Compass Error

[miesemer]

Actually human error.

Recently my Suunto console mounted compass has been screwing with my head. Sometimes providing what I thought to be correct readings and sometimes not even close (ie pointing south). Luckily my diving has been in a quarry where I know my way around or in high viz warm water vacation dives. I was thinking the card was hanging up and causing the problem but ruled that out when I compared it to my wife’s identical setup and saw the same problems.

As it turned out, my, newly installed "stainless" split ring that I used to hold a nickel plated brass bolt snap for clipping off my console isn’t stainless. The metal ring caused huge errors, in fact the card will follow the split ring 360 degrees. I also found the the nickel plated bolt snap produces a slight deviation (10 degrees). I’m guessing the nickel plating or the spring inside the bolt snap are to blame.

Yet another reason to move my compass to my wrist.

 

[Charlie99]

miesemer once bubbled...
[B"stainless" split ring that I used to hold a nickel plated brass bolt snap for clipping off my console isn’t stainless. The metal ring caused huge errors,[/B]

Thanks for the tip and warning.

Another one that I'd like to add is that if your compass has developed a large air bubble, and that bubble is trapped underneath the rotating card, then you will get strange readings and the card will tend to stick.

It took me a few dives to figure it out. Moving the air bubble back to the top made the compass useable until I could get a replacement.

Charlie

 

[jgiddings]

Many types of metal near the compass will give you false readings, same with the air bubble.

For any reading, I try to stabalize the compass for a little while to see if their are any variations.

 

[Scottri]

I've seen a lot of compass problems when diving in a location with a lot of metal underwater like a shipwreck, pipeline and the like. I've seen them get hosed when a knife was strapped to the back of the console as well.


Scott