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Author Topic:   Ritchie compass repair

Smallfrye posted 05-30-2013 03:50 PM ET (US)
My current project came with a Ritchie Helmsman HF73 compass with no fluid in the dome. Can anyone recommend if these are worth repairing? Any references to provide this service?
Thx
Jim
Tom W Clark posted 05-30-2013 05:26 PM ET (US)
Send it in to Ritchie; they do excellent repairs.
Smallfrye posted 05-30-2013 07:57 PM ET (US)
Tom, any idea of the charge to refurb? these are not expensive, so may be cheaper to replace?????
contender posted 05-30-2013 10:10 PM ET (US)
Small: I think you would be better off purchasing something new, by the time you pay shipping (both ways) and repair, for a couple of dollars more you could get a new one. A compass is something you should not be cheap on. Ask Richie if they will give you anything for your old one toward a new compass...Good luck
6992WHALER posted 05-31-2013 12:52 AM ET (US)
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/019990.html
I would fix it myself. Just make sure you order a new O ring.
I just checked mine it still looks good but has lost some more fluid due to my not replacing the O ring.
6992WHALER posted 05-31-2013 12:52 AM ET (US)
Fix it yourself that is.
Smallfrye posted 05-31-2013 09:44 AM ET (US)
Here is the reply from Ritchie and as I though, higher cost to repair than the value of an old compass.
I found several of the same model on ebay in the >$50 range. Waiting on the auctions to end....

What we do at our factory is recondition the compass. We repair it to like new condition with a one year warranty. We have fixed pricing to do so.
An old style HF-73 is $109.00. The price includes FedEx ground return shipping in the continental United States.

If you decide to send it to us, our address is Ritchie ATTN: Service 243 Oak St. P.O. Box 548 Pembroke, MA 02359.
Please enclose a note with your contact information. Once we have evaluated the compass we will contact you for a MC or Visa before we repair.
Avg. time in shop this time of yr. is 2 weeks.
frontier posted 05-31-2013 04:12 PM ET (US)
$109.00 for a factory 'new condition' repair with 1 year warranty sounds like a very good deal.
Ritchie has excellent customer service and people that know what they're doing.
A new Helmsman like yours ( I think the new model number is HF-743) would be around $200.00.
Hoosier posted 06-01-2013 09:35 PM ET (US)
The subject of what to fill a compass with has been brought up before. Mineral spirits work and you can get it at any paint dept. In doing my own compasses I found that mineral spirits is not viscous enough to damp the motion of the card in any choppy sea. I found some old discussions on the web that said to use mineral oil, the stuff you can get at the pharmacy section of any store. The oil stays liquid at all practical temperatures, is totally clear, and is viscous. I've got three Richie compasses with mineral oil in them and they work great, I particularly like that the card doesn't bounce all over the place.
Re: "getting the last bubble out", what I did was fill it as much as I could then pressed on the extansion diaphram to expell that last bubble and sealed it while still under pressure. Cold fluid will help too.
RevengeFamily posted 06-11-2013 10:07 PM ET (US)
I just shipped my HF73 back to Ritchie yesterday for a reconditioning. It came with my 1999 280 Conquest.
Will let everyone know turn around time, final cost and how it looks when I receive it.
Norm
L H G posted 06-12-2013 12:35 AM ET (US)
I had a Ritchie Navigator that was losing fluid, a $250 compass.
I called Ritchie and they said to send it in, and for $125 they would repair it. Then the person told me they don't actually repair any compasses. They simply send out a brand new one and charge half the price of a new one for the "repair". That's what I received a few days later.
I think it's a good deal.
rivarat posted 06-12-2013 07:49 AM ET (US)
I can vouch for the great service at Ritchie,first the tech support on the phone was excellent, then when it was decided to 'refurb' my ailing Navigator they did a great job as the one that returned looked new (I'm sure it was!)
Good service and support like this is hard to find these days and deserves recognition!

