Francis Barker M73 compass - instructions
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- The Francis Barker M73 is is the highest quality hand-held compasses in the world, by far. In this video I give (very basic) introductory instructions on it’s use and how to use the
Francis Barker M73 with a map or without.
As always the same disclaimer: I do not receive any payment or any other benefit from any compass manufacturer, map printer or outdoor retailer.
My introduction to the M73 was in the British army (in mils). It was a WOCS item (War Office Controlled Stores), and a firing squad if you lost it!!! But I loved it, and on leaving the army (1985) I bought one (in degrees), and never regretted it. I note that Silvermans are currently offering them at £599, (Sept 2023), so I can see why the army got a bit miffed if you lost one! I use it often, but I accept that using a base-plate compass does make life a bit easier. But quality? World class! Since every part is replaceable, there is no reason why it should not last pretty much forever. If you can afford it, get one. And your review? First class. Thank you.
Around 20yrs ago, I was a reservist in the Canadian Army. At the time we used Suunto MC-1 baseplate compasses. But one day I was working in the QM stores helping out the Master Corporal with some admin. I was poking around the bins on the shelves and found about 10 of these M73's. I chuckled and asked about them; the MCpl just shrugged and said they had to hold on to them. He said they were still officially on our charge so he couldn't give one away, and I wasn't entitled to one on issue as I wasn't a Section Commander or 2i/c. Wish now that I'd nicked one; I had ZERO idea at the time how much they're worth 🤣🤣🤣
Years ago I discovered an old compass laying in the desert. It was missing some pieces, and was quite beat up. It was stamped on the back "M73", and "DICI M900". I tried to find a soldier who might've dropped it, but no one was missing a compass. I brought it back from SouthWest Asia when my tours ended, and brought it with me. I cleaned it up but never tried to find any parts to repair it.
Today(20ish years later) your video was randomly(?) placed into my UA-cam cue. I immediately recognized the compass you were working with, and dragged my old veteran out to confirm I'd found a Francis-Barker M73 all those years ago!
Now I want to try to get it repaired back to it's original condition. The prism is missing, as is one screw for the cover. I'm sure the Tritium is depleted, but the compass works exactly as it should.
Thanks for making this video!
I ran into my M-73 at a pawnshop here in Dallas.... $40 including the black leather case! They wanted $80 but I talked them down to $40. Lucky dog! Yes it is all brass and says M-73 and Made in UK on the back and it has a serial number. It is a keeper and I use it on hikes now.
$40 - you got a bargain
Please leave the "outtakes" in! Most informative. And, thank you for making this video.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your assistance in my purchase of a Francis Barker M73 prismatic compass.
I appreciate precision instruments and am an avid outdoorsman. Once I watched this video on the M73 I wanted one but found the price a bit daunting. After saving a bit and being patient I purchased one and I have to say I was not disappointed.
The construction and material choice was top notch and I am happy to share it has already become my everyday carry compass. The leather case, though not being currently used, is also exquisitely crafted from fine materials.
Thank you very much for a good and informative video, sir! I bought a Francis Barker M-73 Degrees
Prismatic Compass made by Pyser Optics 6 years ago. As a gift to myself as a pensioner. I have used many different compasses on fishing trips or mountain walks when I am at the cabin in the mountains. And in my younger days on runs in the woods and fields. The Francis Barker compass gives me so much joy because it is so easy to use. And because it requires a little bit extra focus, the joy of finding the right course every time is so rewarding. I find my way back to old skills, mastery, curiosity and playfulness. It is a tool for pure joy!
I always carry a protractor, ruler and pencil in my map pocket.
For general mincing around , I used my Pusser`s SILVA but for accurate work, for mortar or artillery fire control, Naval Gunfire in Support etc, I used my M73. They are highly accurate but are affected by large metallic objects (tanks, helicopters ) and anything with a powerful electro magnetic signature or even a personal radio. Such objects had to be given a wide berth if an accurate bearing was required!
They are expensive, doubly so in the Royal Marines where you would be charged for the one you lost and charged again for it`s replacement !
Which is why mine was securely tied around my neck and lived inside my smock!
