Brunton, Inc.
By 1965, William Ainsworth Inc. was owned by a series of corporate conglomerates, and product quality varied as the company changed hands repeatedly.
Initially, Brunton sold Silva of Sweden compasses and GPS devices imported from Sweden under the Elite Pro Elite, Nexus, and MNS labels (Johnson Outdoors retained the exclusive rights to the Silva brand name in North America).
In 1970, the company introduced the Brunton Cadet, a simplified evolution of the Pocket Transit incorporating a compass and clinometer, intended for use in training students in the fields of geology, forestry, mining, and surveying.
[11] Over the next ten years, Brunton would introduce a full range of map or baseplate compasses based on a liquid-filled vial with no-tools adjustment for magnetic declination.
The Model 9030 Trailbuster was intended to replicate the popular Boy Scout Trailblazer pocket compass discontinued by Taylor Instrument Co.
The 9030 omitted the usual acrylic baseplate in order to minimize bulk (it weighed only 1 ounce), yet could still be adjusted to hold a set course or take bearings from a map.
In 1991, the U.S. military purchased a number of Brunton Model 8010 Smoke Chaser compasses originally produced for U.S. Forest Service fire-fighting crews.
The 25TDCL and 25TDCLE Pro Elite aka Nexus Type 225 compasses remain, technologically speaking, the high-water mark of the Silva of Sweden 'Ranger' design.
[13] Storing up to 10 bearings in its memory, the Outback also featured a night navigation mode with illuminated arrows to warn the user if he walked off-course.
The Outback was criticized for poor rain resistance and short overall battery life, and was eventually replaced by the Brunton Nomad electronic compass, which was produced in two versions.
[14] In 1998, Brunton introduced its Eclipse range of imported liquid-filled baseplate compasses featuring low-profile vials, a magnified readout in 1-degree increments, and an unconventional, patented circle-over-circle magnetized disk in place of a traditional pointed needle, set into an extremely shallow liquid-filled capsule.
[17] The shallow capsule depth also limited the compass' ability to point accurately to north in varying magnetic zones.
compasses featured double-thickness acrylic baseplates, a large liquid-filled capsule and a circle-over-circle north indicator.
[20] The current TruArc baseplate compass line uses rare-earth magnets to stabilize the north indicator needle.
The Axis Pocket Transit offered for the first time simultaneous measurements of strike, dip, trend, and plunge in a variety of configurations.
The Axis Pocket Transit features an unconventional lid design that swings a full 360 degrees in both directions and two axes that allow precise measurement of vertical and horizontal angles on all configurations of bedding surfaces.
[22] Products with better battery life and improved scrolling menu displays kep the MNS from gaining significant market share.
[23] In 1992, Brunton introduced a line of binoculars and other optical equipment aimed at the hunting and outdoor recreation market.
