Magnetized humans? Is this crazy or?

[+CYLUmp&MisFit]

CYLUmps wife here...We (CYL Ump and I) went g/c today. I had no trouble with the gps compass BUT every time I handed it over to ump, it went beserk. He had been complaining that the compass was always pointing toward his belly, no matter where he is standing in relationship to the cache. I observed this for myself. Once he handed me the unit, it was ok again, I hand it back to him and the pointer goes straight toward his belly again, makes no difference if he stands still or walks. Years ago, he had a lot of trouble with a watch. Every time he wore it it stopped running but the minute he took it off it kept perfect time. What's the deal here? Can a human being be so magnetic that it affects a battery op. gps unit? We are puzzled and frustrated with this and sure makes things unpleasant for a beginning cacher. Has anyone ever experienced this phenonomen? Any advise you can offer is certainly appreciated.

[+Insane Kangaroo]

CYLUmps wife here...We (CYL Ump and I) went g/c today. I had no trouble with the gps compass BUT every time I handed it over to ump, it went beserk. He had been complaining that the compass was always pointing toward his belly, no matter where he is standing in relationship to the cache. I observed this for myself. Once he handed me the unit, it was ok again, I hand it back to him and the pointer goes straight toward his belly again, makes no difference if he stands still or walks. Years ago, he had a lot of trouble with a watch. Every time he wore it it stopped running but the minute he took it off it kept perfect time. What's the deal here? Can a human being be so magnetic that it affects a battery op. gps unit? We are puzzled and frustrated with this and sure makes things unpleasant for a beginning cacher. Has anyone ever experienced this phenonomen? Any advise you can offer is certainly appreciated.

 

Does he have any shrapnel in him? Another possible explanation he swallowed something metal when he was a younger and it is still inside his body. Get a normal compass with a needle, and walk around him from a far distance circling his body, then get closer to him as you circle him.

 

Not trying to be funny, but ask a friend for a decent metal detector if the compass actually acts up from what I said above. You never know, he could have a magnet in his gut.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

as far as I know the compas in a GPS unit is an electrinic function, not magnetic, so I'd try the old standard kind to see what happens. As far as electrical interference from a human body...I'm pretty sure it does happen with some people.

 

So...The compas points to his belly when he's standing with the unit level...try having him lay down and move the unit arounf his feet/head/hands(extended from sides)

[Shub Niggurath]

sorry, thet was the wrong button...sorry to bother

Edited June 9, 2008 by Shub Niggurath

[MisUnderstood]

CYLUmps wife here...We (CYL Ump and I) went g/c today. I had no trouble with the gps compass BUT every time I handed it over to ump, it went beserk. He had been complaining that the compass was always pointing toward his belly, no matter where he is standing in relationship to the cache. I observed this for myself. Once he handed me the unit, it was ok again, I hand it back to him and the pointer goes straight toward his belly again, makes no difference if he stands still or walks. Years ago, he had a lot of trouble with a watch. Every time he wore it it stopped running but the minute he took it off it kept perfect time. What's the deal here? Can a human being be so magnetic that it affects a battery op. gps unit? We are puzzled and frustrated with this and sure makes things unpleasant for a beginning cacher. Has anyone ever experienced this phenonomen? Any advise you can offer is certainly appreciated.

 

A big Thank you to both for your suggestions. I hate to think he would become so discouraged that he would quit awesome activity. Aside from the compass problem we're having a a jolly good time.

[+PrincessBTigress]

Entirely possible, my Dad had enough energy in his body that if he tried to wear a wrist watch it would completly die within a few hours, never work again. Seems like compasses were not too great with him either.

 

My mom has enough static energy in her that she can walk into a room with computers and immediatly mess them up. They shut down, go fritzy and lose anything one might have been working on. When she was taking courses at the community college she started the habit of stopping at the door of the computer lab, sticking her head in and calling to the lady over seeing the room and she would get whatever my mom needed so that she wouldn't enter the room and kill all the computers.