There's no dispute the M73/M88 compasses are truly high-quality, well-engineered works of art. (For years I admired them from afar Recently I scraped up the funds and bought a genuine, new, M88. It now sits on my desk. I admire it, and "fiddle" with it, but, although I'm an avid backcountry denizen, I don't ever take it to the field and rely upon it.) To paraphrase Kipling who wrote: "You may talk of gin and beer... but when it comes to slaughter, you will do your work on water," when I need to do serious field map and compass work, I depend on my Suunto MC2 - Global compass. When the chips are down, I'm less likely to screw up by inducing human error with the Suunto.
I'm baffled by the remark in this otherwise excellent video that "the M73 isn't intended for trekking/hiking/civilian use, they're intended for military use." What does that mean? I've been an outdoors civilian all my life, and was a Special Forces soldier for 30 years. The basic reason(s) for using a compass (accurate navigation, Geo-location) are the same regardless of the civilian or military end purposes. In all my military years, I never encountered an experienced Special Forces operator (US or UK) who used the M73/M88 for field work. (I have no direct knowledge, and so it's possible that Brit military in the engineers or artillery (who operate from fixed bases), may use the M73/M88 for precise plotting, the same as their U.S.counterparts use the Brunton M-2 surveying compass.) For units like infantry/Special Forces who are afoot and moving, the M73/M88 isn't a good choice. The circumstances are rarely optimal (weather, terrain, tactical situation, fatigue, hunger, and other "distractions"). Trying to mentally do the math needed to accurately use the M73/M88 with a topo map to sort out declination in those conditions is a recipe for possibly life-threatening error. Taking all the mental gymnastics out of the equation by using a modern compass like the Suunto or Silva (that allows adjustment beforehand for declination), simplifies the task and eliminates one element in avoiding mistakes.
But that isn't to say I don't still love and admire my M88 and respect the quality and workmanship (in the same way I admire classic old rifles). Cheers
M73 are brass n glass and very heavy for the size along with extremely accurate better than any sat nav they are used for stationary work, the M88 is made of aluminium n plastic way way lighter thus called the "marching compass".
@@ScoopDogg Hi ScoopDogg, I'm enjoying the dialogue. There's no argument from me that the M73 (and M88) are works of art and finely crafted instruments. I'm going to dispute, however, that any compass is better than any sat nav. I say that for the following reasons:
- "Operator error," limits the accuracy of any compass (regardless of the inherent compass precision). Even when stationary, I question the ability of any operator to read the M73, and visually pinpoint a distant objective, with the accuracy that comes from a sat nav screen showing the lat/longs.
- If great precision is required, most professional folks, civilian surveyors, and even the military artillery and engineers, rely on a theodolite or a sat nav. I doubt they can all be misguided.
- When you further muddle the situation with "environmental" conditions, getting highly accurate, precision results from a M73/M88 (or any compass) is even more difficult. (Even in the most optimal conditions, accurately reading the tiny markings on a M73/M88 becomes a chore, and degrades the preciseness of the results.
This isn't a quibble about the fine quality of the M73/M88, just a realistic observation about what happens when you introduce the human user into the mix. All the best,
I can’t believe I ran across someone else who also uses a FB M73. It’s one of 5 compasses I have on me anytime I’m doing map & compass. Cheers 👍🏻
A compass of that price which does not dampen the needle when not in use. I have a BMW motorcycle which is not worth a damn for navigation, but it has plenty of useless and expensive gadgets which impress no one with a brain.
Thank you for a most interesting tutorial on this compass.
Used these in the Australian Army RASIGS 594 Sig troop Microwave bearer coms, line of sight, mountain top to mountain top. The parabolic dishes had a 3 deg beam, so your antenna alignment better be spot on! Never let me down.👍🏼🇦🇺🦘
Thank you this was very informative. My father used to have a WWII version of this compass, which I used to marvel at, due to the engineering and the fact that it looked like it could survive a direct hit from a nuke. Sadly it was lost when he died and his house was cleared. From a purely sentimental point of view I’m looking at buying one for myself. Thank you again for evoking that memory, and the instructive video. Keep up the great work.
