NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Compass - southern hemisphere/northern hemisphere
From: Henry Halboth
Date: 2004 Oct 20, 19:29 -0400
From: Henry Halboth
Date: 2004 Oct 20, 19:29 -0400
I have nerve heard of a Southern/Northern Hemisphere compass, but am not to old to learn. Perhaps some modern small boat compasses are fitted with a Heeling Magnetr that cannot be reversed. Otherwise, as previously discussed on this list, on crossing the magnetic equator it is necessary to reverse the heeling magnet installed in the conventional correcting binnacle in order to maintain optimal compensation. On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 08:30:37 +1000 Lisa Fienewrites: > Our hand bearing compass is one designed for the southern hemisphere, > as > we're in Australia. I remember being taught that it's important to > have > a southern hemisphere compass in the southern latitudes and a > northern > hemisphere compass in the northern latitudes. > > What's the principle involved here, and how did the early navigators > (eg > going from Europe to rounding Cape Horn etc.) compensate? > > Thanks, Lisa >