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Author	Topic: Ritchie compass repair
Smallfrye	posted 05-30-2013 03:50 PM ET (US) My current project came with a Ritchie Helmsman HF73 compass with no fluid in the dome. Can anyone recommend if these are worth repairing? Any references to provide this service? Thx Jim
Tom W Clark	posted 05-30-2013 05:26 PM ET (US) Send it in to Ritchie; they do excellent repairs.
Smallfrye	posted 05-30-2013 07:57 PM ET (US) Tom, any idea of the charge to refurb? these are not expensive, so may be cheaper to replace?????
contender	posted 05-30-2013 10:10 PM ET (US) Small: I think you would be better off purchasing something new, by the time you pay shipping (both ways) and repair, for a couple of dollars more you could get a new one. A compass is something you should not be cheap on. Ask Richie if they will give you anything for your old one toward a new compass...Good luck
6992WHALER	posted 05-31-2013 12:52 AM ET (US) http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/019990.html I would fix it myself. Just make sure you order a new O ring. I just checked mine it still looks good but has lost some more fluid due to my not replacing the O ring.
6992WHALER	posted 05-31-2013 12:52 AM ET (US) Fix it yourself that is.
Smallfrye	posted 05-31-2013 09:44 AM ET (US) Here is the reply from Ritchie and as I though, higher cost to repair than the value of an old compass. I found several of the same model on ebay in the >$50 range. Waiting on the auctions to end.... What we do at our factory is recondition the compass. We repair it to like new condition with a one year warranty. We have fixed pricing to do so. An old style HF-73 is $109.00. The price includes FedEx ground return shipping in the continental United States. If you decide to send it to us, our address is Ritchie ATTN: Service 243 Oak St. P.O. Box 548 Pembroke, MA 02359. Please enclose a note with your contact information. Once we have evaluated the compass we will contact you for a MC or Visa before we repair. Avg. time in shop this time of yr. is 2 weeks.
frontier	posted 05-31-2013 04:12 PM ET (US) $109.00 for a factory 'new condition' repair with 1 year warranty sounds like a very good deal. Ritchie has excellent customer service and people that know what they're doing. A new Helmsman like yours ( I think the new model number is HF-743) would be around $200.00.
Hoosier	posted 06-01-2013 09:35 PM ET (US) The subject of what to fill a compass with has been brought up before. Mineral spirits work and you can get it at any paint dept. In doing my own compasses I found that mineral spirits is not viscous enough to damp the motion of the card in any choppy sea. I found some old discussions on the web that said to use mineral oil, the stuff you can get at the pharmacy section of any store. The oil stays liquid at all practical temperatures, is totally clear, and is viscous. I've got three Richie compasses with mineral oil in them and they work great, I particularly like that the card doesn't bounce all over the place. Re: "getting the last bubble out", what I did was fill it as much as I could then pressed on the extansion diaphram to expell that last bubble and sealed it while still under pressure. Cold fluid will help too.
RevengeFamily	posted 06-11-2013 10:07 PM ET (US) I just shipped my HF73 back to Ritchie yesterday for a reconditioning. It came with my 1999 280 Conquest. Will let everyone know turn around time, final cost and how it looks when I receive it. Norm
L H G	posted 06-12-2013 12:35 AM ET (US) I had a Ritchie Navigator that was losing fluid, a $250 compass. I called Ritchie and they said to send it in, and for $125 they would repair it. Then the person told me they don't actually repair any compasses. They simply send out a brand new one and charge half the price of a new one for the "repair". That's what I received a few days later. I think it's a good deal.
rivarat	posted 06-12-2013 07:49 AM ET (US) I can vouch for the great service at Ritchie,first the tech support on the phone was excellent, then when it was decided to 'refurb' my ailing Navigator they did a great job as the one that returned looked new (I'm sure it was!) Good service and support like this is hard to find these days and deserves recognition!