XGeology Geological Compass DQL-8

From the looks, heft and feel you'd not be able to tell this thing from a real Brunton. As others have noted, the needle takes a while to settle down sort of like an older Brunton. The magnet looks like a rare earth magnet, but it's apparently just a plain old magnet, otherwise it works like an old Brunton. I did not get to try adjusting declination because it uses a tiny screw to secure the adjustment screw and I could not find a tiny screwdriver to fit it. It does include a screwdriver for the adjustment screw. Also note that mine did not come with a halfway decent leather holster like some have posted. Mine has a crappy fake leather thing. And has METAL sights not plastic like the new Bruntons. Not at all bad. for $50. I have an embarrassing number of Bruntons - old ones, new ones, Japanese made ones, Real Bruntons including the Compro, standard one (in lovely blue), the Geo and the Axis. Certainly not quite as good as a new Brunton, but it works and does have metal sights (my beef with Brunton). The manual (if you can call it that) is pretty much useless, but you can download a Brunton manual online and it's gonna work the exact same way. If you don't already know how to use a Brunton, there are many YouTube videos and as I indicated you can download the manual. It is a well made and accurate knock off of the Brunton (copyright expired years ago). Perfect for a poor geology student.

I own a Brunton, but I am teaching Field Geology this fall and discovered that our collection of real Bruntons is in a sad state of repair. A web search turned up the Harbin compass, and I bought one on a whim to see if it would work at all for our class needs. I admit my expectations were not high. Sure enough the case is nothing to speak about. But, surprise, surprise, the instrument itself is really a solid, nice build. It has a metal case (painted black), a free spinning, weighted needle, azimuth dial with clinometer, ability to sight (and the sighting arms are stiff enough that they do not flop), a better damper than my real Brunton, and a little catch pin that keeps the top aligned with the rest of the compass when the top is closed. The various parts are held together with actual screws (so you can adjust the stiffness of the hinges) and the internal components are held in with metal keepers just like a real Brunton. The end result is vastly better than the hard plastic -bodied Bruntons that my Department bought some years ago. My only quibble (aside from the black body which will be easy to lose in the field) is that the needle is white with a red end on the SOUTH end, not the north end...I will be popping the glass off my new compass (there is a keeper and everything!) to rectify this issue with a daub of paint. I will also paint the body some day glow colors so I can find it in the field. The other need is to buy a better case. As some other reviewers note, a good leather case (~$38) costs almost as much as the compass itself! I am frankly flabbergasted that Harbin has made such a nice instrument for such a low price....

Great compass, lots of functions but a little bulky.

In all honesty, I got this because it looked cool. I'm not a geologist and won't be using this to measure strike and dip. I don't map out caves. I was looking to replace my sylva compass that developed a huge bubble that made it worthless. I saw this, thought about it for a couple days, and ordered it after watching videos about how they worked and what it was used for. After a few days of use, I love it! It takes some skill to get the pointer to hold still, but with the mirror and pointer, my accuracy is spot on. I don't really use the compass for determining elevation. Some years ago I did a lot of land nav in the military, and taught a few folks how to use a lensatic compass over a measured course. Initially most would be at least 5 or more degrees off and hundreds of feet off target after a km. I'd be surprised if, using this compass, they were off by more than a few feet. Today I use this as a contractor to determine communications bearings at radio sites and map out locations between mountains and hills. For me it is so much better than a 'normal' compass. The durability is very good if the lid is closed and not bounced around while being carried. I've used this almost daily for about a month and it's still as good as new. But I take care of my things - your milage may vary. Would I get this again? You betcha. Cheaper and easily as durable an any other compass, a lot more accurate, and the cool factor is off the charts.