnetic interference with no success; however after work, while driving home the compass was working perfectly. The diagnosis? The large magnets used to hold the removable car topper to my vehicle was causing interference even though it was about 5 feet away from the compass. The next day I placed the topper on the rear of my car and I haven't had a problem since.

It works fine for what I purchased it for. I mounted it on the windshield of my motorcycle. It is sticking just fine and is readable during the day. I did not have to calibrate it due to the zone in which I live but so far it seems accurate to its purpose. The mount is very flexible in that you can adjust the angle according to the curvature of the mounting surface. ie windshield. I can recommend this for a good low cost compass that will give general accuracy.

Drove 3060 miles in my new Tundra and with all the detours in NY, Penn and etc got lost several times. Added the compass fri quick decisions in heavy traffic and quick detours. Great addition to my truck.