Neo wrote:There is a method to use a watch face to determine north. Someone correct me if I'm wrong:
Point 12 at the sun, then north is between the hour and the minute hand [?]
ChrisJHC wrote:Like this...
https://sep.yimg.com/ay/policestuff/tru ... ass-21.gif
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Neo wrote:There is a method to use a watch face to determine north. Someone correct me if I'm wrong:
Point 12 at the sun, then north is between the hour and the minute hand [?]
taipan821 wrote:I must say, talking about compasses I've recently started using a lensatic compass. fantastic for precision navigation (I have to go on this bearing)
If you want a good quality sighting compass, K&R Meridian compasses are fantastic to use...just really, really, really expensive (sort of like the professional suunto compasses)
Orion wrote:When I've needed to follow a bearing it was either in forest or in whiteout (several times I've found myself heading 180° from my intended direction). In either case there is nothing to sight.
A sighting compass would be preferable for triangulating ones position if clear landmarks are visible. Sometimes I wish I could do that more accurately than I am able to with my baseplate compass. Not that often though. Probably, for me at least, an ultralight GPS (or a phone app) would work better.
A Jay wrote:...Although I read there is a big downside to mirror compasses, this article affirmed that they're unusable in the dark, or storm, or high winds, as you can't sight with the mirror in poor visibility conditions.
They said that for that reason, sighting compasses can't be relied upon on expedition like a baseplate compass can. Well this was a mountaineering group, they go with baseplate compasses for their reliability in all conditions.
Orion wrote:A Jay wrote:...Although I read there is a big downside to mirror compasses, this article affirmed that they're unusable in the dark, or storm, or high winds, as you can't sight with the mirror in poor visibility conditions.
They said that for that reason, sighting compasses can't be relied upon on expedition like a baseplate compass can. Well this was a mountaineering group, they go with baseplate compasses for their reliability in all conditions.
When you can't sight a sighting compass is equivalent to a baseplate compass.
A Jay wrote:I had the same thought, that you could perhaps use a sighting compass like a baseplate compass minus the more accurate sighting feature. I don't know why the mountaineering club says they can't be relied upon. There's no baseplate with the direction of travel arrow, although I'm guessing the direction of travel arrow is more a convenience in that you can still tell which way is forward without it. Or perhaps I've misinterpreted their words.
Note: The heavy Silva Ranger compass, with bezel enclosed by a plastic cover and glass sighting mirror, is not the clear choice today. Backcountry users should not depend on a sighting compass, which is virtually unusable in the dark and in high winds, rain or driving snow. Learn to take accurate compass bearings from your waist. This enables you to look straight down on the needle to the "shed". This eliminates parallax.
(http://www.traditionalmountaineering.or ... ompass.htm)
Orion wrote:Is the lensatic compass more accurate than a mirror compass?
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