francis barker m88

[rome12e]

aint got a clue these any good

[rome12e]

cant use it mite get rid

[Basha72]

Try this link you may decide to keep it

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?82843-Francis-Barker-M-88-Prismatic-compass-review...

Dave

[rome12e]

cheers basha ill have a read but it looks weird to me haha

[rome12e]

if i dont get it its goin im to impatient

[rome12e]

cant get it haha dumb ass

[GwersyllaCnau]

I love prismatic compasses, the very nature of them makes them more accurate than the more well known style of compass. As you've got one, bear with it, it'll come clear how to use it with practice and you'll never go back to a normal compass.

[Martin]

Surely, as you're in the military, you would be trained to use a prismatic compass?

Martin

[rome12e]

no trained with the other type see through compass cant remember what they nothing like this tho

[FishyFolk]

Surely, as you're in the military, you would be trained to use a prismatic compass?

Martin

Depends on the army...The norwegian army is using the normal orienteering compasses. Never actually held a prismatic one in my hand...
What is exactly that they do better?

[rome12e]

dont no this one stressing me out sat there all day reading articles and watching videos i dont get it

[Martin]

With a prismatic compass, you can look at the bearing and your point on that bearing at the same time. In other words, you don't have to glance up and down, up and down to see your route. Similarly, when taking a back bearing, you point the compass say at top of a hill or a building, line up the north on the compass and you get a very accurate reading. It's just easier to get a far more accurate bearing than on a Silva type base plate compass.

Martin

[FishyFolk]

With a prismatic compass, you can look at the bearing and your point on that bearing at the same time. In other words, you don't have to glance up and down, up and down to see your route. Similarly, when taking a back bearing, you point the compass say at top of a hill or a building, line up the north on the compass and you get a very accurate reading. It's just easier to get a far more accurate bearing than on a Silva type base plate compass.

Martin

Oh, we never needed to be that accurate...And the lads who needed to be, I assume had the tools of their trade, so that the hardware wen't were it was supposed to...

[GwersyllaCnau]

With a prismatic compass, you can look at the bearing and your point on that bearing at the same time. In other words, you don't have to glance up and down, up and down to see your route. Similarly, when taking a back bearing, you point the compass say at top of a hill or a building, line up the north on the compass and you get a very accurate reading. It's just easier to get a far more accurate bearing than on a Silva type base plate compass.

Martin

Exactly what Martin said. I find them more accurate because it's what I'm used too plus I'm lazy. I walk on a bearing and my attitude is "that'll do" it goes on from there getting less and less accurate. I never get lost as such but sometimes for example on a series of hills I'm not 100% sure of which hill I'm on so do a triangulation (usually proving I knew exactly where I was anyway). With a prismatic compass it's just so much easier, even if you don't need that degree of accuracy.

[Martin]

Exactly what Martin said. I find them more accurate because it's what I'm used too plus I'm lazy. I walk on a bearing and my attitude is "that'll do" it goes on from there getting less and less accurate. I never get lost as such but sometimes for example on a series of hills I'm not 100% sure of which hill I'm on so do a triangulation (usually proving I knew exactly where I was anyway). With a prismatic compass it's just so much easier, even if you don't need that degree of accuracy.

I had to locate a team on Dartmoor today who were 'unsure of their current location'. They were used to walking in good visibility but had limited experience of the conditions encountered today. They made the schoolboy error of walking in the 'general direction' and not considering how far they'd walked or when to stop and walk back. After two hours, they realised that they had probably missed their point which was only 3Km from their last check point. This means that they had walked up to 5Km too far before realising that they were hopelessly lost in conditions where visibility was down to about 50m. Luckily, they were able to call me and we discussed a sensible escape route, which they took, and within an hour they were back on track.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that the more precise you can be, in difficult conditions, the more accurately you will follow the map. The prismatic compass is a good tool for this, as is a GPS which will give you a ten figure grid reference anywhere in the UK. The difference is that the batteries don't run out on a compass. :)

Martin

[GwersyllaCnau]

Sorry Martin I made it sound as though I was some muppet, who has no place on the hills. My example was how I am in familiar terrain like Pen-y-fan (which for me is almost like being in my back garden), when in an unfamiliar area, I constantly refer to the map and compass employing the technique that I was taught known as micro navigation. I 100% agree that the more accurate you can be the smaller the chance of error, especially in poor conditions when small errors are usually magnified and even a 2 degree error, e.g. forgetting magnetic variation can prove hazardous in poor conditions. GPS is a great tool but as you say batteries do run out, and I do not think that GPS devices should replace good navigation skills.
Even on Pen-y-fan in poor conditions, training kicks in and I know EXACTLY where I am at all times with use of a map and compass and in good conditions in familiar country I don't think I've ever walked for 2 hours in the general direction without checking the map or doing a triangulation.

