Suunto A-30 NH USGS - Reviews

(4.5)

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For Suunto A-30 NH USGS, 190 customer reviews collected from 2 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.5.

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16.4.2016

WARNING!!! I ordered the MC-2 360/D/L/IN/NH compass, but received the MC-2 USGS compass. When I looked at the packaging, it is evident that someone put a MC-2 360/D/L/IN/NH sticker on the outside of the plastic packaging, over the original Suunto UPC/description for the MC-2 USGS label. (See photos below.) The only real differences are the scales printing on the baseplate. As I am in the US, I still like the USGS compass, but it is not exactly the compass I wanted. I contacted Amazon, and they started a free return of the USGS compass. On Amazon's advice, I ordered the MC-2 360/D/L/IN/NH again. We'll see what I get this time. The price dropped about $3,so that was good at least.UPDATE: Compass # 2 arrived - Still the incorrect MC-2 USGS compass!!!! :-(FINAL UPDATE: I love Amazon! I called customer service about receiving the wrong compass twice. They refunded both purchases fully, and told me to keep bot hot the compasses! I used this compass for a Wilderness survival class that had 3 navigation components and the compass worked beautifully. I don't have the exact baseplate scales I ordered, but this compass may actually be better. Again: YEA AMAZON!!!Also, the picture of the MC-2 360/D/L/IN/NH in this ad is not of the MC-2 360/D/L/IN/NH compass, but is a picture of the MC-2 Global compass.I bought "this compass" after returning a defective Silva Ranger, and a K&R Alpin, due to several issues. I like this compass better for a few reasons. This review is very long, but I did a thorough comparison of the three head to head.Executive summary - This compass is better than the Silva Ranger and much, much better than the K&R Alpin that costs twice as much.1. Needle - Suunto is perfectly level, and highly visible, as it should be! The Silva needle was also very visible, but dipped down on the red side so much that just a 1/4" tilt of the baseplate caused it to bottom out. That's why I returned it. The K&R needle was hard to see because the "doghouse" is a plastic notch on top of the compass dial, and the entire tip of the needle is encased in a plastic luminous material. In daylight, this made it tough to see, and at night, the needle tip didn't absorb enough light to make it glow enough. Double fail.2. Luminous attributes - The Suunto luminous dial glows for 20 minutes or so after just a 10 seconds of exposure to my Princeton Tec Remix headlamp on the lowest setting. I can still easily read the numbers on the dial for about 10 minutes or so. The needle and north indicators luminous points are very easy to align, and hold a useable glow for about 30 minutes. The "dots" on the cover at the top and bottom at the aiming Vs are actually rods about 3/8" long of solid luminous material. This is nice because when you have the compass cover in position to use the mirror to take a bearing, the rods still absorb light from the top and glow nicely.3. Declination/clinometer - The red numbers for the Suunto are printed so that they can be read from the back of the compass. This is good because the declination adjustment screw is on the reverse (and works nicely). Also, when using the clinometer, and finding an angle with the mirror as you are supposed to, the numbers are readable in the mirror. Brilliant! To be fair, the Silva is also printed on the reverse, just with black numbers, which are also easy to read. Also, the declination indicator pointer on the Suunto is very thin, and thus easier to set accurately, much more so than the wide black indicator on black hash marks on the Silva Ranger. To set the declination on the K&R, you turn the inner part of the compass face. This seems simple and great, until you realize that now the bearing pointer at the top of the compass no longer lines up with the numbers on the inner ring of the bezel ring, and the inner ring has no numbers. It can be very confusing getting the correct bearing because of this. I can imagine if I was tired, I would easily get the wrong bearing.4. Mirror - The Suunto alignment guide down the middle of the mirror (to align your eye with the center of the compass) is wide enough to use, but not too wide to get in the way of getting your bearing. The Silva Ranger guide line was so thin I couldn't even see it. The K&R was a slit that blocked out the entire center of the compass, and even the needle itself near a 0* or 180* bearing. The Suunto and Silva mirror itself appears to be glass, and is like any other mirror in that it reflects very well, and projects a great flash for signaling. The K&R is metal, and thus unbreakable. It was not as bright for signaling, though.5. Lanyard - The Suunto lanyard is woven with reflective material, and really reflects my headlamp light! It would be super easy to find this compass if you dropped it in the dark. A very nice feature indeed! I did not use the included plastic attachment thing on the Suunto, as I read it could fall off and you could lose your compass. I could easily see that. I just larks-headed it on. The Silva just had a plain red cord. Both had a little stainless steel flat "screw "to adjust the declination. The K&R lanyard was the most comfortable, and easily removable from the compass using the quick release buckle, but it "flapped" in a breeze, as a ribbon will do.Magnifier - I believe it is a 5x magnifier on the Suunto and the Silva, and a 6x on the K&R. All three compass magnifiers easily ignited my char cloth in the noon-day sun.Bezel ring - Besides being luminous, the bezel ring numbers are a slightly larger font on the Suunto. The Silva ring had more notches for your fingers, so it was a bit easier to grasp. The black ring, not being luminous, was impossible to see at night. The Suunto and Silva had numbers every 20*. This made it easy to know the 10* bearing in between as there was only one. Also, since the cardinal directions (N, NE, E, etc.) are printed on the on the black part of the Suunto ring, and the luminous part has numbers all the way around the ring (16 total numbers), with 4 numerical bearings between each of the main cardinal directions tick marks. (N, E, S, W) The K&R had numbers only every 30*, (just 8 total numbers) so there were two 10* bearings in between, plus the 4 cardinal direction letters. This made me double check myself more often, and seemed far less intuitive. The K&R was luminous, and smooth to turn, but maybe a tad too tight.Baseplate Feet - the K&R had 4 grippy feet in the corners. I made it a bit more stable when holding it down and drawing a line on your map. The Silva and Suunto have 3 trippy feet. This is still fine, but you just have to press on the center foot or the compass will rock a little bit. A very minor issue..Final Tip - the Suunto cover snaps closed VERY tightly. It does loosen up a bit over time with use. Also, I found that if you put your thumb against the cover lip and rest it on the baseplate and sort of twist your thumb upwards, it acts to lever the lid open easily, vs. just pulling on the lid.My only gripe with the Suunto (and the reason for only 4 stars) is that the compass housing could be a tighter fit in the baseplate. It does move a bit side to side in the baseplate (maybe 1-2 degrees worth of "slop"). My work-around is to make sure the compass is firmly up at the top where the direction pointer is. My bearings are fine this way.If I could give this compass a 4.5 star rating, I would.

