NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Compasses
From: Peter Fogg
Date: 2002 May 30, 08:18 +1000
From: Peter Fogg
Date: 2002 May 30, 08:18 +1000
Martin Gardner wrote: > Are fluxgates subject to the same deviation error sources as real magnets? Don't know anything about fluxgates, but the known azimuth of any celestial body will give you a check on compass accuracy. Bodies on or near the horizon are easy to read. Am presuming that magnetic variation is not an issue. A compass adjuster earns his living by coming on board and attaching tiny magnets around your binnacle to counter any deviation and give it, as far as possible, a neutral deviation. Sailing boats often have their motors under the cockpit, which doesn't help. Another culprit can be the sheath knive kept strapped to the binnacle. Compasses are not created equal - go into a store that has a few for sale and observe how they fail to agree with each other. A final tip I aquired recently - store your handheld upside down to minimize wear of the turning bearing. > >
