Suunto D9 Compass

[diveat5]

I love my Suunto D9 but I wish there was a way to keep it on the compass with out it timing out and going back to dive mode when I still need to use the compass. Does anyone know if there is a way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[j2s]

I have a D9 also [like Suunto products but not the wrist straps or the parent company Aqualung]...I looked into it, e-mailed Suunto, they said no and no one has come up w/a 'hack' to do that.....Just wear a regular compass and don't even use the the Suunto one....It'll save battery life...Every one I know ends up going back to wearing a compass because of the battery life.......One of those things that sounded good on paper but wasn't...........Maybe some day when batteries are longer lasting and they make the time-duration user adjustable it'll be more user friendly....But then having a backup is always a good idea.......

 

[diveat5]

Thanks for the reply! I suspected as much but wanted to be sure. Still a great computer, really happy with it. I guess I will buy a Suunto Sk7 for Nav work. Thanks again.

 

[Hatul]

I'm with j2s. I use the Galileo Sol which has a compass and can even stay in compass mode, but then it takes up real estate in the computer display, and has other issues that digital compasses have.

So I use a Suunto SK7 compass on my left wrist, and as j2s pointed out is always there. I've even hacked a bungee mount that is rotated by 30 degrees so I don't have to hold my elbow at right angle to point the lubber line forward.

The digital compass is my backup.

 

[ScubaERDoc]

How did you hack the bungee mount to do this? I have bad shoulders and the 90 degree thing is pretty hard for me...the only thing keeping me from a wrist compass. I assume it's the DSS mount right?

 

[Hatul]

How did you hack the bungee mount to do this? I have bad shoulders and the 90 degree thing is pretty hard for me...the only thing keeping me from a wrist compass. I assume it's the DSS mount right?

I put it in a DSS mount first. Then I struggled with it by threading the bungee asymmetrically to provide some rotation to the compass, but it was not enough.

Then I read about some using a cut PVC pipe and putting the compass on top of the pipe, and this gave me an easier idea. I took an empty plastic bottle made of strong plastic-- an empty isopropol alcohol bottle, and cut out a piece of plastic just larger than the bottom of the DSS mount. It was easy to cut this with scissors, and I drilled holes in the plastic for bungee cord. This piece of plastic would sit square on my wrist.

Then I placed the DSS mount on top of the plastic rotated by 30 degrees and drilled holes in the plastic to match with the holes of the DSS mount. DSS mount sits on top of the plastic secured with zip ties.

I'll take some photos to clarify this. Notice that I've set the compass rotated 30 degress. The lubber line points straight when the elbow is bent 90+30=120 degrees, which is much more comfortable than right angle.

Adam

 

[ScubaERDoc]

Wow! That is very resourceful. Looks like a very easy low-tech solution. Thanks for the awesome pictures, I am gonna try the same thing

 

[Hatul]

Wow! That is very resourceful. Looks like a very easy low-tech solution. Thanks for the awesome pictures, I am gonna try the same thing

Thanks. Let me know how yours works out.

I had one more problem with the DSS mount that's unrelated to this. The compass is kept from rotating in the mount by having a little dimple in the compass sit inside a notch in the DSS mount. At times when I turned the bezel underwater the compass would jump out of the notch and the whole compass with the lubber line would turn.

I finally solved this problem by gluing the compass in the DSS mount with silicone glue and letting it fully cure for 48 hours. It's been in there solid since.