I've made myself sound like a told off school kid defending himself.... "weren't me sir honest!" I'm actually trying to say exactly what Martin said, basically you need to know where you are on the map and a prismatic compass makes it easier to know more accurately where you are. A standard silva compass will give just as accuate reading just with a tad more faff.:D

[FishyFolk]

I normaly follow a path, and they are always marked on the map. Come rain, or fog, if I follow that, I will end up at my destination. No reason to bumble about in the terrain and walk off a cliff...
in weather like that you can't see anything to take your reading of anyway, and have to orient yourself using the map. And then I can't see how the Silva is less accurate. But then, I have never even held a prismatic compass in my hand. And you make me want to have a go :-)

I don't own a GPS, save the one in my HTC phone. And if a switch that on, the batteries are gone in 5 seconds. So I save that one for when I am truely lost or need to give an accurate grid referance to a rescue team or chopper. I was in that situation last year, when on a hike in the hills in Lofoten, and a friend of my niece sprained her ancle in the hills. She got a nice ride in SAR helicopter down from the hills.

The rescue man told me things are a lot better now that everyone has a GPS in their smartphone, as they are able to give accurate positions. At least those that bother to learn how to use it. And that is a good lessons learned.... learn how to use your stuff.

[Martin]

Sorry Martin I made it sound as though I was some muppet, who has no place on the hills. My example was how I am in familiar terrain like Pen-y-fan (which for me is almost like being in my back garden), when in an unfamiliar area, I constantly refer to the map and compass employing the technique that I was taught known as micro navigation. I 100% agree that the more accurate you can be the smaller the chance of error, especially in poor conditions when small errors are usually magnified and even a 2 degree error, e.g. forgetting magnetic variation can prove hazardous in poor conditions. GPS is a great tool but as you say batteries do run out, and I do not think that GPS devices should replace good navigation skills.
Even on Pen-y-fan in poor conditions, training kicks in and I know EXACTLY where I am at all times with use of a map and compass and in good conditions in familiar country I don't think I've ever walked for 2 hours in the general direction without checking the map or doing a triangulation.

I've made myself sound like a told off school kid defending himself.... "weren't me sir honest!" I'm actually trying to say exactly what Martin said, basically you need to know where you are on the map and a prismatic compass makes it easier to know more accurately where you are. A standard silva compass will give just as accuate reading just with a tad more faff.:D

No mate, I didn't mean to imply that. :)

Martin

[GwersyllaCnau]

Martin. I know mate.

rome: I wouldn't really listen to me, even though I've been hill walking since I was 11, doing my own navigation in the Welsh hills since I was 13 (now 43) spent 3 years in the military.. ok it was only T.A. taught cubs orienteering for a couple of years, I still class myself as a keen beginner wanting to learn, and still have loads to learn.

[rome12e]

all the comments help mate i dont no hardly anything lmao

[JonnyP]

I normaly follow a path, and they are always marked on the map. Come rain, or fog, if I follow that, I will end up at my destination. No reason to bumble about in the terrain and walk off a cliff...
in weather like that you can't see anything to take your reading of anyway, and have to orient yourself using the map. And then I can't see how the Silva is less accurate. But then, I have never even held a prismatic compass in my hand. And you make me want to have a go :-)

I don't own a GPS, save the one in my HTC phone. And if a switch that on, the batteries are gone in 5 seconds. So I save that one for when I am truely lost or need to give an accurate grid referance to a rescue team or chopper. I was in that situation last year, when on a hike in the hills in Lofoten, and a friend of my niece sprained her ancle in the hills. She got a nice ride in SAR helicopter down from the hills.

The rescue man told me things are a lot better now that everyone has a GPS in their smartphone, as they are able to give accurate positions. At least those that bother to learn how to use it. And that is a good lessons learned.... learn how to use your stuff.

If you are ever on the top of Britains highest mountain and the weather turns, you need to follow the compass to safety. Many people have got it wrong and died falling over the cliffs.
I think its wrong to assume a path will see you right. A path is not always easy to follow.

[FishyFolk]

If you are ever on the top of Britains highest mountain and the weather turns, you need to follow the compass to safety. Many people have got it wrong and died falling over the cliffs.
I think its wrong to assume a path will see you right. A path is not always easy to follow.


Thats the last thing I need to do in that situation. What I need to to is get my shelter sorted, hunker down and wait for the weather to clear enough for me to continue. And then I will follow the path. As that will be the safest option. Yes not 100% of the time, but more often than not.