✔️ Brunton TruArc 20 Compass - Update

Looking for a good compass? Perhaps you should pass on this one! The Brunton TruArc 20 is a great hiking compass however mine had distorted markings causing inaccurate readings. Now Brunton has already let me know that they had a problem with the production run this compass came from which resulted in the markings on the ring becoming distorted.
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[@eddyaruda486]

Brunton had an issue with using imported parts for their compass. they now use American made parts and they are the only compass manufacturer that manufactures compasses in the USA with American manufactured parts. The Truarc 20 is, IMHO, the best compass for outdoor use in the world. Unless you are a Geologist or a professional requiring extreme accuracy there is nothing better. BTW, for professionals that need a transit compass, Brunton is the gold standard. In fact, a transit is often referred to as a Brunton. After all, Brunton invented the Transit.

[@shaunmorrissey7313]

Made in the USA is not regarded as a sign of quality, it's something to be avoided

[@eddyaruda486]

@@shaunmorrissey7313 Why?

[@TyJee28]

You seem to be demanding a degree of accuracy that just doesn't exist in practice. Lyle Brotherton writes in his book, The Ultimate Navigation Manual, that due to the sum of small errors : in taking the bearing from the map, setting it on the compass, adjusting for magnetic declination, compass accuracy (typically +/- 2 or 2.5 degrees, though a few are specified as .5 or 1 degrees of accuracy), natural drift left or right, accuracy of distance walked, etc. -- That your position will be somewhere with in +/- 5% of distance you think you have walked & +/- 5 degrees of an absolute accurate bearing. The Cammenga Lensatic compass is a fine compass, but the azimuth ring luminous line that you set at the point of the N arrow clicks in at 3 degree steps. You can even find online documents describing the trouble the military had teaching infantrymen to accurately make 90 degree turns when boxing around objects obstructing the path to their destination. If you want a compass with .5 degrees of accuracy get a Silva Expedition 54-360 compass ( you have to order them from Europe because the Silva company in Sweden can't legally market their compasses in USA or Canada { Silva USA / Johnson Outdoors owns copyright to the name since the two companies split & became separate companies in mid 1990s.) cost about $107 from Jackson-sports in Ireland, or the guy at map tools may still import them, though his price was higher. Or order a Francis Barker M-77 or M-88 from pyser-sgi in the UK, a highly refined compass, but they'll cost you the better part of $500. Or keep using your Brunton in the knowledge that the use of check points & aiming of technique were developed for a reason. To compensate for errors in reading, setting & walking a bearing accurately. The biggest problems I have with the predecessor model to the Truarc 20 and the Truarc 15 that I now have - is it would be easier to read the bearing without that annoying small lens, and you can't see through the compass housing when using the base plate as a map protractor. I do like the global needle & the claim that the Ever North magnet makes it less sensitive to outside magnetic interference decreasing the accuracy is an outstanding feature, one that may more than compensate for small inaccuracies in how the degree marks are printed on the bezel azimuth / bearing ring.

[@738polarbear]

He couldnt march to 1 deg of accuracy with ANY compass .

[@LetsGo_Brandon]

Come on bro, this is manufactured. The spacing of the marks should be accurate. It's not like tit's made by hand.

[@David-kg1hc]

I have a similar issue with my tru arc 7. The north and south lines dont match up either.

[@jehster]

I have a TruArc 20 and don't have any of those issues. I hope they replaced yours for you so you can have a better experience.

[@gingebrien2408]

Thanks for your review. It gives me pause.

[@phattdaddy2974]

Hum, I have had the Eclipse version for 15yrs,+/-, it rocks, no weird looking increments like you have.

[@ashleyrosser9979]

My hash marks are very straight and black, the problems with the compass from my point of view are that the hinge pins work their way out when you open it up to use the base plate, also reading the compass is difficult because of it's size despite the magnifying window and last but not least the leveling bubble isn't worth a damn as the needle touches the bottom of the housing when it's supposedly level. It is very accurate and the markings are in 1 degree increments not the usual 2 you find on other brands but it doesn't have any low light capability and no cardinal directions on the azimuth ring.

[@AlexAvet53]

That is made deliberately so your eye can memorize the points easily. It is not a defect but better then straight lines.

[@patricklozito7042]

I bought aTruArc20 and the degree marks looked like a 2 year old made them, THEN, the declination degree marks literally wiped of simply by handling the compass. I sent it back and Brunton sent me an other one. Same thing. This was in 2016. I hope they're better now but I bought a Suunto instead with a Global needle and it is like night and day and the needle works perfectly.

[@SnazzyZee]

I hope they fixed the markings for the bearing ... That is not acceptable for the price.

[@andyclark1173]

Wow. I can’t believe that passed the Quality control 😮

[@JRBrody]

the marks on my 20 are dead on. maybe you should have looked at another before wasting all these words...

[@flashmanv3260]

Chinese knock off or you got a bad production run. Contact Brunton, send them a photo, if it's a real Brunton they will replace, they have the best customer service.

[@factsNcomments-imho]

The marks he's taking about are blue in color on a real brunto. So it's possibly a fake he got sold.