Or an F.B. M88 which is also a fantastic compass
The M73 is almost identical to my dad's army issue compass from 1940, although it's stamped 1918 on the base. The lid is marked with 'Verner's Pattern VIII' . A very solid piece of kit. 😊
Old ones especially the Francis Barker Mk III are better than the new ones, they have fully brass cases n lids the new ones are only brass bottom and aluminium lids. The mother of pearl inlays are way higher quality n better etched too along with markings of Navinrs on bottom outer diameter. I've got one and it's still accurate down to .250 degrees at least. COST me £50. Caution don't buy the polished fakes from India make sure it's proper.
You are a very easy presenter to watch. Very informative.
Hola amigo te escribo desde Estepona en Málaga,España, aquí es muy difícil encontrar a alguien con una de ellas, yo tengo la suerte de tener una, al principio me costo algo usarla😊, pero ahora no la cambiaria por ninguna y sí , la uso para mis excursiones, todo el mundo me pregunta donde la compre, esa es otra historia, pero cuando les digo el precio 😢😢, llevo tres años con ella.
Tu vídeo sobre ella es el mejor dé UA-cam, un saludo desde España. 👍👍
Wonderful presentation of this very fine, precision albeit expensive instrument. When my wife asked me what I wanted for our 40th anniversary I sent her a link to this video. I can't thank you enough and wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying the new grill brush I received on our special day!
I'd like a new grill brush - most of the wire bits have fallen off mine.
@@TheMapReadingCompany I'll be happy to trade. I'm sure my spousal unit won't mind 😁
Thanks for all the great videos. Truly the best.
Nice work sir.. I have looked at (and for) this compass over the years and have now found a new one at a GOOD price. I like to use instruments of quality, and agree with your review.. The m-73 is a fine piece of engineering and if the military can break it, I'm sure it will survive in my hands. Your review and instruction is first rate and I look forward to many more..
DG.
great video i was given the degrees one by a female friend it cost about £180 to get it serviced i plan on using for backpacking .as i have had a lot of silva compass brake whilst i am in the middle of nowhere !.
I’ve never heard of it but….NOW I NEED ONE! 😂😂. I have my old Cammenga from the Army in the 80’s, still glows nicely. I recently bought a Suunto MC2 but haven’t had the time to play with it much.
The mil compass was issued to us during my National Service; we lived in fear of losing it.
Would you put a lanyard on it?
@@PacoElMapache, most certainly, but sometimes we would hand it to one another in the course of an exercise, and it might get displaced, especially if there were suddenly contact with 'enemies'.
Being a bit of an "excessive compulsive" person, I have a small collection of compasses. About 35 as of last count !
And, though I've always admired the Francis Barker, it is so costly that I'll probably never be able to buy on just to put on display with my "Collection"!
Thanks for the informative video !
Hi from South Africa..we used those in mils in the South African army 80s and 90s
I use to have one of the few top watched videos for the Francis Barker but you won the best video award on that compass as far as I’m concerned. I love your detail and explanation, everyone needed this video for a long time, it’s wonderful!
Thanks Austin
As you said, Tritium makes the phosphorescent material glow through beta decay. This material is also excited by UV light. Not as conveniently but if you have an old compass and a cheap UV torch it's fine.
I tried a cheap thing that was in a kids book where pictures are hidden if not viewed under UV light. Also it makes normal lume glow like crazy.
Excellent video...wish I could afford one.. beautifully built piece of kit
I must correct you sir. I have used an ex-Australian Army M-73, graduated in RA MILS for all of my trekking.
I got used to it in the army in the 1980s and 1990s.
You also need the RAA 6IN Protractor Semi Circle so you don’t have to orientate map to north to shoot a bearing.
Hi Charlie
For walking and trekking a protractor isn't needed as the map doesn't need to point in any particular direction when taking a bearing.
But I can see why it may be needed by the military so thanks for joining the conversation.
@@TheMapReadingCompany well I do use the protractor for route planning and position finding. As I was taught to. I rarely use anything other than my M73 compass. We used to joke that if you're out of ammunition, your weapon has failed catastrophically and you lost your entrenching tool, you can still put the M-73 in a sock and use it to crack someone's skull wide open.
I'm glad I found you. Wonderfully put together vlog. Please don't stop. Bye for now...
Excellent video describing an old friend…very well presented.
Thank you
The main reason we all bought silva compasses back in the day was the fear of losing this beast!
