Unscrew the screw which holds down the lighting housing. The lighting housing can be found on the side of the compass, toward the top of the metal compass housing. Look for the arched housing around the side of the glass dome. The light overlooks the glass dome which contains the compass. Find the screw connected to the lighting unit by looking directly down onto it and remove it. Place the screw and washer to one side.
Remove the bulb and socket assembly from the compasses housing. The socket is attached to a small wire. The assembly can be removed with a gentle pull on the Merkur VZF and VZ compasses, and on others must be unsnapped from the housing. Examine the connection to find out how to perform this action on your specific compass.
Take the bulb out of the socket and insert another one. Place the socket assembly back into the compass housing, and replace the screw to complete the bulb replacement.
Locate your lubber line. Lubber lines are used to point toward the direction you are traveling. If the lubber line is rotated to the back of the compass instead of the front, it should be corrected. This usually happens during transit.
Use the compass markings to identify a mark that is 45 degrees off from the lubber line. Imagine that this mark forms an axis which the compass can be rotated around. Turn the compass face down on this imaginary axis line. The compass will now be facing downward.
Determine a position which is at a 90-degree angle from the lubber line. This mark is to become your new axis line. Rotate the compass back around along this axis line. Check the lubber line again. It should have been corrected. If it hasn’t, repeat the process. It could take a few attempts to fix the issue.