[@stevek8829]

@@factsNcomments-imho the lines are black on my Truarc 20, right from Brunton.

[@zeros_knives_and_bushcraft.]

I think the issue is the magnafier distortion.

[@sieteasiete681]

No, because you can see that the lines aside from the magnifier also are not straight. However, problem seem to be fixed. I have that model and all lines are straight.

[@williamgray5017]

If I was going to complain about anything it would be not being able to see through the compass.

[@djmorra3926]

Hello I can see on your compass how the degree lines are crooked, and I understand about the offset. I'm always concerned about that. I have checked my TRUARC 20 with a 10 power magnifying glass and all my lines are straight. The quality control for this compass is lacking

[@ZimCoSurvival]

After reading you comment i went ahead and looked at my second one, all of the lines are cooked on both. I wonder if they found the problem and fixed it in their new production line. Now granted i bought these compasses about 6 months ago so it's entirely possible they fixed it. I'll grab another one in a month or two and take a look. If they did fix it I'll make a new update for it! Thanks for letting me know!

[@dacritter8397]

Or they made a bad batch. I bought mine in either latter half of 2015 or early 2016 (can't remember.. I bought 4-5 compasses at that time to mess with and can't remember the order of the purchases) so either about the same time or earlier than yours. The lines are symmetrical all the way around.

[@gurizeigerman3775]

That's actually not that big of a deal. In reality, the QC is crap. BUT, consumer compasses may have a 1 degree resolution but are really only accurate to maybe 2-3 degrees at most. A tiny slant on that line is not going to impact your distance. If you use the compass properly you're not going to wind up way off course. This isn't a surveying tool or a transit that is accurate to 1/2 degree.

[@Cooliemasteroz]

I bought a TruArc15 for my first compass 11 months ago and noticed that the mirror was pitted along the center line and while it looks terrible I didn't bother to claim warranty as its a hassle when you buy online and it shouldn't effect usability. Due to unusual circumstances I had no time to learn how to use it until today and I discovered that the clinometer pointer is missing. I'm really not happy about this as it's probably going to be difficult to make a claim since I've only noticed it now.

[@stevek8829]

They have a good warranty department. Reach out through their website and you'll soon receive a reply.

[@Cooliemasteroz]

@@stevek8829 I actually contacted the supplier that I bought it from who replaced it with no questions asked, unfortunately the replacement that they sent me is missing one of the luminous dots. At least I can use all functions but I have lost faith in the brand and if I had my time over again I would by the Suunto equivalent.

[@vm2463]

he wants to go 100 miles in straight line )

[@bmmcwhirt]

Did Brunton replace this? This is not true on the ones i have used and is obviously a manufacturing error. It shouldn't even matter how old it is they should replace this.

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+bmmcwhirt when Brunton was informed of the error they switched manufacturers however they would not replace mine :(

[@americangoombah4015]

suunto mc-2 is the goat of compasses.

[@brianmahogany3216]

Cammenga is

[@thorhilda]

You won't get lost because the markings a little bit off. Nobody takes a bearing and walks blindly in a straight line for 100 miles. That's totally unrealistic. Each time you find yourself in a precise spot on the map, all the accumulated errors are reset to zero. You are hiking, not travelling in empty space, without any reference around you for stretches of hundred miles. That said, poor workmanship doesn't inspire confidence. The impact is mainly psychological but, just like you, because that detail would nag me everytime I would pick up that compass, I would replace it as soon as possible, most likely with a model from a brand that I can trust more. Thank you for your honesty and integrity. And, don't worry so much about trying to convince every commenter. You'll never please every viewer, especially those who swear only by one brand of product. Brunton makes excellent geological compasses, but for hikers, some of their models are misses and don't carry on their reputation of excellence they earn with the Pocket Transit line of precision instruments. Have fun outdoors. That's all that counts.

[@deewells1965]

Consider Cammenga or some other military issue compass with 6400 mil scale. Or maybe structural geology compass.

[@paganphil100]

Yes....definitely the best. cammenga.com/product/compasses/tritium-compass-3h/

[@738polarbear]

@@paganphil100 Forgetting th Francis Barker aren't we?

[@altexlan415]

Compass are old way n trouble some. now I used handheld map GPS or my hand phone it is so easy.

[@brianspendlove430]

So true. But I'd never head out on a serious trek without a compass and map.

[@prereitz]

Mine is a real yours is a knock off I compared mine to yours, I purchased mine from brunton website.

[@ZimCoSurvival]

How many times do I have to say this. I contacted brunton. Brunton said it was real. I purchased mine in a brick and mortar store from a brunton certified dealer. Brunton stated and I quote *the lot your compass came from has a known defect where the athsmith rings slipped during printing, this resulted in blurry and or distorted markings, please provide us with your address and we will send a new ring with instructions on how to install it* FYI even brunton can make mistakes. Not every product with a flaw is automatically a knockoff...

