Discussion: Silva Jet compass: how to distingush Jet from the other versions?

Hi,
I've already bought a silva compass and I want to ensure that it is jet version. According to silva webpage it should look like http://silva.se/node/49 . Mine look like http://i61.tinypic.com/33zaf12.jpg . There are some differences:
- there is no milimeters on mine version,
- scales 1:10k and 1:15k are swapped.

How to ensure that it is Jet version?
Could someone help me with my doubts? ;-)

Your silva jet looks like my silva jet. Not sure if it will make you feel better, but here is a link to a shop showing your casing model.

Turn it over and look for text that is molded into the case or printed on the needle. Does it say "Jet" anywhere?

On the box there is printed "6JET Spectra Left" but there is no "Jet" on my compass.
There is molded text "norcompass typ6" under the thumb band. And that's why I'm asking.
The box wasn't sealed and I'm afraid that nor compass could be put into the Jet box.

I thought that maybe color of the needle may be significant - red/yellow nor and orange/white jet.

If the needle is red/white and you paid a lot of money it is a Jet. If the needle is red/yellow and you didn't pay so much it is a Nor Spectra.

yep it is the colour of the neddle orange and white is the jet (expensive one). red/yellow -Nor (cheap one).

The other way is to tell is by how much the needle wobbles when you shake it or turn it upside down. but then if you don't know what they normally do its a bit harder.

The baseplate doesn't matter so much, there are apparently different versions. The big question is, what does the underside of the needle look like? Can you post a picture of that?

If you use it whilst riding in an MTBO event and make a wrong turn, it is not a Jet.

JJ is onto it. But around here we've been fed the story that the Jet thumb compass is out, the Race Jet is in (looks like the same needle with cosmetic changes, and the price is the same). Interesting that both are still on the Silva website.

+1 Toph
Your pic looks the same as my Jet

The only thing that is better about the Nor-version is the story behind the name. The original version of the thumb compass was invented (or at least named after) the old Swedish orienteering legend Bertil Norman. He is really a bit too old to have much success in the "international era" of orienteering, but still managed to win a relay gold at WOC 1966 and numerous Swedish Championships and 10Mila victories.

I've uploaded photo of my compass: http://oi57.tinypic.com/2ihowb6.jpg

What do You think?

I don't think I was today's 100,000th visitor to the site at all. Anyway it looks like you have the Jet.

Baseplates are interchangeable, but that looks like a Jet capsule to me.

scales 1:10k and 1:15k are swapped.

Does Mr Silva know something that the IOF Mapping Commission doesn't know?

If you bought it from me in the last 10 years, it is a 6Jet.
The non-jet model has yellow on the needle and takes some time to settle.
The 6Jet's needle will barely budge when you quickly move you wrist.

Does anyone know what they use for the magnetic material? Is the 6jet a stronger/smaller magnet, or a better bearing/weight distrubution?

Or is it just difficult to get a yellow needle to settle because its jelly-colored?

The jet needle has a smaller, square magnet and there is a transparent round piece of plastic attached to the needle for better viscous damping as visible in bsach's photo. The scales switched after a few years (much easier to multiply by 1.5 than to divide, I guess).

So you definitely have the jet version, bsach and no, they are not perfectly stable but still one of the best compasses available. :)

graeme: educated engineering guess is that the Jet uses some kind of rare-earth magnet, the main advantage of which is that you can get the required field stregnth with a lower moment of inertia.

Why do all the rainbow colo(u)red dials/bezels have E and W switched? That would be a red flag for me. http://silva.se/

Maybe that's why they left them off on the wrist model.

That way the needle points toward the part of the bezel corresponding to the direction of travel.