Suunto M 9 Wrist Compass
Item #: 51-M9. Size 1.6 in. x 1.9 in. x 0.6in. Weight 1.2 oz. This is a compact, highly accurate wrist compass. Perfect for backpackers, mountaineers, mountain bikers and yachtsmen, as well as tourists. Sighting window for accurate bearings. 2.5 degree ratchet mechanism. Size 1.6 in. x 1.9 in. x 0.6in. Weight 1.2 oz. This is a compact, highly accurate wrist compass. Perfect for backpackers, mountaineers, mountain bikers and yachtsmen, as well as tourists. Sighting window for accurate bearings. 2.5 degree ratchet mechanism that can be used to set a desired direction. Grooves on upper edge of capsule for easy turning.
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User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great product for navigating through a strange city
I used this wrist compass successfully on a recent tour of Scandinavia, and it helped me find my way several times. It has the very nice feature of settling down quickly to a specific orientation. It’s also a bargain.
5 Stars Great “Plan C”
This is my opinion only; not an endorsement by the military or any other organization. Recently I returned back from a tour in Iraq and I found this little tool to be instrumental. When talking on the radio and figuring where everyone else is located, you use cardinal directions (eg North side of the road, etc.). Sure you can use a GPS, but why spend the time when you just need to know where North is. Some would suggest a cheap five dollar watch add-on. I disagree, during a map reading / land navigation exercise, my primary compass cracked and fell back on my Suunto M9 to finish it out. I have developed a brand preference for Suunto based on the M9 and the MC-2G. The Good is fast accurate acquisition for North. It is small and often you forget about it until you need it. Also, it is easy to hide under a long sleeve shirt. The Bad is that the needle sticks because it is not a global compass (unlike the MC-2G). I would not use it for hiking anything but well used and familiar trails. The Ugly is it has a cheap nylon strap, great for hikers and backpackers, terrible for occasions you are going to be dressed up in areas of the city you are unfamiliar. The Sunnto M9 makes a great “plan C”, behind a GPS, a Good map and compass.
4 Stars Good compass for the city
I bought this so that I could easily figure out which way is north after I get off the subway. It really comes in handy. The compass isn’t really steady all the time, it tends to sway a little, but so far is has reliably pointed me in the right direction each time I hold it level and steady. The only thing is that the strap is like a cheap velcro material with a plastic buckle. It works fine, I just expected something a little nicer based on the price and from looking at the picture. For some reason too, the compass arrived seperated from the strap and it was pretty annoying to figure out how to put it on at first, and there were no directions to explain how to do it. The material that came with it that explains how to read a compass (& map) was pretty informative and useful though.
5 Stars Best Bang for Buck Compass out there …
If you need a compass, bigger is best, but just how big can big be? Reason is, the aiming accuracy and capability gets better if you have a large stable platform and sight. OTAH, getting a wrist compass to do the same thing is difficult to achieve, and the M-9 meets this role well. With GPS being the principle guide these days to terrestrial navigation, compasses are mostly for backup and rough heading use, so best accuracy is less practical these days in lieu of compactness, ruggedness, and light weight. Underwater, the M-9 is as good as a dedicated SCUBA compass.
I’ve used an M-9 since 2001, and it finally died, the plastic case cracked, some liquid leaked, so a bubble that formed keeps the pointer from spinning freely.
This is my 3rd M-9, as I’ve bought two, keeping one as a spare. I use them both on surface and underwater to as deep as 260′ … although not rated as a diving compass, all fluid filled devices are non-compressible and should take great depths without issue. Diving capacity has been proven for the years I’ve owned this compass and others who use it similarly.
Pros
Very free spinning and accurate
Light weight
Rotating degree bezel
sighting capacity
transparent case, easy to check for defects
Usable underwater to depths at least to 260′
Velcro strap binds very well underwater
Cons
If not leveled during sighting, pointer will lock [fix: flick it with your finger, and a proper direction will not change much with movement]
Plastic case, will not last forever
Summary:
I’ve seen a number of compasses for field use in the middle of nowhere, and for so simple a device, its amazing so many are unreliable [whatever magnets they use don't hold its magnetism permanently], inaccurate markings, or poor construction. If you get lost because your compass doesn’t work when you need it, its not worth any amount of money.
Suunto has made a name for itself in compasses, and what seems cheap looking is very well engineered, yet simple.
If you need a compass for general use, the watch mounted Clipper works best. I use those underwater too to 260′, to backup the M-9.
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