Compass advice, please

[ronsurf]

Can anyone offer any advice on buying either of these two compasses. The choice is the Plastimo Iris 100, or the Silva 70UN, both handheld compasses that can convert to steering compasses. Most of the time it will be used as a steering compass mounted on the hatch cover of my 21' sailboat. Both are the same price.

Has anyone any opinions or experience with either of these that can advise which is the best to buy. Any help very welcome!

Cheers

 

[DJE]

I had a Silva 70UN on a 16 foot cruising dinghy for many years and found it to be excellent. No experience of the other one though.

 

[homa]

Luminous face ?

Sorry I don't know either compass, however if you are planning any night sailing I personally would consider a compass with a built in light or a luminous face.

 

[chart5011]

I use the Iris 100 as a steering compass, it is fairly well damped and easy to read in during the day. The light is a little dim but usable.
You can also buy a spare bracket and have an alternative mounting position. Quite a good option if you can't find a suitable location for a bulkhead mounted compass.

 

[Nigel_Ward]

I have the 70 UNE which has a light. You can buy spare brackets as required.

It does the job well but I think the Plastimo probably does an equal job.

I would suggest trying both in a chandler as one may clip into its bracket more easily than the other, or you may prefer the light in one to the other.