Posted 3 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
There was a time, sorta 1970's or before anyway, when the various gauges and indicators provided on the dash of any typical automobile did NOT include the now nearly ubiquitous 'digital clock and compass'. Car clocks were found sometimes, but usually only in luxury cars and they didn't tend to last a long time -- if you wanted a compass, for the most part you just got something like this 'aftermarket'. Looks like this one never got installed.
Made by AIRGUIDE, a popular maker of such instruments, the box identifies it as a "NOMAD NO. 79 DELUXE". The instructions for mounting and calibrating it are still in the box with it, plus (what's left of) a small RAY-O-VAC battery meant to fit inside its base and power the pushbutton inner light.
For those unfamiliar with these, the black 'indicator scale' inside its clear top dome is suspended and 'floating' in a liquid within, and turns around freely according to magnetic north just like any other typical compass needle would. The instructions caution to carefully choose a mounting location to *avoid* metallic portions of the car's dashboard and even types of batteries with metal casings, such could interfere with its directional reading -- most commonly they would work well when attached (bracket included with unused self-stick pad) to the inside of the vehicle's glass windshield.