Customer Reviews

U.S. Issue Mil-Spec Tritium Illuminated Aluminum Military Lensatic Marching Compass

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Review for U.S. Issue Mil-Spec Tritium Illuminated Aluminum Military Lensatic Marching Compass (Misc.)from BIGFLYSPORTS. The item sent was not a Cammenga Tritium Illuminated Military Lensatic Compass. It did not have any Tritium light sources. It did not have a durable waterproof cast aluminum case painted olive drab. It did not have a lanyard and a carrying pouch with rear belt clip. It was not made in the United States. IT WAS MADE IN CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a cheap imitation worth about 1/10 of what I paid for it. Don't buy this item because the description is not what you will receive. Rating should be zero stars.

After placing the order, I received a genuine Cammenga Model 3H lensatic compass with tritium...the real deal. The compass I received is both rugged and accurate. The model 3H is much better than other, cheaper lenstatic compasses I've used in the past. The difference is stark. From the aluminum constrution to the clarity of the readings...this compass is worth the extra money. It is a little more difficult to operate than some of the more popular baseplate compasses, lacking a "set and forget" declination adjustment and numerous map scales, but the Cammenga is unquestionably more durable than the comparably priced baseplate model.

This is the current US military issue lensatic compass (Model 1950). It is a classic design that has remained essentially unchanged for over 60 years. All for a good reason - it is a great design that has withstood the rigors of hard use in environments from the frozen ridgelines of Korea to the snowy forests of Germany to the damp jungles of Vietnam to the oven-hot deserts of Kuwait and Iraq and everywhere in between.

It is easily the most rugged handheld compass ever made and is the ONLY land navigation compass I know of that is manufactured to meet a formal performance specification - MIL-PRF-10436N - which states that the compass must be accurate to within 2.5 degrees. Other manufacturers may say that their compasses are accurate, but none of them are required to prove it.

One of the reasons for this compass' ruggedness is that it is not a liquid dampened design. Liquid dampened compasses tend to be fragile, and about half of the liquid filled compasses in my collection (18) have developed air bubbles in the course of normal use. The Cammenga M1950 compass uses induction dampening, a very effective system that takes advantage of the natural magnetic reaction between the magnetic compass bar and the copper cup it sits in to quickly eliminate needle oscillation. Since the compass is a 'dry' design it can incorporate a system that lifts the magnet bar/compass card off of the needle when the compass is closed. This protects the jeweled pivot on the magnet bar from damage due to rough handling.

While it may not look it, the design is very ergonomic while being used for sighting. The tritium illumination is excellent, and makes it about the only compass suitable for long term night navigation work. The buyer must remember, however, that the tritium capsules in the compass have only a 10 year usable lifespan. That is a limitation of tritium gas, not the compass design. After the tritium capsules fade the compass will still be perfectly useable, however. If this is a concern then Cammenga sells the exact same compass without the tritium capsules but with phosphorescent paint that must be charged using a flashlight.

I've carried this compass design around the world during my Army career and can unhesitatingly recommend it.

As you are considering your purchase please keep in mind that there is only one company currently making these compasses for the US military - Cammenga out of Dearborn, Michigan. There are a lot of imitations of this design available for sale, and all of them are nothing but cheap copies. Do yourself a favor, if you want a compass that will serve you well for decades get the real thing - get a Cammenga!

I was looking for a quality compass that could replace my 51 year old lensatic compass and the Cammenga 3H is an excellent replacement. The built-in straightedge/scale on the 3H makes it even better and the larger lens is a pleasure to use. I doubt if I can ever justify the added cost of the "tritium" inserts but they certainly work well. I don't know any civilians who trek cross-country at night unless it's a hunter trying to find his deer stand before daylight. With this compass, a map and a simple bead pace counter, you can navigate your way through/around most any cross-country hike. Given a choice of either this compass or a GPS unit, I'll take the Cammenga 3H ten times out of ten.

The rating should be zero. This is a scam product, do not purchase. The advertising leads you to believe it's a military grade field compass. Once you receive the product you know before even opening the packaging you've been had. This is a Chinese knock off not the real thing. Walmart $7.00 compasses are higher quality than this.

As a member in wearing a uniform for a living you quickly learn how important it is to have a good compass. Even with the techonlogy today do not let murphy's law catch you off guard. There is no replacement for a great back up.

Gave this as a gift to my father who is hard to please and has everything. He loved it! Quality compass, he raved about how happy he was to get it. The tritium tips are great, easy to read even in low light conditions.

The compass is very easy to use. Each click turn on the ring in the counter clockwise direction gives you three times the degrees in azimuth. Thus, to turn the dial 51 degrees azimuth, you will need to make 17 clicks (= 51 / 3) in the counter clockwise direction.

At night, you won't be able to read the tick marks on the dial. The only things you will see at night or in a dark place are the three fixed luminous dashes lines made of the self powered green glow light from the Tritium. The other things you could see in the dark are the two boxes enclosing the letters W and E so that you will see which direction is West or East. The other visible box at night is underneath the sight line in the dial so that you can read the numbers. The tritium luminous line in the middle of the black arrow pointing due North is also visible.

Here is how to use the compass. First ensure that the luminous line on the ring aligns with the black sight line that is fixed inside the glass cover of the dial. This sight line has ready been aligned with the other sight line formed by two luminous dashes on both ends of the sight line embedded inside the metal cover of the compass, which can be seen after opening the compass. Then, orient or turn the compass so that the luminous line on the arrow aligns with the luminous line on the ring. This is your North direction. If you desire to travel in the direction of 51 degrees azimuth, turn the black ring counter clockwise by 17 clicks. Then, turn yourself again until the luminous line on the arrow aligns with the luminous line on the ring. This is your due North direction. The other direction pointed to by the sight line embedded inside the compass cover now points to the 51 degrees azimuth. That is the direction of your desired destination.

I served in the US Marines. The compass that we were issued by the Armory during deployment had a radioactive warning on the bottom of the compass, this compass does not. The military issued compass actually glows at night without exposing it to a light source.

I'm not trying to take away from this compass, it looks good and prob works fine. I just think that the description should be changed and not say U.S Issue.

The "Mil Spec" in the description gives it away.

Item sent was a black plastic paper-weight. Does not point north, bezel ring move 4 degrees instead of 3. Does not natively glow in the dark. Will be returning.