 

Best bet, keep him as far from the GPS as possible. If you go together, have you be in charge of the GPS. If he goes alone do things like wear thick clothing, get a leather cover for the GPS or try setting the GPS down and walking away from it and viewing it from a distance.

[markhaldane]

Unless your unit has an electronic compass then this is nothing to do with magnetism. GPS units without an electronic (electronic reading taken from a magnetic compass) compass simply work out your bearing by watching you travel from one point to another.

 

My suspicion is that you have a regular differential GPS compass. When moving slowly or standing still these will often switch about as the satellites can't tell which bearing you are facing if you're not moving enough for them to track your direction.

 

If you DO have a magnetic compass then perhaps your husband is wearing some item of clothing or jewellery that is affecting it. As a scientist I simply cannot endorse the suggestion that your husband is magnetic!

Edited June 9, 2008 by markhaldane

[+shuccrum]

I'm not trying to be funny but my brother said that he was visited by aliens and that he now had a negative effect on machines, etc. He said that street lights would go out when he went under them. I took this with a grain of salt but my dad did have to take his computer to the shop because it quit working after my brother used it. To get back on topic, I have had several friends who couldn't wear watches because the watches would stop working on them. So there has to be something to it.

[markhaldane]

Or coincidences... I know plenty of people who can stop a computer working within a few minutes of getting their hands on it - but not because they've been visited by aliens!

 

I'm not calling anyone a liar of course, but sometimes it is easy to get caught up in believing that coincidences have more meaning they do

[+PrincessBTigress]

As a scientist I simply cannot endorse the suggestion that your husband is magnetic!

 

A REAL scientist would be testing a theory, not just assuming something is wrong.

[+OzzieSan]

as far as I know the compas in a GPS unit is an electrinic function, not magnetic, so I'd try the old standard kind to see what happens. As far as electrical interference from a human body...I'm pretty sure it does happen with some people.

 

So...The compas points to his belly when he's standing with the unit level...try having him lay down and move the unit arounf his feet/head/hands(extended from sides)

 

If it is an electronic compass (sensor) then it uses a "magnetic field detector"

 

If you are speaking/thinking of the GPS compass then it is derived from GPS coordinates.

 

The electronic compass works while you are standing still and the GPS compass only works when you are moving.

Edited June 11, 2008 by OzzieSan

[+coggins]

I had no trouble with the gps compass BUT every time I handed it over to ump, it went beserk.

What Make/model GPS unit did this happen on?

[+7ofclubs]

WOW! I had the same thing happen to me. When I was a Boy Scout I could never participate in any games that involved a compass because it would always point at my belly. At first I thought it was my belt buckle but it turns out that when I wear jeans all the energy in my body would pool in the metal snap on my jeans. I know its crazy but when have steel or iron in my hand and put it next to a compass the compass points right at it!

 

Just messing around. I did have that problem as a Boy Scout. Have your husband check the buckle on his belt or the snap on his pants. Try holding the compass at his chest and see if that works.

 

As for having weird energy in your body that disrupts a compass? I am a non-believer.

[+Insane Kangaroo]

as far as I know the compas in a GPS unit is an electrinic function, not magnetic, so I'd try the old standard kind to see what happens. As far as electrical interference from a human body...I'm pretty sure it does happen with some people.

 

So...The compas points to his belly when he's standing with the unit level...try having him lay down and move the unit arounf his feet/head/hands(extended from sides)

 

If it is an electronic compass (sensor) then it uses a "magnetic field detector"

 

If you are speaking/thinking of the GPS compass then it is derived from GPS coordinates.

 

The electronic compass works while you are standing still and the GPS compass only works when you are moving.

 

I tested this by walking near a magnet which messed up my the 76CSx's compass, I had to recalibrate and everything was fine again.

 

As for the person, he is a walking magnet for sure. Whether shrapnel is inside of him, or he is providing enough electricity in any form which is turning a metal object(s) on him into a magnet(s). Have him strip bare, give him the GPS unit, see if it still happens.