The compact Precision Navigation Corsa X473 digital compass fits nicely in the palm of your hand and is a great tool for hikes or orienteering adventures. It features four modes--basic compass, clock, timer, and directional bearing. It's also a great addition to your GPS unit, since it will provide directional information when you're in places that make GPS signals go fuzzy, like by trees or tall buildings, or if you're in a canyon.
Switching between the four modes and making settings changes are performed via the Corsa X473's two buttons--the device's only controls. It will return to clock mode when the compass mode times out, which is set at a default 5 minutes. You can change the settings to up to 90 minutes, or turn off this feature so that it never times out.
Before using the Corsa X473 for the first time, you'll need to calibrate it. Calibration allows the device to separate the earth's magnetic field from the magnetic fields generated by external influences, such as gear you may be carrying, and thereby provide accurate heading information. Calibrating is a rather simple procedure, requiring you to slowly turn yourself around twice as you hold the compass.
You can choose from two pointing methods: directional arrow and north-pointing arrow. The directional arrow points to the direction you are heading, while the north-pointing arrow will always point to the north as on a mechanical compass. (With both orientations, North is always at the top of the display.) A magnetic-distortion flag will alert you should any external magnetic interference compromise the compass heading accuracy.
The Corsa X473's bearing mode enables you to store a directional bearing into the compass memory. A flashing arrow on the compass rose points to the stored bearing direction while a solid arrow denotes either the directional or north-pointing arrow (depending upon the orientation you choose).
The timer has very basic functionality, featuring pause and restart from the pause point, reset to zero, and a maximum measurement of 99 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.
The Corsa X473 is a rugged device; it's able to sustain drops to the ground and is resistant to water up to 10 feet deep. It also features ruler markings on its back (both inches and centimeters) for measuring map distances, and an average 500-hour battery life using one lithium battery. To change the battery, you'll need to remove the back with a small Phillips screwdriver.
It comes with a one-year limited warranty and includes the lithium battery already installed in the device.