How to use the compass

Perhaps the most successful invention of the Chinese is the compass, which has been used for many centuries to determine the right path. All seafarers, travelers, pilots and even tourists know how to use the compass.

Thanks to this device they are oriented on the terrain. It should be noted that electronic, magnetic and gyrocompasses are isolated. Of course, in the modern world today they have lost some of their relevance, as new means of orientation are being invented, not only on the terrain, but also in space.

Unfortunately, GPS-navigators help determine your own location directly in a large metropolis, but in the forest these devices are completely useless. Therefore, if you plan a walk in a small front garden, then these funds can be fully utilized.

And if a campaign is planned for several days in a dense impenetrable forest, it is still worthwhile to know how to use the compass. Indeed, unlike similar modern scientific achievements, it is the compasses that have already been invaluable to millions of tourists.

On sale today there is an abundance of various models of compasses. Mostly, they are delivered to us from China, where the craftsmen learned to make such devices, which combine high-quality technical characteristics with an attractive appearance.

But before deciding on the choice, it is not only necessary to know how the compass works, but also to be able to establish the correctness of its functioning. So, the principle of his work is that the permanent magnets of the compass interact with the horizontal line of the magnetic field of our planet.

A free-rotating magnetic needle around the axis rotates and is installed along the lines of force of such a magnetic field. To check the integrity of the compass, it is necessary to place it on a fixed horizontal flat surface. After stopping the arrows, record the instrument reading.

Then it is required to remove the arrow from the resting state. To do this, it is enough to put a magnet for a few seconds to the compass. After this, you should wait until the arrow is again in a state of rest, and, measuring the result, compare it with the previous one.

The arrow in the serviceability of the instrument will take its original position. A similar procedure is required 4-5 times. In this case, the magnet must be carried to the compass each time from different sides.

So, the main thing is to understand how to use the compass directly on the terrain, for example, in the forest. Initially, before you enter the forest thicket, you should choose a landmark, to which you must return later. This object must necessarily be "linear".

This means that the landmark should have a sufficient length. So, with this role, the road or the river, the power line or a clear clearing, and a number of other similar objects can do a good job. In any direction from the landmark it is necessary to move at a right angle.

Moving a little in the right direction, you should turn to the landmark face in such a way that approximately the return path is perpendicular to the landmark. Turn the compass, holding it in front of you, you need until the arrow coincides with the north-south line.

It is important to know how to use the compass so that its readings are as clear as possible. To do this, keep it as horizontal as possible. Then the needle will be free to rotate, and at the same time it will not touch the base of the device or its glass.

Through the center of the compass it is necessary to draw an imaginary line in the direction of the return path. The numbers (degrees) on the edge of the bulb, counted from zero clockwise, show the direction to the north. The figure through which the imaginary line passes is the azimuth of the reverse movement. The figure on the other side is the direction to the depth of the forest.

But those who do not know how to use ordinary compasses, are now increasingly interested in how to use the 3D compass. It shows the location on the map via the Internet. This is a fairly functional device that requires minimal adjustments, and at the same time it will not let you get lost in a foreign city or in a forest.