Compass Reading

[+Oatway]

I'm fairly new to geocaching (found my first cache yesterday). I'm going for a cache today that has the following in the write-up: "from the waypoint...the cache is 21.6 meters distant, on a bearing of 96 degrees magnetic"

 

My question is this: my compass calls north 0, east 90, south 180, and west 270. Is this a standard thing with all compasses (or navigating in general), meaning that a bearing of 96 degrees would be roughly east (or more accurately, just slightly south of east)?

 

Just wanted to check before I head out, so I'm not walking a circle with a diameter of 43.2m untill I find the cache!

 

Thanks.

[+shawhh]

you are correct. there are 360 degrees in a circle and all compasses (unless they are divided into mils, don't worry about it) use this layout. for more information on using a compass, there are several old threads here that explore the topic, and i can certainly recommend becoming expert with map and compass by bjorn kjellstrom as an excellent reference. there are numerous other books on the subject as well as a number of online tutorials (see the usof webpage, look under education). good luck. -harry

[+Oatway]

Just didn't know if other compasses might increase counter-clockwise, or have a different direction as 0 degrees (We use east as 0, and increase counter-clockwise when drawing using AutoCAD at work) Good to know it's a standard thing.

 

Thanks!

[+zoltig]

Tahosa is a geocacher that is well versed in compass and map reading. In fact he uses that in quite a few of his caches. Use the link I provided and email him with questions. He can probably supply you with plenty of web links to help you out.

[Tahosa and Sons]

0 & 360 are the one and same and go from there and you will have it figured out.

Learning how to read maps is more important that using a compass. Ane here are a few links for you:

http://www.pubplan.nau.edu/courses/alew/pl...urvey/index.htm

http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/n...coordsys_f.html

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/seg/gmag/fldsnth1.pl

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass.shtml

http://www.edu-observatory.org/gps/gps.html

 

And the following link is my favorite for Land Navigation:

http://members.impulse.net/~mlynch/trg_nav.html

 

http://www.trailsillustrated.com/skills/glossary.cfm

http://topomaps.usgs.gov/

[+edscott]

I'm fairly new to geocaching (found my first cache yesterday). I'm going for a cache today that has the following in the write-up: "from the waypoint...the cache is 21.6 meters distant, on a bearing of 96 degrees magnetic"

 

My question is this: my compass calls north 0, east 90, south 180, and west 270. Is this a standard thing with all compasses (or navigating in general), meaning that a bearing of 96 degrees would be roughly east (or more accurately, just slightly south of east)?

 

Just wanted to check before I head out, so I'm not walking a circle with a diameter of 43.2m untill I find the cache!

 

Thanks.

Yes as long as the degrees are specified as magnetic you can just use the numbers around the housing of a standard compass. If the degrees are in relation to true north then you will need to add an understanding of declination to your toolbox. Declination changes with your position in a relatively predictable pattern. USGS maps have the data in the margin and it is generally accurate enough unless specific anomalies exist like magnitite outcroppings or the like.

[+Westerner]

Oatway - Given that the bearing and distance to the cache from a waypoint are what you have for your quest you might want to simply project a waypoint in your gps and not worry about the compass too much on this particular cache.