Compass issues

[bucksnort73]

This may sound stupid but I just bought a compass and when I was facing north and turned to my left the red pointer turned east.:confused: Can someone please explain if I am reading wrong or what. I would hate to get turned around at night. I bought the compass at Gander Mtn. for 8.99. It is plastic, folds, and has a belt pouch if this helps. Is it just not working properly because it's cheap?:help:

[Thunderhead]

Buy another compass. I suggest a Sylvia. 12 bucks will get you a good one.
Wally World carries'em. :)

[Thunderhead]

Wait a minute...........did the needle still point North ? If so, it's working....lol

[ozzgood2001]

yeah the needle stayed pointing north yep it works!

[goemado]

This may sound stupid but I just bought a compass and when I was facing north and turned to my left the red pointer turned east.:confused: Can someone please explain if I am reading wrong or what. I would hate to get turned around at night. I bought the compass at Gander Mtn. for 8.99. It is plastic, folds, and has a belt pouch if this helps. Is it just not working properly because it's cheap?:help:

If you knew you were facing North...what's the point of having a compass? ;)

Seriously, I sure am hoping that your "scenario" is a trick question to pass the time before the opener...or I'd be worried about your proximity to sharp pointy things. Remember this, the sharp end should always point away from you and towards your target.

Good luck...and pack a few bandaids just in case. :help:

[lawnboy]

The needle will always point towards the north. Therefore, it sounds like it is working. To keep things simple and to the point. When you go to the edge of the woods and get ready to enter, hold the compass right in front of you with the point going away from you. Make sure that you do not have any metal near it. What I do next may not be right however it works for me. I spin the top so that north hits where the needle is. Walk in, when you get ready to return do not touch the dial and now put the needle on the south heading and walk out.

Here is the problem what if your walk in the woods is not a straight shot? Then things get a little tougher and you need to start recording heading and degrees and such. As one of those last resort things I will at times stand on the trail head and say ok my stand is right over their. And will set the compass. So that if I missed a turn on the path on the way out at night I can pull out the compass and say I need to head in that direction for the truck. Problem is you may be walking in the right direction but may be off quite a bit to the right or left, but at least you walking to the truck and not away from it.

[ih772]

You guys are making this way more complicated than it really is.

Remember, North is always to your right.

























;) :lol:

[labdog99]

If you and the arrow were both pointing north and you turned 90 degrees to your left, you would be facing west. If the arrow was pointing east it would be pointing right at you. The arrow probably was still pointing north but read East on the dial. Turn the dial.:)

[contrary2ordinary]

This is starting to sound like the political discussions forum.

[Sam22]

if the needle spins in a cirlce as you spin in a circle, it's working. if you have a compass u should get a map...something with roads and water, maybe add your own landmarks. Once you have that you can use the compass to orient (you'll be learning to orienteer!) youself on the map. So you step out of the truck, on the road, look at the map. see the road your on, and the compass rose on the map. Now you can see what direction your walking.. say your walking east ( you know this from the map) the road behind you may run north/south (presumeably straight!). now you know if you get turned around or lost, pull out the compass... the needle will always point north, 90 clockwise is east..90 counterclockwise is west, and the reverse-azmuth (other end of the needle) is south. look at the map and see if you can locate any landmarks to help you on the ground, if you can use those to find the shortest way out, or just walk west.

I hope I didn't confuse you any further!! :confused:

[TrailFndr]

Man...I LOVE my GPS..... lololol

[jjc155]

I thought north was always UP. Oh man now I am confused.

LOL

J-

[wally-eye]

Don't put a cell phone in your shirt pocket and then have a pin on compass on your coat over your shirt pocket with the cell phone in. You'll never find your way home.

If your really lost just stumble around till you see someone in a treestand, go over and sit right next to his tree. He'll tell you where to go and how to get there.............

[Shotgun]

This may sound stupid but I just bought a compass and when I was facing north and turned to my left the red pointer turned east.:confused: Can someone please explain if I am reading wrong or what. I would hate to get turned around at night. I bought the compass at Gander Mtn. for 8.99. It is plastic, folds, and has a belt pouch if this helps. Is it just not working properly because it's cheap?:help:

:dizzy:

BS73,

My suggestion to you is to confine your outdoor activities to your yard.

P.S. - Better not get out of sight of the house.

:SHOCKED:

[bucksnort73]

Thanks. I don't consider myself stupid but it was my first time actually using a compass and was actually just trying to figure out the lay of the land, not to get out of woods. I guess there's no point having one if you can't use it, huh? Time to invest in GPS!!:D

[john warren]

are you wearing a metal belt buckle? standing close to the car? its your baic magnet, it will point to the strongest responce. even an unusual iron deposit below ground. try it again away from metal.This may sound stupid but I just bought a compass and when I was facing north and turned to my left the red pointer turned east.:confused: Can someone please explain if I am reading wrong or what. I would hate to get turned around at night. I bought the compass at Gander Mtn. for 8.99. It is plastic, folds, and has a belt pouch if this helps. Is it just not working properly because it's cheap?:help:

[bucksnort73]

I actually was near my car at the time. Next time I go out i will try away from the vehicle. Like i said, first time using a compass, so I need to get comfortable with it. Thanks for advice and sarcasm.;)

[KEN C]

You need to use a swedish compass, its a snuff box with a mirror in it. It doesn't tell you where your going or which way north is, it just tells you whos lost.

