Compass

You have a leak, adding fluid isn't the fix. I don't think they are serviceable in the field, I'd send it back to the manufacturer for refurbishment ... :?
 
Get a new one, there are models for identical screw in retrofit.
 
Curmudgeon said:
You have a leak, adding fluid isn't the fix. I don't think they are serviceable in the field, I'd send it back to the manufacturer for refurbishment ... :?
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You may be right but considering the compass is almost 23 years old it's probably a very, very small leak.
 
Curmudgeon said:
You have a leak, adding fluid isn't the fix. I don't think they are serviceable in the field, I'd send it back to the manufacturer for refurbishment ... :?
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If the compass is like a Ritchie they are definitely serviceable in the field. I top mine off every year (too cheap or busy to send the thing in for repair). When I top mine off, it lasts all year until a bubble starts to form in the next winter. Unscrew the compass from the hull, and turn it over and see if you have a screw with an O-ring on it. That would be the fill port. Rest the compass upside down on a rag in the hole you just removed it from so the remaining fluid doesn't drain out. There will be an electric cable attached for the compass light. If it is like a Ritchie, it will take Oderless Mineral Spirits. I use a hypodermic needle and fill the compass using that. The fill hole is small (about an 1/8" dia) so you can't just pour fluid in there without spilling a lot. As the compass fills up, you will have to tilt the compass gentle back and forth to get the last remaining air out of it. Once it is as full as you can get it, put the screw back in and gently turn the compass back upright. If there is a small bubble still there, you will need to turn the compass back over and try to purge the little bubble out by adding another little squirt of mineral spirits. You WILL be able to get all the bubbles out if you work at it. Wipe the compass down and re-install it in its mounting hole.
 
This post really cracked me up - what a coincidence.... my compass decided to die just a few days ago. And the odorless mineral oil had to run all over my electrics... of course...

Glad to see I am not the only one, then. As for a replacement - well I ain't forking out another 100 Euros for an average quality instrument. I am filling it up!
 
Thanks Workdog, that's just the info I was hoping to get. I'm glad to know that there is a way to re-fill this compass. It would be a shame and a waste to trash it and spend more money than necessary to replace it. Actually I was thinking, if there isn't a screw in the bottom of the compass I was going to drill a small hole and do the same thing to fill it back up. I think I heard the odorless mineral spirits was what the liquid was inside it before. I'm glad it is because this will make for a very inexpensive repair.

Thanks again,
Rod
 
antaris said:
This post really cracked me up - what a coincidence.... my compass decided to die just a few days ago. And the odorless mineral oil had to run all over my electrics... of course...

Glad to see I am not the only one, then. As for a replacement - well I ain't forking out another 100 Euros for an average quality instrument. I am filling it up!
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I'm sure that was just a typo, but it is odorless mineral SPIRITS. Some folks in the past have confused mineral oil with mineral spirits. Mineral oil is too thick for the compass card to rotate well.
 
oops sorry, spirits, then... see the fact is that the liquid coming out of my compass did feel a bit like "thin" oil to the touch. Indeed it did not smell.
 
antaris said:
oops sorry, spirits, then... see the fact is that the liquid coming out of my compass did feel a bit like "thin" oil to the touch. Indeed it did not smell.
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Antaris, the fact that your compass took a dump as to leave what sounds like a lot of spill doesn't sound good. You may have a diaphram failure? I would fill it, and see how long it will contain the fluid. But, as a point of reference, when my compass "leaks" I don't see any spill evidence at all (I guess it is so little that it flashes off very quickly). As far as the oily feel to the fluid, maybe it would be a good idea to contact the compass maker and confirm what they use. In my experience (with Ritchie compasses), people who have used mineral oil were not happy with the results. Good luck!
 
Oh well, yes, the whole bottom diaphragm broke... i gotta somehow replace it all first and then fill up with liquid... sounds a little too much, I know, I'll see if it is possible or simply fork out another 100 euros... :bang
 
If it is a Ritchie you can pull it and send it to the US service center in Pembroke, MA. They will either repair or replace. I had a 5 year old one with the same problem and rather than repairing it, they sent me a new one.
 
I finally got around to fixing my compass. I took it apart and eventually found out that my leak was coming from the bottom of the rubber bladder. At the bottom of the bladder the design is flat about the size of a quarter. All around most of this flat area I noticed it was cracked and that was where the fluid was leaking out. It is important to locate the leak before you fill the compass back up, I found mine. I drilled a hole into the bottom of the bladder so I could inject orderless mineral spirits into it to fill it up. Now came the tricky part. What to seal up the hole I drilled along with repairing the cracked bladder. If this doesn't fail and I can't see how it will, I decided to use Starbrite's Liquid Electrical Tape, which I put 2 coats on. For anybody who familiar with this, it is a rubber based sealant for electrical connections. I use this on any connection I use a wire nut on to keep the moisture out. So here are some photos, sorry I didn't take one of the bladder before I repaired it. If it fails I will re-post a reply, hopefully that will not happen.
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