mini 2000 compass opinions

[woodrow]

Hello All,

A couple of Questions about the Vion Mini 2000 Compass, the " Hockey
Puck".

1. How sturdy is it? Is the compass card well attached, what kind of
punishment can it take?

2. Is it waterproof? Use under water?

3. Does the rubber grip come in different colors? I have seen it in
gray.

Any and all opinions on this instrument are encouraged.

Thanks for any help, woodrow wmerrillatsprintmaildotcom

[Armond Perretta]

>woodrow wrote: ...

>A couple of Questions about the Vion Mini 2000
>Compass, the " Hockey Puck".
>
>1. How sturdy is it? Is the compass card well
>attached, what kind of punishment can it take?

Mine has been bouncing around the ocean for
many years. Had the tritium light replaced once
in all this time. That's about it.

>2. Is it waterproof? Use under water?

Not sure about this, but intrigued by the question. No
claim is made in the manufacturer's literature for
waterproof-ness (?). Is this the type of equipment a
scuba diver might want to use?

>3. Does the rubber grip come in different colors?
>I have seen it in gray.

Since mine is black, the answer is apparently "yes."

>Any and all opinions on this instrument are encouraged.

This is generally considered a reliable and accurate piece
of gear. Works well in low light.

Good luck and good sailing.

s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat (Remove BOAT)

http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/sideline/8620 (Java)
http://members.tripod.com/~kerrydeare (No Java)

[Bobsprit]

The mini is indeed reasonably shock-proof, but it was not built for prolonged
underwater use. I have heard that divers can use a wrist watch with a bearing
compass built in and that would make more sense.
I've seen the mini in Yellow, Blue, black and gray.

Robert B
NY

[Kent Lewis]

Mine seems to be very sturdy. It travels alot because I take it on charters
and other peoples boats, so it gets bounced around more that if I left it on
the boat all the time. The only problem I've had after ten + years was
getting bubbles in it. Took it to the local compass shop and they took them
out. Probabily could have done it myself, but for $5 I let the pros do
it<G>.
Kent
S/V Que Tal

woodrow wrote in message <36C4B44F...@please.mil>...
>Hello All,

>
>A couple of Questions about the Vion Mini 2000 Compass, the " Hockey
>Puck".
>
>1. How sturdy is it? Is the compass card well attached, what kind of
>punishment can it take?
>

>2. Is it waterproof? Use under water?
>

>3. Does the rubber grip come in different colors? I have seen it in
>gray.
>

>Any and all opinions on this instrument are encouraged.
>

[Foobar T. Clown]

Kent Lewis wrote:
>
> [My mini 2000 bearing compass] seems to be very sturdy. It travels

> alot because I take it on charters and other peoples boats, so it gets
> bounced around more that if I left it on the boat all the time. The
> only problem I've had after ten + years was getting bubbles in it.
> Took it to the local compass shop and they took them out. Probabily

> could have done it myself, but for $5 I let the pros do it.

I've owned two. Each has been to the Carribean in my luggage on a
commercial flight exactly one time, and each developed a large vapor
bubble en-route. The only reason I've owned two of them is that the
second one was a warranty replacement for the first.

There are at least two other competing models in this year's West Marine
catalog. One is a trapeziod shaped compass that West Marine puts their
own name on. For the other one (I forget who's name is on it), they
claim that the capsule has a semi-flexible back to allow for expansion.
Sounds like a good idea.

I wouldn't want to own the West Marine brand compass because you can't
see the dial to use it as a backup steering compass: You can only see
the dial when you hold it up to your eye to take a bearing.

B.T.W., Somebody asked about colors. My mini 2000's both had/have
yellow armor, and they had simple phosphorescent lights instead of
tritium lights.