[Thunderhead]

Lolol :)

[ESOX]

They tell me north is always up.
But I can't fly.
I try to head south.
But soon tire of digging.
I think I'll just sit on this stump till they miss me.

[KLR]

Buy a loaf of bread and Hansel & Grettel your way out to your stand...better buy 2 if you have to walk more than 100 yds from your vehicle. PS- If a nice old lady invites you into her gingerbread house...run. The opposite direction. (AWAY)

[explodingvarmints]

You need to use a swedish compass, its a snuff box with a mirror in it. It doesn't tell you where your going or which way north is, it just tells you whos lost.

Gotta love da Yoopers:lol:

BAIGLY!!!!!! OH MAN WE ARE LOST!!!!:lol:

sorry for piling on.;)

[MickeyFinn]

Don't abandon the compass yet! It's always good to carry a compass and know how to use it. GPS units run out of batteries, lose signals, get dropped in water, and forgotting at camp. Sam22 gave good instructions. If your just looking to get familiar with the land your on get a 7.5 minute USGS topographic map.

Do what Sam22 said. Lay the left and bottom edge of your compass on the left bottom corner of the map. Turn the map (and compass) until north is on the arrow (or line) of your compass that indicates your direction of travel. Then put "red fred in the shed" meaning turn the dial on your compass until the red end of the needle is in between the two lines on 0 degrees (this way North shows up at 0 degrees). Now you can walk around with your map and compass. When you stop and want to know what direction (heading) your moving in put "red fred in the shed" and that will give you your degree heading. Refer back to the map to help orient yourself with landmarks.

Also, depending on what part of the country you are in you have to take in to account declination to magnetic north. I pasted a link to a good document explaining how to do this.

http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/decl_setting.htm


Learn your map and compass...you'll never regret it.

[MickeyFinn]

Don't abandon the compass yet! It's always good to carry a compass and know how to use it. GPS units run out of batteries, lose signals, get dropped in water, and forgotting at camp. Sam22 gave good instructions. If your just looking to get familiar with the land your on get a 7.5 minute USGS topographic map.

Do what Sam22 said. Lay the left and bottom edge of your compass on the left bottom corner of the map. Turn the map (and compass) until north is on the arrow (or line) of your compass that indicates your direction of travel. Then put "red fred in the shed" meaning turn the dial on your compass until the red end of the needle is in between the two lines on 0 degrees (this way North shows up at 0 degrees). Now you can walk around with your map and compass. When you stop and want to know what direction (heading) your moving in put "red fred in the shed" and that will give you your degree heading. Refer back to the map to help orient yourself with landmarks.

Also, depending on what part of the country you are in you have to take in to account declination to magnetic north. I pasted a link to a good document explaining how to do this.

http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/decl_setting.htm


Learn your map and compass...you'll never regret it.

[bucksnort73]

Thanks for advice MF. Gonna commit to learning to use a map/compass.

[eddiejohn4]

If using a map remember the declination, for michigan and account for this in your trip planning.:)

[fishin' fin]

If using a map remember the declination, for michigan and account for this in your trip planning.:)
Come on E.J. you are going to go into declination and diagram on this site. These people will not understand for the most part. Depending on the date of the map, just guessing we would be + 7 degrees. Means everything when you compare a grid to magnetic azimuth. I only use a gps for fishing spots.



Glad to see I'm not alone with the compass.;)

[bucketmouthhauler]

OMG:lol: :lol: :lol: this post cracks me up more than any other I have ever read on this site. :lol: :lol: :lol: plus all the com:lol: ments:lol: I have tears in my eyes

[CL-Lewiston]

I suspect you are not stupid or you would not have purchased a compass.

A compass will not tell you where you are. It will always tell N and from that you can figure E,S and W and points between.

As my Grandfather often said-"when you start doubting your compass you better start believing it" AND the more you doubt the more you'd best believe the compass.

[eddiejohn4]

Fish, using a compass is not difficult . Any one with practice can get good. If you do use a map you need to know declination in order to orientate the map to the compass.

Most people use a compass by targeting a landmark and using it like a set of cookie crumbs, land mark to land mark. This is why I suggested using a lenstatic compass as you can take a reading on a specific tree or other landmark and subtract 180 degrees, and now you have your back reading. then you need to be able to tell how far in that direction you have travelled before making a change in direction and taking another reading.

There are great books out there to help you learn how to pace your self to know how far you have travelled, and in the use of a compass. everyone should take the time to learn alittle before hitting the woods with a brand new compass.:)

[eddiejohn4]

Suppose you do not have a isogonic map with the declination on the map. The best way to find this out is if you know your position on the map, take a bearing to a known landmark that is visable and shown on the map, a mountain peak, a river bend a trans mission tower etc. Next measure the true bearing using your compass as a protractor,the difference is simply the declination! for that area.:) If no landmarks are available and you can see polaris ( the north star) you can use this as 0 degree.

[eddiejohn4]

Heres an easy way to learn to pace. measure a distance of 100 feet. walk this distance and count your foot steps. Do this several times and take an average. now you can put this into use.

example if your average is 75 steps to equal 100 feet, then all you do is after getting your bearing on the landmark count your steps if you take 150 steps you have gone aprox 200 feet.. Now if you take another bearing on a land mark that has a different direction and repeat the first step. you know many feet to that object.

I must state that it is always better to have a map of the area you are in and learn to use it with a compass.