Bearings

[Double-dbs]

I hate to show my ignorance, but I am wanting to find a cache near me, and the description tells me that after I find the spot used for the coordinates, that I must then go X number of feet, on a bearing of 050 to find the cache. I have no idea what this means, or how to do it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[+pcunningham]

Once you get to the spot, take out your magnetic compass, rotate it until the red north needle is centered inside the red needle outline on the baseplate or, depending on your compass, rotate it until the needle is pointing north. Then, find 50 degrees on the scale on the outside ring. Go the distance specified in that direction and claim your prize. Good tutorials are here and here.

Edited May 10, 2007 by pcunningham

[+monahmat]

It means that you need to go to ground zero and then from there project a waypoint. So find ground zero and stand in the middle of it. Then you want to face 50 degrees, as if you were looking at a compass, which is pretty close to northeast, then pace off X number of feet. The cache should be where you stop, or that is at least where you should start your search. I carry a compass with me just to make things easier but many GPSr's are able to project these you as waypoints. Hope that makes things a little clearer for you.

[+cache_test_dummies]

Bearing refers to a direction, specified in degrees, from compass North.

 

The degrees on a compass go from 0 to 360. A bearing of 000 is due north, a bearing of 090 is due east (directly to the right if you are facing north), 180 is due south, and 270 is due west. So a bearing of 050 would be a bit east of a true northeast heading (045).

[+admo1972]

Just to confuse this a bit, there is also absolute and relative berings.

 

Absolute bearing is what is described here. An absolute bering of 90 degrees is 90 degrees right of North.

 

Relative bering would be a bearing as relative to the viewer. So if I am facing east (90 degrees absolute) and need to go on a relative bearing of 90 degrees, I'd have to actually walk due south (180 degrees).

 

But, if you are not given whether is is absolute or relative, assume it is absolute. I think I have read too many Tom Clancy novels when I was younger.

[+StarBrand]

Look in your GPSr manual about projecting a waypoint. That is the easiest way to do it. Or use this handy utility: http://www.fizzymagic.net/Geocaching/GeoCalc/GeoCalc.html

[+monahmat]

Ahh yes, and I forgot the one other thing to confuse matters. You have to account for whether the bearing is magnetic north or true north. It is often a difference of several degrees depending on where in the world you are located!