Magnetic Declination

[saturn5]

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[GazOC]

Wouldn't drift alignment be better?

[saturn5]

=

[George]

I used some sticks, bits of string and the good old sun to set my pier up. You will get true celestial north using this method.

http://www.solar-noon.com/ will get you solar noon times (sun at true south) any shadow cast will then point true north.

[GazOC]

Ah, I see.

I think you could just place the pier, align the mount roughly north and then drift align...its a doddle to do.

[Astroman]

My compass comes with an adjustable ring for navigation and such. When I set up my pier, I set the compass to match the magnetic declination so I can just plunk down the pier in alignment with the compass variation and it gets me close, even in daytime. A couple other quick tricks, then a drift align, (depending on how long I'm in the field), and I'm done. If you know your local variance, there's no reason you couldn't get close with it, whether or not you see Polaris.

[saturn5]

I used some sticks, bits of string and the good old sun to set my pier up. You will get true celestial north using this method.

http://www.solar-noon.com/ will get you solar noon times (sun at true south) any shadow cast will then point true north.

That idea never even crossed my mind,nice one :thumbup:

and Gaz once i get the obsyshed up and running i might feel like taking the time to drift align in comfort,or in other words i could never be before

[saturn5]

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[beamish]

S5, Hi, you might very well be aware already -but if compass mag variation is west does'nt that mean you compensate by moving to the east ? I may be wrong but I've been confused by this in the past myself, thankfully not whilst out on the fells ! Gaz's method is probably the easiest but the Solar-noon sounds like an interesting distraction.

Karlo

[Astroman]

Glad to see someone has used that method Astroman,i thought i had maybe come up with an idea comparable with the old chocolate fireguard

:D

Nope, it "works a treat", as you say.

[beamish]

If you put a straight stick in flat open ground and then mark the end point of the shadow throughout the day, then join up all the dots (as it were) you will be left with a perfect east-west line or so I read !!

Karlo

[saturn5]

S5, Hi, you might very well be aware already -but if compass mag variation is west does'nt that mean you compensate by moving to the east ? I may be wrong but I've been confused by this in the past myself, thankfully not whilst out on the fells ! Gaz's method is probably the easiest but the Solar-noon sounds like an interesting distraction.

Karlo

East,West errr i'm confused know i know,if iget a chain saw and cut the offending tree down then i'll be able to see polaris trouble is its not my tree

[The Warthog]

Most ordnance survey maps have a little diagram to the side that shows you the difference between man north and true north. You can use this to set your compass.

[Andrew*]

do that solar noon thing, draw a line for the shadow of the stick on a piece of paper, then just bring that piece of paper wherever you go - bingo! polar alignment!

Andrew

[daz]

Excellent idea Andrew!!!