This Yank will stick with his Cammenga for now,though I must admit you've piqued my interest in the M-73. I'd far rather have a great compass than a fancy watch. Your videos are very well done indeed.
Thank you. Very informative.
Thanks for the video. I learnt a lot, how much I'll retain is hard to know.
Many thanks for this excellent video.
I have here my dad's compass that was the only one he used for hill walking.
I looks the same as you FB but it's marked "TG Co 1941 MkIII"
You can find fair WWII-era versions of this for $75-$125 dollars. Some are nicer than others. All require some level of restoration. There are also fakes out there. Care must be taken to clean them up because the insides will be contaminated with radium paint. There are forums devoted to why you should not work on radium-era devices, but it can be done safely IF you know the hazards.
I remember using a prismatic compass when I was an army cadet. It was nearly as big as me & weighed as much too!
I use my Brunton Pocket Geotransit. I bought for field survey. It's heavier than these, but compared to a simple lensatic, it is legally a "transit" as opposed to simply a "compass."
Totally agree. I have used one myself for making detailed field maps before the advent of GPS units.
That was a great explanation on that compass. Me, I'll give it a pass as it's just too much $$$.
I found it interesting what you said about tritium. I bought a Lumi nox Recon watch. I liked the watch but seeing it at night was worse than my Seiko so I sent back for a refund. I've got a marinemaster now and if charged fully is almost torch like.
Legend Mate!!! Say no more...
The M88 states that it's built to the same stamdards as the M73, but it doesn't have the bezel clamp. What would the disadvantages be for the M88? Can the M88's bezel still rotate?
Yes the bezel will still rotate
Well spoken Sir.
AND no worries about batteries or signal loss!!
I have a similar compass to this but it is probably WW2 vintage and the case is brass. It’s Australian Army issue and has Comp. Prism. Liq. Mk. 3A on the bottom along with a bunch of numbers. Do you think it might have been made by the same company? Thanks for your videos, I’ve learnt more from you than anyone else.
Great informative video
Thanks for the information
No worries
Hi I made the Francis Barker M73 the M88 and the mini survival compass a few years ago great times each compass is individually callibrated in a special sighting room.
Very cool! I have one of the mini survival compasses sewn into my jacket cuff - just in case.
I do carry a spare (normal) compass but if everything goes wrong, I just need to look at my cuff.
'Bonus Facts' would have been a good title for the outtakes; they are very informative in their own right!
Does the bezel lock when the compass is closed?
No. You need to tighten the bezel clamp on the side.
@@TheMapReadingCompany Thank you.
I was lucky enough to be given what appears to be a MK3 from 1944 (it has that stamped on the back, along with EAC some sort of nserial number and the MOD arrow). There are a few differences, there appears to be no index mark on the bezel and the and has 16 cardinal directions on the outside. Oh and it doesn't glow anymore.
Id say that at the date in the 1940s it was inked with Radium. This lasts 15 years or so - no one will handle a Radium compass these days. I wouldn't interfere with the innards and be grateful that you have a great daylight compass.
Better than a lensatic but for example the recta m10 had a prismatic with an integrated reflex sight. And declination compensation and an inclinometer
On terrain a thumb compass is hard to beat
Primarily used for indirect fire control (in Mils) because they are considered as being much more accurate than say a Silva or Suunto compass. Very robust apart from one gets jammed between your turret basket and the hull of your AFV.
The Francis Barker M88. How does it compare to the M73? Thanks.
I purchased one of these around 5 years. It's sat in a draw for the vast majority of its life and now it has a massive bubble. Should I send it back to the manufacturer to be repaired?
I would call them and get details of their repair service. Contact details are on their website.
They’re scarce as hens teeth, I’m keen to find a retail outlet, I’m in Australia, Where can I buy them please …oh just found the website 👍been in the southern hemisphere with my limited knowledge and understanding would these be ok south of the equator? Thankyou. Yes found it very interesting. I found a compass which looks just like these bought it , I think you will know where it was made……only $60 Australian Dollars . But we do get what we pay for don’t we. So keen to buy the real thing..👍🇦🇺
Please how do you read the bearing. I see somethings like 210° 14'
How do you arrive at that
The Francis Barker is probably the only hand held compass which a reasonably proficient used can take and bearing of, for example, 210o 14’ (210 and about a quarter of degree).