16.3.2011

I was looking for another quality hiking Compass, similar to my circa 1972 Silva Ranger. The hunt to find it's equal was difficult, but lead me here; to the Suunto "MC-2/LIN" Compass. To begin with, let me say I am VERY pleased with it. It has the features and Quality that I was looking for. It's just that even when I ordered it, I was uncertain exactly which variation of the Suunto Line, I was getting.What this actually is, is a Suunto "MC-2/360/IN/D/L/NH", also known as p/n: SS004239001. Here's the breakdown of the features:-Baseplate Compass with sighting Mirror-360° graduations on the dial-Ruler on base is in Inches, but includes scales in Milesfor 1:24,000 and 1:625,000 scale maps-Has adjustable Declination Setting.comes with tool to adjust this.-Has Luminous Dial & Sighting Points.-Has 2-Zone needle, designed to work anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.-Has Magnifier built into the baseplate.-Has Inclinometer needle to to measure angles of Elevation-Comes with Lanyard that's both detachable and has wrist loop adjustment feature.You have to admit that's a lot of good features for the price. (I got mine for just under $40). So how well does it do all these things? Amazingly well. The declination tool is Stainless Steel, so it's both Strong and yet it won't affect the magnetic needle on the compass. If you aren't familiar with Declination adjustment, Google/Bing "declination calculator", and you should find the "noaa.gov" website that will tell you what to set the compass too (pay attention to if it's East or West!). You'll find that if you only travel a few hundred miles in any direction, the declination should be within 2° what you set it too. The needle balance is great here at the North edge of the US. And it turns freely even when off of level slightly. The dial turns freely, but not so much that I'd worry about bumping it off from my setting. And the cut-out in the sighting mirror makes it easier to sight on something at the same elevation as you. The Lanyard has a large plastic piece that if you squeeze it, you can slide it, making the loop near the compass smaller or larger. I think it's so you can keep it from coming off your wrist. I use it on my neck, so it's not that important to me. The Magnifying Patch is about 0.5" diameter, and is very nice. I can imagine using it on fine print on maps or even to see a splinter in a finger.So what didn't I like about it? The luminous points seem to dim very fast once you turn off whatever light source you are using to illuminate them. And I used a 300 Lumen flashlight to do this. But that's pretty much standard for anything that's not Tritium (I don't know of any compasses that have Tritium). The Inclinometer is nice to have. But the graduations are too small for me to read through the mirror, unless I have a piece of white paper behind the base of the compass, and the lighting is really good. And sometimes the magnetic needle hangs in the way of the indicator. It's important to set the compass to 270° True, when doing an inclinometer reading. Don't expect to measure angles of Elevation better than +/- 2°. The clasp to swing the Mirror open is very tight. you might have trouble opening it with wool gloves on.But perhaps my single biggest gripe with this compass is the joke of an instruction manual that comes with it. Here you have some outstanding features on this device. But unless you have a lot of experience with other quality instruments, you won't even know what it's capable of. And yes, I am picky about such things. I spent several years involved in Search and Rescue as a teenager. I've Orienteered a few times. And I've been Hiking for over 40 years. So if you get a good quality compass like this, invest in a good book on using it. Or attend a clinic on compass use. Stay safe out there...

