compass fluid

[dylanwinter]

Centaur 2 has a compass that is only half full of fluid

or maybe it is half empty

can anyone tell me what to top it up with

I have brule cooking alcohol on the boat - will thi9s work?

D

 

[Hadenough]

Try extra virgin olive oil and don't be surprised if you end up in the Med.

 

[Baddox]

I've heard of people refilling their compass with baby oil, or other colourless mineral oil.

 

[dylanwinter]

Try extra virgin olive oil and don't be surprised if you end up in the Med.

surely that would degrade with sunlight

 

[johnalison]

I thought one was supposed to use gin. Can't stand the stuff myself.

 

[VicS]

Centaur 2 has a compass that is only half full of fluid

or maybe it is half empty

can anyone tell me what to top it up with

I have brule cooking alcohol on the boat - will thi9s work?

D

If you fill it with the wrong fluid you could ruin it. Your alcohol could well take all the markings off

If you fill with fluid of the wrong viscosity ( eg cooking oil or baby oil ) you'll affect the damping.

Get advice from a compass repairer such as a forumite Barry Phillips at BPSCmarine

http://www.bpsc-marine.co.uk/

Note that he had said on here that if he receives a compass for repair that has had the wrong fluid added to it he wont even look at it .... it's skip fodder as far as he is concerned.

 

[Hadenough]

surely that would degrade with sunlight

Not until you get there.

 

[Momac]

Does the compass have a makers name on it ? I think different manufacturers use different fluids.
Use the wrong fluid it might not mix with the existing fluid - or the wrong fluid might degrade the seal.

If some fluid has leaked you may need a new seal.

Perhaps this contact would help
http://www.bpsc-marine.co.uk/


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[JumbleDuck]

Centaur 2 has a compass that is only half full of fluid

or maybe it is half empty

can anyone tell me what to top it up with

Is it an original Sestrel? They used either alcohol or Bayol, a mineral oil. When I acquired a Sestrel with a bubble I found SIRS, who now make Sestrel compasses, very helpful indeed. Their advice was to open the vent and sniff the contents. If it smelled of alcohol (it did) they recommended topping up with gin and if it didn;t smell of alcohol they could sell me some Bayol.

http://www.sirs.co.uk/marine

 

[nemodreams]

I have done two of my own - small hand helds. I used white spirit ( UK- household paint thinners ) Both hand helds are fine - and that a year or more. I believe the bulkhead used a form of white clear paraffin.

Generally there is sealed plug - usually a rubber bung in a hole - thats capped off a with extra sealant glueing it in. There are also various ways to open it up to remove the inners - the axioms had a split case + O ring + bung hole.

The bulkheads - at least the old ones had a compete ring and gasket to access the inner components - at the back of the dome. This is a problem if you cannot source a new gasket. I'm not sure if the bulkheads have bung holes.

I was told to fill them you have to have the whole thing submerged. I tried various ways - and ended up doing that and it works. Unless you can live with a very small bubble ( it annoying though ! )
Easy enough with a hand held - not so easy with a bulkhead !

 

[dylanwinter]

Is it an original Sestrel? They used either alcohol or Bayol, a mineral oil. When I acquired a Sestrel with a bubble I found SIRS, who now make Sestrel compasses, very helpful indeed. Their advice was to open the vent and sniff the contents. If it smelled of alcohol (it did) they recommended topping up with gin and if it didn;t smell of alcohol they could sell me some Bayol.

http://www.sirs.co.uk/marine

I can sniff it

then move onto part 2

I think it is the original compass

D

 

[JumbleDuck]

I can sniff it

then move onto part 2

I think it is the original compass

Something like this?

I think I have a manual for that, including top-up instructions, somewhere. Let me know if it would be useful and I'll have a dig round.

 

[Kelpie]

You can use a syringe to withdraw samples and then test each candidate topping up fluid in turn, to see if they separate or mix.

When I had to top up a compass I used lamp oil, seemed to work just fine.

 

[sailorman]

Does the compass have a makers name on it ? I think different manufacturers use different fluids.
Use the wrong fluid it might not mix with the existing fluid - or the wrong fluid might degrade the seal.

If some fluid has leaked you may need a new seal.

Perhaps this contact would help
http://www.bpsc-marine.co.uk/


.

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BSP is the best suggestion so far. there is a reason for the loss of fluid, usually its the diaphragm buggered

 

[nigelmercier]

There is a whole thread on the correct fluid. Do a search for Isopar.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?350375-Suunto-Compass-Isopar-M-fluid&p=4071622#post4071622

 

[VicS]

BSP is the best suggestion so far. there is a reason for the loss of fluid, usually its the diaphragm buggered

I would not quibble with JD' s suggestion to ask Sirs for advice either. Esp if the compass is a Sestrel.

The Esso Bayol 35 that was used is I understand no longer available but Sirs or BPSC will, I am sure, be able to provide a substitute if that turns out to be the correct fluid.

When alcohol is used I believe its a mixture of 2 parts water and one part alcohol giving a mixture with an SG of 0.92

 

[BERT T]

Centaur 2 has a compass that is only half full of fluid

or maybe it is half empty

can anyone tell me what to top it up with

I have brule cooking alcohol on the boat - will thi9s work?

D

Reminds me of the advert for Harp. "Is the glass half full or half empty, it doesn't really matter it's what's in the glass."

 

[sailorman]

if there is fluid loss there is an issue that needs attending too, normally the diaphragm is shot

 

[jwilson]

Once in the 1980s I refilled a Danforth compass with the wrong fluid and turned it into a nice snow globe with all the white letters and markings prettily floating around in the liquid. An agent in Southampton put in a new card for me, at some cost, though cheaper than a new compass.

 

[dylanwinter]

snap of compass

can anyone say what it is