How to Read a Engineer Directional Compass
How to Read a Compass
By Filip Tkaczyk
Understanding how to read a compass properly is a vital outdoor skill. Using a compass is a key mode to help y'all determine your location and direction of travel. Information technology is too important to empathise what a compass does and what it does non practise.
How to Read a Compass:
Compass Parts
Though in that location are many types of compasses on the market place, here are some primary components that are part of well-nigh compasses:
The Compass Body or Housing: This houses the movable parts of the compass.
Management-of-travel Arrow: An arrow painted on outside the compass that you tin can employ to aid in directional travel.
Orienting Arrow: A fixed arrow usually painted underneath the movable parts of the compass.
Compass Needle: The movable function of the compass that follows the globe'southward magnetic pull.
True North versus Magnetic Northward
There are ii types of North, and understanding this is vital in knowing how to read a compass. True North is located at the Due north Pole, which is the point in the Chill Body of water around which the world rotates. The Magnetic North, however, is located in a different location, in northern Canada. This location actually changes with fourth dimension. The world is covered in magnetic lines that come out of the Magnetic Southward, encompass the planet, and converge over again at the Magnetic N. To understand Magnetic N, you lot need to understand that those lines are more often than not non straight, and in some parts of the state they point pretty far from True N. That variance betwixt the Truthful North and Magnetic North is called magnetic variation or declination.
When you lot are learning how to read a compass, y'all must take this variance into account. This variance is given as a number in units of degrees, based on the 360 degrees in a circle. Depending on where in the northern hemisphere you alive, this number might exist east or west of True North. Many modernistic compasses take numbers printed on them for ease of reading. Modernistic topographic maps include the declination number on them. You tin also visit NOAA's Geophysical Data Center online to acquire what the declination is for your area.
Find out what declination is for your surface area and continue this number with yous. You might even want to write a note on a piece of paper and get out it within your compass container or write it directly on your compass. Call up to bank check it at to the lowest degree every few years, equally it can change with time.
Using a Compass in the Field
Look carefully at your compass, and make certain there are no metal or magnetic objects near it when you lot do (they can skew your compass readings). Place the compass so that Northward is at the acme of the circle. Now use the numbers of declination and rotate the compass slowly until y'all are the correct number of degrees away from the magnetic N to bespeak to True Northward. Remember that North on a map is calibrated to Truthful N. So when using your compass along with a map, remember to adjust for the declination or difference.
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Taking a Compass Begetting
Ane mode to assistance you learn how to read a compass is to play a simple game of taking compass bearings of objects in your surrounding expanse. A compass bearing is the number of degrees between an object and the north on your compass. Effort this by standing with your compass in your palm at most waist meridian. At present, indicate the fixed direction-of-travel arrow at an object or landmark. Then, twist the compass housing then the compass needle lies correct over the orienting arrow. Make sure that the compass needle is pointing North at the elevation of the housing. Finally, read the number on the rim of the compass. That is the bearing of the landmark – the number of degrees it is from Magnetic North.
For more exercise or assistance in learning how to read a compass, y'all can check out a navigation book from the library or visit with a local orienteering society.
Related Courses
Wilderness Survival Courses at Alderleaf
The Alderleaf Wilderness Certification Program
About the Writer: Filip Tkaczyk is a periodic guest teacher at Alderleaf. He as well wrote the field guideTracks & Sign of Reptiles & Amphibians. Learn more than nigh Filip Tkaczyk.
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