Suunto MC-2G versus Silva Ranger?

[Dr. Crash]

Hi,

I need a good compass, and of course the one I bought a few months ago is forbidden by the people I am taking a ski mountaineering course with (no transparent base plate).

I have narrowed my choice down to either the Sunnto MC-2G (http://www.backcountrystore.com/store/SUN0005.html?cat_id=3&subcat_id=7) or the Silva Ranger Ultra (http://www.outek.com/silva_ranger_ultra_530_03_navigation.htm). I do not think that any of these is bad. The main advantage I see in the Suunto is that it works world-wide (the Silva would be limited to our latitudes), but the Silva Ranger has a great reputation and has been used forever. Given the Suunto's global needle I am leaning towards it.

Any of you had experience with any of these (any Ranger model is fine)?

Thanks,
drC

[Gorillo]

Go for global. I like my sunnto point true eveytime on both sides of the equator. I also like the fact that you can adjust for the deviation.

Never used a silva though.

[char]

I've used the Ranger quite often with the Forest Service. Never had a problem with it. I've also used various Suunto compasses and have never had a problem with them either.

Why would the Ranger be limited to PNW lats? As far as I recall you can set the declination. (If you are looking at compasses without adjustable declinations forget it, get something you can adjust.)

[Dr. Crash]

Gorillo - I was going to pull the trigger on the Sunnto and then realized that in the US they sell the @!#($! inches version (sorry guys, but metric is better). Silva has mm on one side and in on the other, don't know why Suunto doesn't. Does yours have mm on both sides, being from Canada? Or mixed mm and in?

Char - Compass needles are slightly adjusted to compensate for the dip of the magnetic field. The dip pushes the needle up or down depending on where you are on the globe, and that makes it inaccurate (friction on the capsule is my guess). There are basically 5 zones and you need a different needle/capsule in each, or you need a mechanism like Suunto's global needle to have a compass that works everywhere.

Oh, and I am a sailor, so I don't give a damn about not having an adjustable declination, I've been doing that arithmetic for years. But my compass will have the adjustable declination anyways because all those I'm looking at do, and the Mountaineers (my local org) want me to. I wish I could just use a marine optical compass (much more accurate) and protractor, but I see the simplicity of having a single instrument. I'll get one with a mirror for better accuracy.

drC