[@WilliamKister]

It's a $40 compass. The tick marks are under a magnifier. To get the precision your asking, you'll need to get a pocket transit or something. Most other compasses in the same price range only have 2 degree variances between tick marks. It's a plastic sighting compass, it's not going to be super precise. Go to a metal body of you want precision.

[@honkybear666]

Just watching the action of the compass. It looks fake. I’m sorry I’m going to have to agree with some of the others comments.

[@davidaylsworth8964]

Anyone, and I do mean ANYONE who shoots only one bearing in a 100 mile trek is begging to get lost. Land navigation does not start and end with one piece of gear, but instead it uses that piece of gear, plus references on the land to get to a destination. This is a consumer not a professional compass so there will be some manufacturing variances within it. I've been using a Brunton 8099 compass for about 25 years and I've never gotten lost with it yet. It possesses many of the same defects that you point out in your video, however that compass in addition to maps and references on the land to be able to navigate to my final destination.

[@colvindl1]

Pimco. Why is this video still up?! Fortunately, I read through the chain of comments to see the explanation and how Brunton handled your issue. Another commenter strongly urged you 2 years ago to update this content. Paraphrasing your reply, you meant to, but you hadn't had time. It is irresponsible of you as a presenting platform, and unfair to Brunton for this video to remain up. You should be ashamed.

[@ravenhhca]

Send it back

[@ZimCoSurvival]

Thanks for watching! Remember to hit LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Don't forget to check the description for an amazon link to this product and links to more of our videos!

[@mikemcchesney3141]

I don't know where you bought yours, but my (3) TruArc20s have blue bearing markers that are laser straight on all three. YOU need to contact Brunton. I bought mine when the 20 first came out. If you didn't buy yours from Brunton, looks like you got an Alibaba Brunton Knockoff. I see it all the time with metal detectors. People buy one on ebay really cheap, and then they trash it online. We then find out its a knock-off. I don't know if that is the case here, but I contacted Brunton and sent them the link to your video. See what happens.

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+Mike McChesney the new batch of the truarc 20 line have repaired the problem, and I purchased the compass at sportsman's warehouse who is an official brunton dealer. So I know this compass was made by brunton. After contacting them several months ago about a replacement I was told that I had waited to long and would have to BUY a new compass. So I did, I bought a Suunto MC2 - Global.

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+Mike McChesney if they would like to replace it, I would be happy to update my video :)

[@mikemcchesney3141]

Thanks for the reply. Like I said, I bought all three of mine when the 20 first came out. My hashes are arrow straight, and in blue not black. No telling what may have happened with their production. May have started with one maker, switched to a cheaper maker, then switched back. Can't say. I am also interested in Brunton's Response. As an aside, go ahead and use the lanyard bar as intended. I am a 14 year combat vet Army Ranger, and I am not easy on ANY of my field equipment (thats why I buy three matching compasses at the same time). I actually like the 20 as well or better than my old Cammengas (never thought that would happen). Best of luck! ALSO: If you go to Brunton's Website and go to the TruArc20 Page, look at the video. It shows a close-up of the hashes, and they are blue and straight like mine. Oh yeah, I don't work for Brunton, I don't get ANY form of remuneration from them, and I don't sell Brunton anything. I just use them. My disclaimer. HAHAHA

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+Mike McChesney I did like the 20 and was quite happy with it until I was able to compare my compass with another from one of my friends. He noticed the hash tags were crooked and pointed it out to me so we compared different bearings and noticed that my compass would be off anywhere from 2 to 5 degrees thanks to the miss spaced hashes. Your probably right about them switching to a new manufacturer and then switching back. Unfortunately when I called brunton I was not treated well and told to just buy a new one. Considering I've already purchased 2 so far and bothe have the same problem I'm in no rush to blow another $50 on a compass that should have been made properly the first time lol :)

[@mikemcchesney3141]

Completely understand. As good as Gartmin is, I got turned off by their Customer Relations when I had an issue with an old GPSMap62. Been with Magellan ever since. Still no issues. My old Explorist 500LE still works like a champ, but no mapping software works since MS Vista. HAHAHA Had to get a new one. I always warn everybody about relying on Digital GPS. When working, it is awesome. Over 120 or so degrees, crystals in the screen don't form properly, and your screen looks like a bruise. Not much good then.

[@David-kg1hc]

And yea every line on your compass is squiggly thats rediculous and would drive me crazy too haha

[@arupian666]

wow, that's really shoddy finishing

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+arupian666 I agree! Even a $10 compass at least has straight lines lol. I looked at the truarc 15 and it has the same issues. I would venture to guess that they used the same graphics for the entire truarc line

[@trashdumpster]

OMG! Get over it, it is not a real Brunton, you have been had!!!!

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+Trash Dumpster I will say this again.... I contacted brunton, they confirmed that it is real and the azimuth ring slipped in printing. They sent a new ring and it works now. Perhaps you should read comments for updates before commenting.

[@trashdumpster]

ZimCo Survival Maybe you should update the video since they made it right. Brunton is an outstanding compass and your video is misleading and now in error.

[@ZimCoSurvival]

+Trash Dumpster I will be updating soon but as of now have not had time

[@mxecho]

learn about gauge parallax