Parameters: Damping time of needle : 30-60s Dial scale : 1° Precision of long air level : 15´± 5´/2mm(20℃) Precision of circle air level : 30´± 5´/2mm(20℃) List of items: A geological compass A holster A Chinese manual Product details: Length : 80mm Height : 31mm Width : 70mm N.W. : 0.23kg Package details: Length :130mm Height : 100mm Width : 80mm VWK : 0.21kg(length*width*height/5000) G.W. : 0.5kg Geomag FAQ: －5c.What happens to my compass in the southern hemisphere? For a compass to work properly, the compass needle must be free to rotate and align with the magnetic field. The difference between compasses designed to work in the northern and southern hemispheres is simply the location of the "balance", a weight placed on the needle to ensure it remains in a horizontal plane and hence free to rotate. In the northern hemisphere, the magnetic field dips down into the Earth so the compass needle has a weight on the south end of the needle to keep the needle in the horizontal plane. In the southern hemisphere, the weight needs to be on the north end of the needle. If you did not change the weight, the needle would not rotate freely, and hence would not work properly. Note: in order to make normal use of DQL-3 in the Southern Hemisphere.The geological compass copper circle on the North, rather than you see in the picture on the South. Magnetic Declination: Magnetic declination, sometimes called magnetic variation, is the angle between magnetic north and true north. Declination is considered positive east of true north and negative when west.
T**O
Decent Budget Alternative to a Brunton
I bought a few different cheaper Brunton knock off's to use for training geologists, and this is the only one I'd recommend of all of them. It's accurate, the markings are clear and properly spaced, the needle moves freely, the hinges are well designed and perfectly tight, and the body (cast aluminum?) feels durable yet lightweight. I really like the way in which the bottom is recessed for the inclinometer adjustment without any protruding ring. This enables use of the bottom edge to take direct measurement of shallow dipping structures, unlike most other models where the ring gets in the way. The bubble level, inclinometer level, and damper aren't nearly the quality you'd find in a Brunton, but they're perfectly serviceable. For me the only functional difference is that the poor quality of the damper requires slightly more time to take a measurement. The flimsy cloth case is terrible and the instructions are in Chinese and poorly translated English, but I think this is still a great product considering it costs a fraction of a Brunton.
W**L
Corner-cutter, but still very accurate
I received mine today (June 6th, D-Day) and set about inspecting it. I have a Brunton 5008 I compared it to and, once I'd set the declination, the compass was right bang-on within a half-degree ... actually better than the DQL-8 with it's awful dual-magnet stamped needle which was off by 3 degrees! This needle is straight and narrow, but the magnet is very weak. I set about dismantling it so I could paint the needle with a phosphorescent tip. There are four very faint cardinal phosphorescent dots already there on the azimuth ring, but they don't glow more than a couple seconds. I had just removed the snap ring and dumped the glass, needle, bumper, and needle lifting rod ... when, all of a sudden, the mirror popped loose and fell to the floor! It didn't break (pure luck!) and I reinstalled it with gelled superglue, true as it was before it broke loose.Now, that mirror lid has a groove for a retaining snap-ring for the mirror, but they don't bother to put one in it! Guess they just wanted to save some money by gluing it in with hot glue. I will be looking for a snap ring for it because I don't trust gelled superglue either. The DQL-8 has one for the glass and one for the mirror, by the way. If you buy one of these DQL-3's, do yourself a favor and tap the lid upside down over a towel to dislodge the mirror so you can reglue it with some decent adhesive! I'm going to try and find some single-strand black insulated copper wire of the correct diameter and press it into the groove against the mirror; it should fit nicely and hold that mirror firmly ... and might even lend a little induction damping as well. Just be warned: don't trust their cheap-O Chinese hot-glue job with the mirror!Hinges are tight, paint's good, printing on the azimuth and inclinometer are quite sharp. North and south ends match degree-to-degree, unlike the DQL-8 which required flexing to true it up. Balance on the needle is good and it's easily adjusted by sliding the copper wire windings. After painting the North tip phosphorescent, I needed to rebalance the needle, of course. The needle pivot is slick, too ... no sticking at all.Haven't checked the inclinometer; I really don't use them much. I'd say that if you're fair with your hands and like to fix things better than they were when you get them, go for it and buy this transit/compass. It has no damping, but you can easily arrest the swings with the needle lifting button and make this thing grind to a stop in just a few seconds. You don't need induction damping with one of those needle lifting buttons.For phosphorescent paint, I mix up slow-set two-part clear epoxy and sprinkle in a good measure of instrument needle phosphorescent/luminescent powder and apply it with a sharp detail paint brush. Has a nice eery green glow.The glass and snap-ring isn't hard to reinstall, so don't be afraid to get inside this thing. I give it four because of the accuracy and the ability to service it yourself, but that mirror installation really sucks!
