Binoculars - with or without built-in compass

[barnakiel]

We have Nikons without compass. We use a small handheld compass instead.


If you get a compass model it must be a good make because some cheap ones have no light.


b.

[Dougtiff]

I have Marinized Steiners with a compass, but hardly use the compass, in days passed [year's], when using chart's, a compass bearing was of coarse used to take multable lines for plotting a position, along with things like double'ing the bearing on the bow for a position.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

And, of course, it's also useless once out of sight of land where piloting is impossible anyway.

So how do you determine if that ship on the horizon remains on a constant bearing?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

We've always relied on a series of HBCs. We have never owned binos with a built in compass.

I'd love to have good quality binos with a built-in compass. I think it would be quicker for me to get the bearing that way, raather than messing around with waking up the flux gate HBC. Yes, we take a lot of bearings. It's part of piloting.

Incidentally, HBCs, like the ship's compass, are affected by where you are: so our northern hemisphere one actually hangs up in the southern hemisphere, doesn't float freely. You will probably want 3, with balance for northern hemisphere, equatorial, and southern.

I really like our Fujinons for light gathering capability. However, the image-stabilized old Canons are light weight, and easy to use one handed, and they get used more often than the Fujinons, because of the latter's weight.
Ann

Three pairs of Fujinon FMTRs with Compass would start getting a bit expensive....

Some info here..
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora...ine-binoculars
' And, for those world voyagers, be advised that some marine binocular compasses will only work in the Northern Hemisphere.'

I recall reading some time back that Zeiss(?) bins could be sent back to them to have the compass card replaced... I would rather not have the bother or expense...

[jdmuys]

I personally use my hand bearing compass and I would love to have one in my binoculars, but I am totally spoiled by the stabilisation of my Fujinon 14x40 TS1440:

https://www.thegpsstore.com/Fujinon-...ars-P5581.aspx

That, imho, is worth far more than a compass!

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by StuM

So how do you determine if that ship on the horizon remains on a constant bearing?

These days you'd use AIS but in the olden days we lined up various parts of our boat gun sight style to keep an eye on an approaching vessel.


I have a pair of the top of the range Fujinons 7x50 sans compass. Brilliant, but heavy as. I had a cheap pair of binos with a compass, and they were handy but I didn't find them handy enough to keep onboard when I got the Fuji's so I gave them away to one of the grand kids. I actually find the hand bearing compass far more useful in this age of chart plotters. Much easier to work between the two. imo.



I've also got an old pair of Steiner military binos I brought on Ebay many years ago that are 8 x something that are light, compact and can take a beating. These tend to get carted everywhere in the backpack.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by NaClyDog

This is the brand I was looking at. They seem to do everything I want, just waffling about the compass.


Even after this thread I'm still on the fence.

We use a pair of Steiners, both with compass. Got the first one in Germany in approx '85... Anyway, we both use the compass feature often enough to make it worth our while, and having it causes no extra issues. Mine's 7x50, wifey's is the much lighter 8x30. In our case, the longer eye relief is useful because we both wear eyeglasses. I also find the constant focus MUCH better than always yutzing around with a center focus wheel.

A digression: For those who've mentioned it, image stabilization is a whole different topic, and it's not mandatory for makers to label their product "marine" binocs. Happens we have one of those, too, though, also useful because of the higher magnification than we can hold steady with the Steiners.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The Steiner we had was very expensive and warranty service was refused in the USA because they were bought in Holland. The eye cups came off, protective caps broke and lots of corrosion around the battery compartment.

Interesting. My first Steiner 7x50s eventually fogged up internally... probably 20 years old by then... and probably my own fault for baking them in the car sometimes... and the then-US-importer replaced them for free even though we bought them in Germany. FWIW, I don't remember that compass having a battery, but then again our original purchase was 35 years ago...

-Chris

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by StuM

So how do you determine if that ship on the horizon remains on a constant bearing?

Good question.

Personally, I line it up with some object on my boat, and maintain a steady course. If it's still lined up a minute or two later, it's a constant bearing.