21.11.2016

I don't do many reviews, but I purchased this compass and after actually using it in the field have a couple comments on it. I brought this compass on a rigorous 2 day land navigation course. Like many others have stated, the compass housing shifts around, maybe by 1 or 2mm. This can cause an error of a degree or so in your readings. While obnoxious, the margin of error is very slim and in my experience was not the cause of any real life navigation mistakes. If you always "set" it to the same side, your offset will be consistent and should not interfere with your measurements.I experienced another issue that I think would cause a greater issue. Keeping the compass in my pocket or rucksack,

22.6.2013

This thing is very accurate. I just got back from a 3 day backpacking trip, and this and a map was all I needed to pinpoint our exact location on the map using landmarks (mostly mountain peaks).I've read reviews about the degree lines not matching up, and I was anxious to see if my compass had this issue, but I didn't see any issues with the degree markings on my compass.The magnifying glass is also powerful enough to light char-cloth and can really zoom in on tiny map details. Also, the mirror can be used as a signaling device as well. Adding one of those small whistles that come on the "light my fire firesteel" lanyards would be a good idea too. I just thought of that.

13.12.2015

I have been slowly building out my backpacking items for a spring trip in the Smokies. After a ton of research, this is the compass I settled on...and in no way do I feel that I settled! This is a great, durable compass that has everything you need to navigate efficiently in the back country. If you are inexperienced with the use of this type of compass, it comes with detailed instructions. The declination adjustment is very fluid with the adjustment tool provided. Everything about this device says quality...You get what you pay for and I truly feel this is worth every penny. I have no doubts after several years in the military with inferior compasses that this one is far superior.

24.9.2015

I need a good compass. This one fits the bill perfectly. One small nit is the movable bezel assembly appears to be in a slightly bigger hole than it may need, which can make almost a degree difference. However I learned quickly how to "feel" the position. Compared to every other compass I have owned, the Suunto is outstanding. Certainly the movement on the dial is really amazing, just keep it level. I use it five days a week, and I love the clinometer and sighting features. Just make sure the clinometer needle is swinging freely. If you want to sight angles really close to perfectly, have someone read the clinometer while you sight. I noticed the new model marks the 270 degree mark on the dial.

18.10.2017

Got mine yesterday, however the "mirror" is foggy and is out of focus. Is there some kind of mirror protection film on it I'm suppose to remove? There is no way for me to see the numbers on the dial and "sight" to destination. It also does not seem to want to snap shut with the medium force, anymore force and I feel I might break it. The needle seems to align quickly and I like the adjustable declination but it is not usable as it is now.UPDATE; There was no mention of mirror protector film (that I saw) or pull tab to identify there was a protective cover. With no pull tab or such, I was afraid I'd damage it. It That would have avoided my initial disappointment. Also to shut it,

21.5.2017

Was considering several compasses. Looked at more YouTube compass videos than any sane person should. Ended up learning a lot that I didn't know. And in that learning, I decided on this compass. Happy with my choice. Well made, beautiful design, a lot of advancements (look at the YouTube videos), you'll see. Great price. Works well with a map, covers declination nicely, incline angles, everything - and glows brightly in the dark. I just shine my 500 lumens flashlight on it for a few seconds and it jumps to attention. Love this thing. By the way, I went to almost every outdoor, hunting, fishing, gun, knife, camping, hiking, provisions store around here and all I could find was a little,

