This Ritchie (Danforth) 5" Constellation was sent to Viking for refurbishing about two years ago. Viking replaces the card, lens, diaphragm and fluid for about $250. Recently it developed this bubble.
I have a hunch there's a leak in the diaphragm. But in the meantime, it's a five-minute job to remove the bubble by adding fluid. Good idea to put the compass and fluid in the fridge overnight for max density.
What fluid? C'mon! Ritchie Compass Fluid. Why guess?
I happened to have an epoxy syringe, but a turkey baster works too.
It takes a few tries "burping" the dome before all the bubbles are out.
The key to a full dome is the diaphragm, which expands and contracts as temperature changes. Rubber gets old, so periodic replacement is necessary. That's easy: http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?122-Ritchie-Diaphragm-Replacement
We'll see how long this one stays full.
I have a hunch there's a leak in the diaphragm. But in the meantime, it's a five-minute job to remove the bubble by adding fluid. Good idea to put the compass and fluid in the fridge overnight for max density.
What fluid? C'mon! Ritchie Compass Fluid. Why guess?
I happened to have an epoxy syringe, but a turkey baster works too.
It takes a few tries "burping" the dome before all the bubbles are out.
The key to a full dome is the diaphragm, which expands and contracts as temperature changes. Rubber gets old, so periodic replacement is necessary. That's easy: http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?122-Ritchie-Diaphragm-Replacement
We'll see how long this one stays full.
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