The advent of global positioning systems (GPS) based on satellite technology has largely made the traditional use of needle-based compasses obsolete. However, the handheld compass is still used by various outdoor enthusiasts and backpackers due to its ease of use, stability and battery-free operation. Learn correctly use a handheld compass to accurately position your location and pinpoint your intended direction.
Instructions
1. Know select the correct type of handheld compass for the purpose for which you plan to use it. There is no "best" compass. Choose a compass with features that match the environment in which you'll be operating. For example, a waterproof handheld compass is essential for individuals in humid, wet environments or for those who plan to use it while boating or kayaking. Check that the compass faceplate has degree markers that are large enough for you to read.
2. Learn to read the compass in terms of numeric degrees. Don't refer to the four directions as north, east, south and west. When using a compass, use degrees to ensure greater accuracy. Due to its shape, a compass is organized into 360 degrees. North is zero degrees. Thus, east is 90 degrees, south is 180 degrees and west is 270 degrees. To pinpoint the direction of an object or location, an individual can ensure pinpoint accuracy by saying that it is at 45 degrees rather than "northeast."
3. Take your heading. The term "heading," in navigational terms, refers to the direction in which you are traveling. Orient the compass by aligning the zero-degrees marker on the compass face with the direction in which you are moving. Watch where the swinging needle stops. This degree, flipped to the opposite side of the compass (or plus 180 degrees), is the direction in which you are heading. For example, if the needle stops at 90 degrees, you are moving due west (i.e., 90 + 180 = 270 degrees, the location of due west). In this way, you can accurately ascertain the direction you are moving no matter where you are located.
4. Get your bearings. A compass can be used for more than just determining your heading or your present orientation to the north. With a charted map, an individual with a compass can pinpoint his or her location on the map. To get your bearings, use the compass to site two or more objects that are identified on your charted map. Write down the degrees at which they're located and draw the angle of the degrees in an outward line from the points where the objects are identified on the map. The point where the two lines intersect on the map is your current location.
5. Store the compass in a case to protect it from damage when you are finished using it. A case can protect the glass or plastic faceplate to ensure that you can continue to make accurate readings. A case can also protect the internal hardware of the handheld compass should the compass ever be dropped. Finally, don't store the compass near any device that emits a magnetic pulse (such as unshielded stereo speakers), as these may gradually affect the accuracy of the compass needle over an extended period of time.
Tags: handheld compass, direction which, bearings compass, case protect, needle stops, west degrees