On the video I didn’t show it, but if you look through the lens you’ll be able to see the pointer. This is a sharp brass point, just above the disk. If the compass is held quite still you can position the pointer so that you can take bearings down to (about) 15’ or a quarter of a degree.
Maybe a I should have shown it on the video - but it was getting long enough already.
@@TheMapReadingCompany Thanks. I have one of this compass. I see 2 calibrations one at the outer part of the plate and the other below. Other than intervals, do they all work same
Hi indichiecosmas,
Unless you're in very stable conditions, with zero wind and using the compass on a support such as a tripod or table, you'll not be able to accurately discern the 14'. And for most purposes, you don't need to! While the inherent accuracy of the compass might make it theoretically possible to determine that 1/4th of a degree, the likelihood of you holding (or even seeing) that distinction steadily is almost nil. For the normal purposes for which this compass is used, identifying the 210 degrees is certainly sufficient. If your purpose requires the accuracy of discriminating that last 14', then you're using the wrong instrument. Get a surveyors theodolite and ditch the Francis Barker.
Allow me one question, if you don't mind. You mentioned the compass card (disc) is made from mother of pearls. I couldn't find it in any datasheet. Where can I find this information? I just got my M-73. It is really a great piece of engineering...
Hi, sorry for not answering a channel member's question. I spoke to the manufactures and they told me it was mother of Perl.
Sorry I must have missed this question.
See here for a description of the mother of pearl disk
thejungleisneutral.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/find-your-own-way-vintage-mkiii-marching-compass-part-1
@@TheMapReadingCompany You didn't miss the question, you already answered it one month ago. The answer you provided back then was already good enough for me!!!! But thanks for the link, it is a quite interesting article. Have a good week! Joachim
top stuff. 👍🏼👍🏼
Brilliant but for me annoying. My dad had one of these in the Second World War I remember being fascinated by the uranium dial. Now i know how it works I do not know where it has gone Groan Thanks for the video
I wonder if you can help me! I purchased an Francis Barker M88 NATO and looking to get it repaired, do you know of a campany the can repair this M88 for me.
By the way I did not know that about tritium I always thought it was the tritum that glowed - I have read tritium has an half life of 12 years.
It seems the amy used tritum quite alot - I own a working Brittish Army Chieftain MBT (main battle tank) and where the gunner checks the 120mm canon for accurcy using the MRS (Muzzle Reference System) there where two glowing tritum markers inside the turret for the gunner to check the 120mm canon for accurcy by adjusting the gunners periscope and also the pulse arch tritium gas projector search light that sends a beam of light between 1385mtrs to just over 1500mtrs close to a mile of light - tritium has alot of uses.
Anyways if you can help me that would be very much appricated.
You can contact Pyser Optics. They are the manufactures of the M88
www.pyseroptics.com/
I have an original WWI issue officers prismatic, and case, with strap (I can't recall the maker, but it's marked Swiss made, and I think the issue date is 1916)
hello
great set of instructions
?? Does that compass include an adjustment on the bezel to account for magnetic declination
cheers
No it doesn't have a declination adjustment
I was just wondering where you can look up your magnetic declination in a given area?
There are lots of websites.
Try this one www.magnetic-declination.com
I used to use a Brunton pocket transit for preliminary surveys, how does it compare to this one?
If you’re using it for surveying you have picked the right tool for the job.
Just my personal opinion, so it may be wrong, but I think Bruton make some excellent quality compasses - I have quite a few. The Transit series are good quality surveying and geology compasses (strike to dip, dip to dip, etc).
The Pocket Transit can’t be compared to the M73 as they are both designed to do different things.
Are these compasses still available? I am getting messages that it was discontinued.
Yes they are still available. You could contact the manufactures and ask for a list of authorised distributors in your area.
www.pyseroptics.com
The M73 does not seem to be available in the US at present, but I was fortunate enough to acquire one several years ago and I agree with everything you said about its quality. I didn’t know all the details you discuss, though, so I appreciated all that. I am also curious about the other specific compass you mention at the beginning. The caption and transcript render what you said as “con at 4,” which is no use in trying to identify it on line: can you post its real name below? Thank you.
