Durable compass

[Paul_B]

Are they really all still made in Finland? Seems they have employees around the world but their production facilities are next to hq in Finland. Chinese owned n like Salomon and arcteryx. Didn't know those two were Chinese owned.

 

[JonathanD]

I’ve used and abused my Silva Ranger for years in different climates from arid desert to rainforest. They’re great...

Silva Unisex's 37038-PE Ranger 2.0 Compass with Built-In Clinometer, Azimuth with Black Bezel, One size : Silva: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Shop Silva Unisex's 37038-PE Ranger 2.0 Compass with Built-In Clinometer, Azimuth with Black Bezel, One size. Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Billy-o]

You know you can find north using the hour hand of your watch? I know how to do this but have no idea why it works. Can anyone explain the principle?

 

[forrestdweller]

Needle reversal also causes another problem, the needle is mass balanced to magnetic field direction to certain latitudes (unless it is a world model) reversing the needle would cause it get stuck unless the housing is kept at the new required angle (that might be slightly odd).

fortunately my compasses still work as intended and the "recta" is a worldwide model -- i bought it after my NVA compass refused to work on my first trip Down Under (fortunately i didn't really need it and was aware of the issue with worldwide vs. "local" compass)...

the shop in Seoul where i bought the "ranger mini" had two examples in stock -- one made in sweden, the other one in indonesia (as --according to the label on the last t-shirt i bought over 10years ago -- indonesians invented synthetic cotton i opted for the swedish one...)

 

[forrestdweller]

You know you can find north using the hour hand of your watch? I know how to do this but have no idea why it works. Can anyone explain the principle?

point the hour hand of your watch at the sun -- half way between your hand and 12 should be South (on the northern hemisphere)

 

[Billy-o]

sure, but why does it work ? I mean it’s not as if the sun sets (ie is in the west) at the same time every day. Do you see what I mean. I am sure it is a simple notion, but I have never known what it is

 

[forrestdweller]

i should have read your post more careful before replying (hangs his head in embarrassment...)

my guess is as the sun "moves" on the horizon the angle/ distance between 12 and sun increases/ decreases accordingly so halfway is always the same spot.. not sure if my ramblings make sense...?!

not that i'm wearing a watch anyway and right now i can see WHY it's called "" rainforest "'' where i live

 

[TLM]

The hour hand moves 30 deg/hour and the sun 15 deg/hour, that is why the watch angle is halved ...

 

[Billy-o]

Doh! Big light bulb appears above head. Of, course .. the watch hands are moving at the same rate the planet is rotating. Well, twice the rate ... hence the measurement from halfway.

So, at 12 noon (well, the middle of the day anyway), you point the long arm at the sun and you are facing directly south. Then, on the dial, halfway between 12 and the longhand (which are for the moment both in aligned the same direction) is south. North is directly behind you at 6.00. I get it that far.

Then at say three o'clock, point the long hand (which three hours later is now pointing at 3) at the sun and, because the sun has moved relatively, and because the earth and the long hand are moving at a ratio of the same speed and because you have reoriented the watch, three hours later, south is still halfway between the 12 and the long hand which is now at 3. Turn around and you are facing north. Ha! And if the watch's long hand was moving at half the speed it usually does, (i.e. at the same speed the earth is moving) the 12 would be pointing directly south, but because it is moving at twice the speed, you have to halve it

 

[Suffolkrafter]

If it helps any, I've had a Silva baseplate compass for around thirty years. It's been around the world, loose in rucksack compartments, pockets, boxes and crates, and who knows where else. It still points north (unless I've been going the wrong way all this time). It is a bit worn though. I think you'd have to put a fair amount of effort into somehow demagnetising a compass, and I suspect they're more robust than they look.

As an aside, in addition to the watch method, you can use your extended fist as a makeshift sextant. The vertical fist with thumb slightly extended will amount to 10 degrees. Knowing this you can work out the sun's elevation. You can then use your feet as a protractor. Point your feet together at the sun. Then adjust one foot, pivoting at the heel to make a sort of splay of the feet to the equivalent number of degrees. This will then point to where the sun rose on the horizon (assuming it's the morning - if it's the afternoon you work out where the sun will set). You would need to adjust for the fact that the sun only rises east on the equinoxes, and on the longest and shortest days, approximately south east and north east respectively. With practice this is fairly accurate. This all for northern hemisphere though.

 

[Billy-o]

Just saw on a youtube that even with just digital time you can make the watch trick work. Simply draw the clockface on the ground and with the long hand pointing at both the correct hour and the sun.