wanda texas Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 hi all i dont have a GPS unit....but i have a 1945 Army Corp of Engineers Military issue compass....ancient huh?? now i went to some sites and found some info on how to read them but its still greek to me...i am directionally illiterate on the geocaching site it has the coordinates for the GPS units...can u use these for a compass??? ...if so what do the numbers mean?? i do not have a computer so for the degree mark i will write "deg"... N 29deg 28.679 W 095deg 20.156 ******ok N obvious is north ****29deg---from that dial thing around the compass with that line thing?? ****28.679----what is this number??..paces???? we tried working with the compass...we might figure it out if we know what all the numbers mean.... thanks for any help wanda Quote Link to comment
+rayt333 Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 The coords. are not going to help you if all you have is a compass. There is too much to explain on this thread, let me see if I can find a link to post to help explain this for you. Quote Link to comment
+nincehelser Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 A compass alone will not be much help for geocaching. You really need a GPS, or be really good with maps and a compass. The numbers you are reading have nothing to do with a compass, but specify a position on the earth. Example: N 29 28.679 -> (latitude) a line 29 degrees and 28.679 minutes above the equator. (it would be a "horizontal" line across a globe) W 095 20.157 -> (longitude) a line 95 degrees 20.157 minutes west of the "prime meridian" which runs through Greenwich, England. (it would be a "vertical" line across the globe) Where these lines cross is where the cache is located. A GPS receiver is the most common way to locate this position. However, if you're really good, you can use paper maps to find the location. A compass will be a big help in this case. George Quote Link to comment
+rayt333 Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass.shtml http://www.map-reading.com/ch4-3.php http://www.map-reading.com/polarco.php Quote Link to comment
+RichardMoore Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 You might try to find a local Orienteering club. They know all there is to know about a map and compass. Ask at your local backpacking shop, park system or nature center. They should be able to hook you up with the right people. RichardMoore www.geocities.com/richardsrunaway Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 The GPS numbers you are looking at show location; sort of like your home address or the address where you work. A compass indicates direction you are traveling. A compass will show you the direction to your workplace but you you won't know where to stop unless you know the actual address. That's what the GPS coordinate numbers will let you do. You really need a GPS to geocache successfully on a regular basis. Hope this helps. Good luck. Alan Quote Link to comment
+brad.32 Posted April 2, 2003 Share Posted April 2, 2003 A compass is useful if where you want to go is 20 paces east of dead man's tree, or from one set of known coordinates to another (assuming you have determined the direction and distance). If you want to get TO one set of coordinates, then you need a GPS to tell you where it is relative to where you currently are located. When in GOTO mode, a GPS constantly determines the new direction and distance. [This message was edited by brad.32 on April 02, 2003 at 06:56 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted April 2, 2003 Share Posted April 2, 2003 you can use your compass, but as has been said earlier, you have to be really good with the compass. it will also help you to have a good map, a drawing compass, and a calculator if you can't manage to do the math in your head. i find i'm pretty accurate with the map and compass, but i have some trouble with the figures, and, well, it's hard enough even if you have a GPS unit. it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six. Quote Link to comment
wanda texas Posted April 2, 2003 Author Share Posted April 2, 2003 hi all thanks all for the info...guess i will just have to rely on the spoiler hints at the bottom and ask for any extra hints from the people themselves who hid it and hope they take pity on me and give me some so far i have 2 geocaches and 1 letterbox under my belt....and awaiting extra hints on maybe a third...YIPPIE thanks all wanda Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted April 2, 2003 Share Posted April 2, 2003 It can be done without a GPS, several cachers (OK, a few) locate the bulk of their finds with just a topographic map and a compass. Your compass was originally designed to help GIs find a specific spot without a GPSr, so you can too. Use the links posted above to learn how to use the compass well. Beyond that, save, save, save. Yellow eTrexes can be found on eBay for about 70 bucks. I recently bought seven at around this price (don't ask!). While this is still alot of money to find in the budget, it can be a managable amount to save up. See you out there... Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted April 2, 2003 Share Posted April 2, 2003 are we taking up a collection for people without gpsrs? we can send the WG$ we find to wanda. she'll have enough in two weeks for herself and one for a friend. it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six. Quote Link to comment
+Tradboy Posted April 2, 2003 Share Posted April 2, 2003 you can pick up a GPS for pretty cheap....for all the time you'll spend mucking around with your compass and decoding hints, just buy one. Quote Link to comment
+Don&Betty Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Check this site for an excellent tutorial re. compass reading. http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/ Quote Link to comment
+catcher24 Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Try going to http://www.us.orienteering.org/ . They have many articles and links to other resources. If your library has a book called Be Expert with Map and Compass by Kjellstrom get it. I learned orienteering and map/compass reading using this book, and it is EXCELLENT. Good luck. Catcher24 "You see, you spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." Jim Bouton Quote Link to comment
+Bloencustoms Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 With one eye closed. "I'm not moving my car 'till you get my food right!" Quote Link to comment
compass_bearing_north Posted April 18, 2003 Share Posted April 18, 2003 Hold your compass so that the fixed arrow (most say "direction of travel") points the way you want to go. Rotate the black circle until the north on it is in line with the red arrow. Read the direction in line with the fixed arrow. Quote Link to comment
psyopwak Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 Hey Wanda Texas Hope this does not sound sexist?! But I have a book, called "Staying Found The complete map and compass book" by June Fleming. She seems to explain things in a more womanly way??? Also if you get your hands on FM 21-26 (Map Reading and Land Navigation) This is the bible of the army on all you should need to know for advanced knowledge. psyopwak Anyway it is a great basics book, does not cover GPS. Quote Link to comment
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