A good one to read about a compass

[qmaster023]

Last night i went to Gander mountain to buy a compass for the boat. I do not need or want one because the area i run is a river. However the boat i am building has holes in the dash where the old one is and it looked bad. so i thought i might as well put a new one on just to dress the dash back up. i buy a new compass in the package and bring it home. open the package to find a compass, three screws to screw down and a tiny screw driver. the little screw driver does not fit the screws to put on the boat. so i read the directions. on the side there is adjust screw to adjust the north south and the east west. it says in the directions. drive your boat true north. then use the adjust screw to adjust the compass if the pointer is not at true north then drive your boat true west and adjust your compass to true west. this will set up your new compass. now how the hell do you drive a boat true north unless you already have a compass or a gps. now isn't that the most stupid thing you ever heard. you need to buy a compass to set your new compass. i started laughing so hard. is that the most stupid thing you have ever heard. has anyone else ever had to do this??? i guess i didn't learn enough in Boy Scouts.

[JR IN JAX]

You can use a map to find a point between a landmark and an another point to find true north, then you need to find a Pilot's Sectional map that shows the isogonic lines so you can adjust the reading. The deviation is also effected by ferrous material in the boat.

[Riverratt]

You don't need a compass. You have enough people like me that are more than happy to tell you where to go.:cheers:

[Riverman]

All compass installations have to be swung, it's a fact of life. In Boy Scouts you didn't have a steel crankshat and connecting rods right behind you.

The supplied screwdriver is non-ferrous so as to not affect the compass during adjustment.

[rock]

Dude!!!! Just drive AWAY from the banjo music. That will be due north.
Rock

[Lost In Space]

Just point it towards Canada, Eh...

[JR IN JAX]

I forgot to mention, you need a Current Sectional map due to the unbelieveable fact that the Isogonic lines change over time and the maps have to be updated. Just remember the old saying on setting deviation, "East is least [-]and West is best [+]".

[CDave]

Just get a small stick magnet and put it on something that floats. Like a piece of styrofoam, then put it in a container of water, like a tupperwear container. It'll point north.
Or you could put something else in the hole, like a custom holder for a GPS. You don't have to calibrate a GPS. :D

[specboatops]

I forgot to mention, you need a Current Sectional map due to the unbelieveable fact that the Isogonic lines change over time and the maps have to be updated. Just remember the old saying on setting deviation, "East is least [-]and West is best [+]".

What he said. Just get a chart of a local boating area, go to the compass rose on the chart, there you will find variation and deveation for your specific area. Remember magnetic north is different than true north.

Chris

[wizbang 13]

First the compass is zero'd in. Take it to a field away from ferrous metal. Turn it to read 000, then look behind you 180, then point the compass at that mark. Does it read 180? probably not. Jiggle the little screws.. Now do the same for 90, then over again for 270. Keep doing this jig until the error is minimized. The error that remains is variation, which changes over time and geographically. When it goes on the boat you do the same dance but don't adjust the screws, chart the error. That chart is deviation,the error caused by ferrous (feroucious) metal on the boat. You don't need a chart or map to do this.A gps will not tell you north or south if you are sitting still.

[qmaster023]

my gps on page 3 has a compass setting. if you spin in a circle the line will move till it points to north.

[flabum1017]

Um, you said you don't need it other than for looks so what's the point? just set it to point towards the nearest tavern :cheers:

[John S]

Um, you said you don't need it other than for looks so what's the point? just set it to point towards the nearest tavern :cheers:

I second that notion!:cheers:

[WR_Merc]

Compass! crap whats next Charts? the pages might wet at Raystown:eek:
I agree with Ralph, and for the holes put a picture of our boats over them

[Li'l Toy]

Just an interesting facet of navigation that is probably mostly outdated. I have known since I was a little kid that the yacht people around here had to have their compass calibrated. Around here there was a big boat called "Compass Rose" and you hired her to take you to some flat water, tie along side, and set your compass. I imagine you had to do it every so often if you really needed that compass to navigate.

Nowdays you don't--you and I have the river bank (except when it is pouring and Charlie steers by GPS), the offshore guys had Loran and now GPS. And so long as you aren't in the middle of the Atlantic, I expect that an uncalibrated compass could still get you to shore if the GPS dies.

[JR IN JAX]

The Whitehouse Muslim Kenyan might decide to give the Star program out of "Goodwill" to Russia or Iran which would allow the shutdown of the GPS system.

The Clinton Amin let the Star Program be stored on an unsecured server at a Consulting firm in Canada where "somebody" downloaded it. Hopefully they made changes since then.

[specboatops]

The Whitehouse Muslim Kenyan might decide to give the Star program out of "Goodwill" to Russia or Iran which would allow the shutdown of the GPS system.

The Clinton Amin let the Star Program be stored on an unsecured server at a Consulting firm in Canada where "somebody" downloaded it. Hopefully they made changes since then.

..............and if you've ever noticed since 9-11 Our government has "modified" the GPS "civilian purchased' system.......never intended to have it used against us........speeds are close BUT setting wave points is not as accurate as it use to be. Military models are fine.

Chris

[Forkin' Crazy]

My hand held is pretty close. Definitely close enough for a hand grenade. ;)

We use to check for deviation on airplanes. But they had a compass rose down the ramp.