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 Brunton 8099 Pro Eclipse Compass By: Brunton Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 3 More Information Top Choice for Pros and Enthusiasts Alike  On: 2008-08-11If your looking for an accurate and fairly easy field compass to use, the Brunton 8099 Pro Eclipse Compass is a great choice. As an outdoor enthusiast, I dont go out to the wilderness without the Brunton 8099. I routinely go Geocaching with my GSPr, map and compass. This compass is a great companion to any GPS. Features like determining inclination come in handy when deciding on creating a track or trail through normally uncharted areas. The only thing I found rather useless is the leveling bubble which was difficult to accurately hold in place when taking a reading. The included reference cards are very useful and this compass is designed for accurate readings down to one degree. With practice any novice can become adepted at taking extremely accurate bearings and calculating heights and inclinations. Its also sleek and well protected. Compared to the Silva Ranger  On: 2007-12-29Given the price of this compass, I found it to be a bit of a disappointment. Using a circle rather than a needle is a neat idea, but I found that it did not work as well as the needle on my Silva Ranger. It did not move as freely and became hung at times. Next, the ability of the compass to reverse site is great (along with the addition of reverse bearings); however, this requires the forward scale to be read upside down, and makes it almost impossible to see the bearing when using the siting mirror, which is small. The addition of the cards is helpful, but it adds a lot of bulk to the compass as it requires the addition of the rubber boot, which becomes a nuisance when it has to be removed for map use. Finally, I found the addition of the separate plastic cover (the thing in the middle on the picture) to be annoying. You cant see the entire compass, and to raise it to a point where it is then in the way, you have to play with the rubber boot. Overall, the compass is not a poor buy, but you can do better. It is capable of doing quite a bit, but quality is sacrificed to achieve these features. If you are looking for a good sighting compass, you should consider the Silva Ranger or the comparable model by Suunto. The 8099 is overpriced and fails in comparison to these two. Brunton needs to spend some time reworking this compass. Compared to the Silva Ranger On: 2007-12-28Given the price of this compass, I found it to be a bit of a disappointment. Using a circle rather than a needle is a neat idea, but I found that it did not work as well as the needle on my Silva Ranger. It did not move as freely and became hung at times. Next, the ability of the compass to reverse site is great (along with the addition of reverse bearings); however, this requires the forward scale to be read upside down, and makes it almost impossible to see the bearing when using the siting mirror, which is small. The addition of the cards is helpful, but it adds a lot of bulk to the compass as it requires the addition of the rubber boot, which becomes a nuisance when it has to be removed for map use. Finally, I found the addition of the separate plastic cover (the thing in the middle on the picture) to be annoying. You cant see the entire compass, and to raise it to a point where it is then in the way, you have to play with the rubber boot. Overall, the compass is not a poor buy, but you can do better. It is capable of doing quite a bit, but quality is sacrificed to achieve these features. If you are looking for a good sighting compass, you should consider the Silva Ranger or the comparable model by Suunto. The 8099 is overpriced and fails in comparison to these two. Brunton needs to spend some time reworking this compass. Poorly manufactured RIP-OFF  On: 2007-12-21Wow, for $100 I would expect MUCH more.. the painted N on the compass is missing half its ink, as are the other painted pieces.. This poorly manufactured compass looks like it came out of a 4-year olds treat bag from a birthday party. |