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Question On Bearing


Deckyon

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I have a very basic question. It is on a function I have not used before.

 

One of the Caches I went looking for last weekend was telling me to stand on the first waypoint and take a "bearing reading of xxx deg" then go to another waypoint and take a second bearing reading of yyy deg. Then, where the two bearings came together, that was the cache site.

 

How do I take a bearing reading on the Magellan Meridian Platinum? I know, simple thing, I just could not get it right.

 

Thanks in advance.

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If I had to figure this out I could do it without even going to the 2 waypoints if you have them. You need a topo map and a UTM roamer

 

You first need to convert the waypoints to UTM so you could plot them on your map using a roamer.

 

Plot the first waypoint on a topo map and use your compass and mark the line that the bearing runs on your map.

 

Plot the second waypoint on the topo map and use the compass again and mark a line the bearing runs along.

 

Where the 2 lines meet will be your location for the waypoint.

 

Take your roamer and read the UTM cordinate and enter it into your gps.

 

<_<

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You need to use the MeriPlat's electronic compass (or bring a regular compass with you). The bearing is simply the direction to face (North=0, East=90, South=180, West=270). From the info you provided, I assume you will need to sight along the bearings and make a mental note of where the two sighting cross. Or use two people (one at each waypoint) and walk along the bearing until your paths cross.

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"Sighting" the intersection of two bearings from two different points would be tough without plotting it on a map, depending on distance/terrain.

 

This is what I'd do;

 

Let's assume that I'm standing at waypoint A. Now I'm supposed to take bearing #1 from waypoint A, and then go to waypoint B and take bearing #2 from there. The cache is at the intersection of those two. Okay, I would tell my GPS to "GOTO" waypoint B, and then I would walk bearing #1 while watching my GPS's GOTO bearing. When that GOTO bearing matches the opposite of bearing #2 (reversed 180 degrees), I should be standing on the cache. :lol:

 

Once there, I could double check by doing a GOTO to waypoint "A". The bearing should be the opposite of bearing #1.

Edited by 4x4van
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I would just use a normal compass.

 

I've done this kind of hide before and have another in the loose planning stage.

 

With a manual compass, rotate the compass bezel until the desired bearing is lined up with the index mark on the compass body. Now rotate your body until the north end of the compass needle is aligned with the north inside the compass face. Sight down the compass and find an object or landmark, then walk to that. The cache will be along that line somewhere. Use the second bearing if you are unable to find it using only one.

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Thanks for the tips, I can actually understand how that works but just one question if I may.  How do I turn a bearing and distance into a GOTO with my Sport Trak.  Going in a straight line isn't an option.  tks

I think what you're after here is "projecting a waypoint".

 

In the Manual this is described on page 35 of 76 (page 45 of 86 in this pdf doc.)

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One of the Caches I went looking for last weekend was telling me to stand on the first waypoint and take a "bearing reading of xxx deg" then go to another waypoint and take a second bearing reading of yyy deg.  Then, where the two bearings came together, that was the cache site.

Assuming the coordinates of both waypoints are on the cache page, sit down at your computer or pull out your caclulator and note pad and calculate the coordinates of the intersection. Enter that as your final waypoint. If you have to go to one of the waypoints to get the other, then do the same thing in the field. If you decide to use UTM don't forget to correct your bearings for grid North. Personally, in the field, I might establish my own coordinate basis using geodetic North and the line between the two wayoints. Compasses and GPSRs make lousy calculators. Use the right tool for the job.

 

Of course a really devious cache owner could make the calculator approach harder by not publishing the coordinates of one of the waypoints and just describe how to find it. In that case you could still calculate the final be first getting your own fix on the unpublished waypoint.

 

What cache is this?

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