---

I have an Airguide compass that has a significant air bubble in it. How do I add fluid to it and what kind of fluid does this compass use (Aside from Whiskey, lol).

Thanks folks.

---

I would send it out and have it rebuilt, it dose not cost that much and it will look like new when you get it back lasting for many more years. They get dirty inside over the years.

---

Thnks Guts.

Apparently Airguide went out of business awhile back. I took it apart and the globe is a sealed unit the date stamped on the seal is July 16, 1971 so it's been around a while.

Do you have any recommendations of someone that can fix it??

---

I'm on the left coast, This guy is Good!!! He fixed a old one for me and it looked like new. maybe call him first. here is his info;

BAKER MARINE INSTRUMENTS & REPAIR
Brian Osterberg
Tel (619) 222-8096
Cell (619) 300-0891
Fax (619) 222-9713

sales&service@bakermarineusa.comineusa.com

Compass repair:

http://bakermarineusa.com/index.php?i....php?id=47

---

Cliff,

I looked through your personal page and your project album but can't see any photos of what your compass looks like.

Sometimes it is cheaper in the long run just to buy a new compass.
Take a look at this Ritchie.
http://www.whalercentral.com/photogal...oto_id=299

By the time you pay for shipping both ways and then the repair, how much will the total cost be?

Here is just one example on one for $54.99 plus FREE shipping
http://www.sportsauthority.com/produc...D=38652836

---

Thanks guys.

Guts, I'll call the guy you mentioned and see what he has to say about the compass. Thank you.

Joe, you're probably right about the price and ease of just replacing it. My boat is far from era accurate so I'm not really concerned with era specific compass's. As for the picture of the compass that I have, if you look hard enough at my PP you'd see the compass mounted on top of the console however it's so small that it does noone any good when trying to identify what it is. All the information I can get from my current compass is the date stamped on the globe inside the compass and also that it is an Airguide Chicago.

Thanks a million!!

---

I can't tell if yours is a bracket mount or a deck mount.
You can buy bracket mounted ones generally cheaper than the deck mount version.

What Ever Floats Your Boat...

---

I have a bracket mount on my 204C Grady White. I buffed the glass and put new water/penut oil and it works fine. I would always try it myself first if it's already broken. Have nothing to lose but maybe learn something and fix it. It doesn't always happen though.

---

Just an FYI..... Its not hard to refill them. Baby oil is what's in most of them. Just use the strait stuff not all perfumey. I understand you may want somebody else to do it. If you want to do it yourself, one needs to melt a pin hole in the bottom then fill it with oil. Let it sit like that overnight. Due to differences in temperatures between the old and new oil, the next day you will need to add more. Sealing it back up is the hard part (i have never succeeded). Do not use silicone (like me) it won't work. Epoxy is the way to seal it. The hard part is drying off the plastic to get the epoxy to stick......As you can imagine, having someone else do it ain't such a bad idea. I have two of the same units that leak now.

---

Thanks david.

I have two issues really. One is the low oil level and the other is that the gimble the compass card is sitting on came unscrewed and the card is adrift.

---

Cliff,

Hunt on ebay for a new compass. I bought two new in the box Ritchie compasses (B51 explorer and a D84 Voyager) for less than $45 each shipped to my door. You have to weed through a bunch of listings but, you can find some real gems here and there over time. Also, search "RICHIE" instead of the real spelling as you can find people's listings under the misspelling and those auctions usually go cheap as they got very little viewings.

If you want, I do have a used OEM Whaler Red Ritchie explorer I am thinking of selling. Email me on that one if you want it.

---

I have to agree with Jeff. Unless you have a strong emotional relationship with the existing compass, see what you can find on ebay. But beware, get a close-up picture of the compass. Most people don't understand when you ask them if there are any air bubbles in it. There are many classic compasses on ebay.

---

Thanks a million for your inputs guys. I've decided to go ahead and search for a new compass. It's just not worth the hassle to get this compass fixed.

Anyone have a compass for sale??

---

Not for nothing. Go ahead and mess with it anyway since your going to buy another one. It's a learning exerience. I have always lived by, If it's already broke you can't do any harm but learn.

---

Sure, I have two for sale. You don't mind that they both leak oil do you? :)

I gave up. I have to admit, I don't use a compass anymore.

---

Thanks for the "tongue in cheek offer" however I think you're in the same boat as i am when it comes to a bad compass.

Per the Manufacture date on the bottom of my compass's globe, it's 39 years old so I think it had a pretty good life. I'd like to see a modern compass last that long. ;-)

Does anyone have any recomendations as to what kind of compass to purchase? I saw a few Ritchie D-55's on eBay that I liked. Any pro's or cons with that line? The base of it appears to be plastic.....

---

What ever you decide my i suggest getting a sun cover too. IMHO the bigger the rose the better it will perform. I like deck mount the best...

---

Is Sun cover a brand of compass guts??

---

This what I was talking about.. sorry.. If they make them for that small compass. This will keep the compass looking like new for a long time. Keeps the UV off off of them when not in use.

http://www.ritchienavigation.com/cata...77B5937127

---

Thanks a lot for the explanation Guts.

Happy Whalering!!