All you need in this situation is a relative bearing. You don't need to know the magnetic bearing. A pelorus would be ideal, but any handy object in your field of view works.

For the pedants, yes, I'm assuming both vessels are maintaining course and speed. Obviously if those are changing, then CBDR doesn't come into play.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by GILow

Ooh yeah! Image stabalisation is the goods! I love my Canon binos.

Got a Canon IS for my wife and they're great. Seriously considering "borrowing" them for the boat but I think she's already wise to that ploy. Lots of comments that indicate the Fujinon IS are the best but not cheap.

Would be interesting to compare the two on a boat to see how useful the additional degrees of stabilization on the Fuji might be.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Paul Howard

Nikon makes some waterproof and rubber jacketed marine binoculars.
I bought a pair about 2001 and used them extensively during 7years of full time cruising and some years of local cruising. They began to get some mildew inside the lenses and I called the local Nikon factory repair facility.
They told me to bring them in, they do not repair, but have a lifetime warranty.
I brought in the battered and well used nearly 15 year old binoculars and handed them to the person behind the service desk.
They went to the back storage room and brought out the next more expensive model, including compass and handed them to me. No charge!

I have a pair of Nikon's with the compass. Excellent binoculars but the compass seems to be completely undamped so hard to get an exact bearing with it even in moderate seas.

The warranty support is good to hear.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by admiralslater

Go for the compass . I have 30 year old Bushnells with compass and love them . The compas is one degree and beautifully damped . I sure would like stablization though.

I have an old pair of Bushnell binocs I inherited from my father. I was told the older ones used German optics. Whatever they use, they are a clear and sharp as my newer Nikon 7x50.

[John Williams]

Originally Posted by sepharad

I have some steiners with a compass and love them.

Me too! Also great to take a bearing and then check to see if you are dragging. Of course you can use a hand bearing compass for that, but the binoculars are much easier to use.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Good question.

Personally, I line it up with some object on my boat, and maintain a steady course. If it's still lined up a minute or two later, it's a constant bearing.

All you need in this situation is a relative bearing. You don't need to know the magnetic bearing. A pelorus would be ideal, but any handy object in your field of view works.

For the pedants, yes, I'm assuming both vessels are maintaining course and speed. Obviously if those are changing, then CBDR doesn't come into play.

Actually, it can come into play -- if courses and speeds are fluctuating but the AVERAGE courses and speeds are bringing you ever closer on the same bearing, then you've got a problem.



I guess all of us use the "stanchion method" for a quick and dirty read of whether a target warrants further attention, but this is SO rough compared to an actual bearing, that it certainly shouldn't be considered a substitute. It's much rougher because fluctuations of your own boat motion factors into it -- use a compass bearing and that's eliminated.



To each his own, I guess, but there are hundreds of different kinds of situations where a good seaman wants a bearing to something for all kinds of different reasons. I wouldn't leave home without a HBC; I, personally, would feel completely naked without one.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Actually, it can come into play -- if courses and speeds are fluctuating but the AVERAGE courses and speeds are bringing you ever closer on the same bearing, then you've got a problem.



I guess all of us use the "stanchion method" for a quick and dirty read of whether a target warrants further attention, but this is SO rough compared to an actual bearing, that it certainly shouldn't be considered a substitute. It's much rougher because fluctuations of your own boat motion factors into it -- use a compass bearing and that's eliminated.



To each his own, I guess, but there are hundreds of different kinds of situations where a good seaman wants a bearing to something for all kinds of different reasons. I wouldn't leave home without a HBC; I, personally, would feel completely naked without one.

We use three methods for determining if a target is on collision course or not and every offshore sailor should be able to use these as routine watch keeping procedures: AIS, radar bearing line, compass bearing. With AIS it really helps if you have software that can plot positions into the future, using TCPA. Whenever a target comes within 2nm then we either set a radar bearing line on it (during the night) or we take compass bearings with the binoculars (during the day). When it gets fishy, we use all three.