Large Sighting Compass free delivery

Browse our lovely range of nautical compasses! All handmade from brass with traditional designs incorporated in the detail.

All of our compasses are reliable, functional and make a wonderful gift for those who still enjoy traditional time pieces. Made with hand crafted quality materials with a folding lid which has a small lip to allow you to open it with your thumb complete with a brass hinge which opens to show the inside of the beautiful compass. as you open the compass lid there is a small pin fitted to allow the release the locking mechanism on the compass body to allow the needle to move and will then find magnetic north.

Inside the compass you will see a mirror and also two spirit levels, the first level, the round ball shaped one, allows you to hold the compass level and the needle to rotate easily.
There is also an arm inside the compass, this arm can be straightened and the little end piece lifted to 90 degrees which allows you to look through this and into the hole in the mirror at an object in the distance. Then pivot the angle of the mirror down until you see the reflection of the compass this allows you to have a equivalent of a head up display and you will see the land mark in the distance and also the needle on the compass to take a reading.

Also on this compass you can also work out the height of a building or object in a traditional way.
Turn the compass on its side and look through the hole in the mirror and the pivot arm again.
You will see a spirit level in the centre of the compass. Use the lever on the rear of the compass to level up the spirit level and then read the angle on the vernier gauge.
To calculate the distance if you are 10 meters from the building and the angle is 50 degrees.
the formular is

height= distance from object x tan x (angle)
height = 10m x tan x (50)
height =11.92m

you then add the height of where you are holding the compass as this is your datum point.

The item is made of cast brass, highly polished to a mirror finish with a glass window. This item is an ideal gift for young secondary school students or those who like traditional methods.

Please see my other listings for other compasses and padlocks.

Size of the compass when closed:-
50mm diameter
30mm thick