Here is a link to the "conat 4" messtechnik-mollenkopf.de/CONAT
Thank you. The transcription was closer than I expected, but not good enough for a search term. 🙂@@TheMapReadingCompany
Brunton Pocket Transit.
👍👍👍👍
Excellent video. I'm trying to find a reputable vendor to buy one from. Who did you get yours through? Maybe I'll go that route, or they can direct me to another reputable seller.
Thanks!
Contact the manufacturers and they will have a list other authorised distributors in your area. This way you’ll know you getting a genuine item, not one of the “many” copies that are for sale on the internet.
Hello sir, what kind of liquid is it please
Purified Kerosene
Much better in Mils
Aren't these military compasses meant to be used with a protractor? With a military map protractor and a piece of string, drawing lines should be unnecessary.
If Francis Barker M73 is #1 Which is #2?
That’s controversial 😊 (keeping out of that one)
How radioactive is that thing ?
The tritium is fine - unless you eat it
See here (the outtakes at the end) regarding Beta Radiation.
ua-cam.com/video/i97jiLxeEwI/v-deo.html
DANGEROUS!!!
@@VOTEREPUBLICANS594No, it isn’t.
All that engineering and they couldn’t be arsed to add a simple straight edge for map work like a cammenga or baseplate has…
Hello. I can tell you were never in the forces, as no-one was allowed to leave any marks on our maps. I still have fifty year-old maps which are as unmarked as the day I bought them. Russ. 5RRF
All compass readings are to magnetic, not true north.
Thanks for making this video. I was curious about this compass, after you mentioned it in a previous video. As before, very informative.
From one thing to another, woud you make a video about supplementary contourlines?
Maby also one or more videos, about more advanced contourline interpretation and navigation?
Contour interpretation, night navigation, slope aspect, etc, etc are all on my "to do" list - along with loads of others.
Thanks. I always look forward to your videos. Even more so now when I know some of the "goodies" underway😊
very
What I don't understand is... why don't they just make a perfect compass? Every compass out there has one or more massive compromises that it doesn't need to have. Baseplate compasses are bad for sighting. Lensatic compasses are either badly made, or they're a Cammenga which has a 3 degree bezel increment, a 5 degree increment scale, and they're not as good as baseplates at working with a map. This M73 has a 5 degree increment bezel and absolutely no straight edges to help working with a map. Why didn't they add a straight edge to it like a Cammenga? Make degree increments on the bezel. What, would it have made the compass too expensive? And the Cammenga, why not a freely rotating bezel like the average baseplate? Maybe add a locking screw, like the M73. If they could combine a lensatic and a baseplate compass, using their strengths, and giving them good accuracy, it would be the perfect compass.
I may be totally wrong but I would guess that it’s something to do with copyright. Each manufacture will have registered certain parts of their design and trying to create a compass with the best bits of all the others would be a big legal problem.
The Cammenga is great when one is using it with a 15minute or US Military Map. Unfortunately here in the USA, most USGS maps used by Civilians are 7.5 minute, 1:24000 scale, which makes it pretty tough when using the compass to plot survey lines on the map.
@@coleparker They should make a civilian version with degrees instead of mils and with a 24k or 25k scale.
@@CristiNeagu Well, why not write to FB company and make your suggestions known. Personally I think that they, and Cammenga would respond with the lines, Our Compasses are made for Military and other Govt use, not for the casual backpacker.
@@coleparker Hence why I said "they should make a civilian version" and not "why aren't they making a civilian version?" Your response is besides the point.
NOT that useful for military applications as it lacks "mils' as a gradation. (6400 mils to the circle and mils subtend metres on a metric map). My time in the Austraian Army over 30 years ago, we only used metric compasses!
No problem. They will happily sell you a 'mils' version. Pays yer money -takes yer choice.
My Dad was a WW2 field gunner (Mountain) and I still have a photocopies of a couple of his shooting maps. All in yards and degrees. He trained in a Medium regt. in the 30s ... just the same. Services use the systems they are issued. Its not a case of old systems are useless ( ask some German widows about that).
I love the engineering but I hate the price. I can't believe they give those things to grunts. I could only imagine the ass chewing someone would get if they lost one while training.
I'd imagine the M73 is given to officers. Others will get the M88.
If you're going to ramble at least show us your rose bushes whilst you do!