Compass Balancing and Magnetic Needle Balance Zones

The vertical intensity and direction of the earth's magnetic field, called inclination, influences the horizontal plane of a compass needle according to the latitude where it is used. Due to inclination, compasses must be balanced for different geographical zones in order to keep the needle in a horizontal position.

Until recently all compass manufacturers used 5 'Balancing Zones' to ensure your compass was accurate at it's inteded destination. As people travelled more widely there became an increasing need to own several compasses to ensure accuracy.
Suunto now use a Two Zone System where there are only two balance zones to consider in compass use - the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. In practice, this means that a Suunto compass designed for the northern hemisphere will still work for a fair distance into the southern hemisphere, and vice-versa. Currently, Suunto is one of only two compass manufacturers to offer two-zone compasses. Suunto also makes globally balanced compasses, which can be used accurately all over the world.

Suunto 2 Balance Zones World Map	Old 5 Balance Zone World Map

All the compasses Facewest sell are either Zone 1 (northern hemisphere) or Global.