15.3.2012

I just bought my second MC-2DLIN because this is a great compass. I lost the first one this past weekend on a SAR training exersize. Being on a SAR team I've seen a lot of other compasses and I still prefer this one which is why I bought it again. The only drawback is the little clip (see picture of compass) that goes from the red string to the clear plastic base of the compass. It is a terrible design so I recommend that you remove that little clip and loop the red string around the plastic base (you'll see what I mean) to keep it more secure. In my case the red string came off the clip so the compass and clip were missing when I got to the top of the hill. It's a little bit of a "shame on you SUUNTO",

6.11.2010

This compass replaced a baseplate-only compass. The Suunto MC-2DLIN's sighting mirror made accurate bearings much easier.I first used it in a wilderness navigation class, where it gave multiple bearings that got me very close to flagged objectives.Some may say they can navigate much better with a GPS. So what do you do when your GPS batteries die in the middle of the Bisti Wilderness? Either you better remember the landmarks you passed on the way in, or you pull out your compass to orient yourself with your paper map (you did bring a map, didn't you?).The only compass that's more accurate (to 1 degree) is a true optical-siting compass, like Brunton's 54LU that's no longer made.

15.1.2020

I first purchased the MC-2 global and found the needle travel to be sluggish. I returned it. I then purchased the MC-2 NH (balanced for the northern hemisphere) and found this much more to my liking (and $60 less). This compass has a needle made of tungsten steel that moves freely. The global needle is plastic, with the center disc magnetized. The ends of the needle have plastic prongs (sticking up) that rub on the compass face. The MC-2 NH is very accurate. and at least initially, there is no play in the bezel reported by some reviewers. The compass is attractive and has a nice lanyard system. Instructions are a little weak, with no mention how to attach the lanyard and it isn't intuitive (see photo).

12.11.2010

This Suunto Compass has exceeded my expectations! Whereas the Silva Ranger has been the mainstay of our (non-electronic) search and rescue navigation aids in the past, this compass has all of the same features, lower price, better glow in the dark face and easier to read dial, straight forward declination adjustment, ergonomic curvature below the sighting mirror to better visualize your destination and the magnifying lens on the base-plate is located where is becomes useful when looking at a map... Drawbacks? Cheesy lanyard clasp, UTM Markings do not take the place of a stand alone map interpolator (in other words, equally as useless as the ones on the more expensive ranger).Look ... its cheaper,

9.3.2011

it's a pro compass,it's correctable for Declination ( which is why I wanted this grade of compass ),it's wonderfully precise ( I hadn't realized just how much that mirror makes a difference, before ),and one can use the declination-scale for calculating inclination( though I haven't bothered figuring that bit out,as IF it requires losing one's declination-setting, I'm not bothering with it,and I don't need it on a day-to-day basis! )Much cheaper than a GPS, and neither battery-dependent nor satellite dependent.Nice, cleanly made, precise & good.Beware that "Orienteering" clubs oft use specially-made MAGNETIC NORTH maps,so you would want to DE-correct for declination for their runs,and then restore your compass to a proper & sane setting,

5.12.2014

I go offtrail pretty frequently, I trained in search and rescue, and I generally spend a lot of time in the woods. This compass will get you within 2 degrees precision fairly easily, 1.5 with some work, which is enough for most overland treking and the like. The mechanism isn't built precisely enough for 1 degree precision... though if you are very good you can definitely fake it and make it work, but I mean very good.Personally, I carry either this or a button compass (usually both), anything in-between feels somewhat pointless to me, since I won't be able to really line anything up without the sight and mirror anyway.Basically, if you want a compass, this one is both necessary and sufficient,

9.11.2019

Typical excellent Suunto quality, but with a couple of relatively minor caveats:1. There are no meaningful metric scales or rulers on this particular compass. Since this is a "USGS" model, one expects a mostly US oriented, imperial measures focused compass. However, I expected at least one baseplate edge to have a metric centimeter scale or ruler. But, no, it is inches all around. A metric oriented Romer scale is printed in white on the mirror housing, but frankly the complete lack of metric scales on the baseplate is disappointing.2. The Suunto logo on the bezel. It does detract from use of the orienting lines and the orienting arrow in the rotating bezel just a little.

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