Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 38

Thread: What's your declination?

  1. #11
    plenty of extra room "down his pants"
    ElevenBravo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    SWVA
    Posts
    2,466
    I do my dec on paper and use a USGI lensatic. :-) Its what Im used to...

    EB
    "Takes .357 to the field... every time..."
    "AR - America's Rifle"
    "Bushido, an honourable way of life"

  2. #12
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest quadrosphere, SOL-3
    Posts
    387
    I learned on a mil lensatic, but I use a Ranger or equivalent now.....lots easier, faster, and most PJ's I know use them as well.

  3. #13
    plenty of extra room "down his pants"
    ElevenBravo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    SWVA
    Posts
    2,466
    Quote Originally Posted by Fidel MD View Post
    I learned on a mil lensatic, but I use a Ranger or equivalent now.....lots easier, faster, and most PJ's I know use them as well.
    Could you link to the unit, Id like to learn more maybe shop...

    Thx,
    EB
    "Takes .357 to the field... every time..."
    "AR - America's Rifle"
    "Bushido, an honourable way of life"

  4. #14
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest quadrosphere, SOL-3
    Posts
    387
    Quote Originally Posted by ElevenBravo View Post
    Could you link to the unit, Id like to learn more maybe shop...

    Thx,
    EB
    Sure. Standard orienteering style sighting compass, pretty much like this version (made by Suunto)....the actual maker of the three big orienteering compasses sold in the US is mixed up, since the local (US) names have rotated around the actual manufactuerers a couple of times.


    http://www.rei.com/product/787189/su...-2-pro-compass

    I actually carry three (or more) compasses in the field, because I've had them get f-d up (and with only two, how would you know which one?). When I was on a SAR team, I'd start each field exercise out by asking everyone to point out north to me....and then we'd actually get out compasses and find out. Most folks were way off, even when using major landmarks like Interstate-5.

    My BoB has a full size like that one, two smaller ones like this http://www.rei.com/product/653748/su...hibian-compass and a couple of small/inaccurate ones, like one on my watch strap.

    I also have a whistle (all plastic) on the lanyard for the compasses, and they have UTM grid readers on them as well. I keep a set of ranger beads, too.

    You can make your own UTM grid readers. Get the files from these guys, print out a copy, and then xerox it onto transparency stock. If you want to get fancy you can laminate the sheets, then cut them out.

    http://www.maptools.com/FreeTools/UTMtools.html

    Standard Topo maps are 1:24,000 and 1:62,500 scales in the US, military standard sheets are 1:50,000 scales.

    BTW, I have one of these in my Incident Commander box, and occasionally find it useful


    http://www.amazon.com/Metric-Plastic...006232&sr=1-18

  5. #15
    Thunder Lizard Canning Club Chapter of the Old Farts Society


    Grumpy Old Man's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Galts Gulch, God's Country
    Posts
    2,293
    A Brunton is also known as an artilleryman's compass and can measure inclination. Typical geology mapping compass>
    Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Liberty or give me death." Patrick Henry, Virginia House of Burgesses, March 23, 1775

    Quo Vadis?

    Luke 22:36, And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

    emergencyfoodssupplies.com

  6. #16
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest quadrosphere, SOL-3
    Posts
    387
    The various Silva Ranger/Suunto MC2/whatevers also can measure inclination, at least in certain models (the Silva Ranger CL, for example) http://store.silvacompass.com/baseplate-ranger-cl

    Frankly, a feature I've found little use for.

    I do have a couple of M2 mortar/artillery compasses (surplus) and a Brunton pocket transit http://www.brunton.com/products/inte...t-transit-0-90,


    Some years ago I was able to purchase a Leitz transit, complete, which I have occasionally used in construction. It's much like this one (although in much better condition) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sokk...item3f2afba112 with the tripod, etc.

    Fortunately, I remembered how to use it from a basic surveying class I took as an undergrad. Taking it out and using it is actually kind of fun, although the new stuff is so much simpler.

  7. #17
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest quadrosphere, SOL-3
    Posts
    387
    OBTW, when buying a compass make sure the one you pick in the store points pretty much in the same direction as the others....Ive seen the needles painted on the wrong end, more than once.

    Also, if the store uses theft prevention tags, remove the compass from the packaging (or remove the tag) before they demagnetize it....I've known compasses to get scragged by the demagnetizer.

  8. #18
    plenty of extra room "down his pants"
    ElevenBravo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    SWVA
    Posts
    2,466
    Cool info bud! Ive grown so found of the USGI, Id be lost with anything else... however there is this one time, in band camp... Er, wrong story... this one time I got a bum compass and had to do the land nav with a NESW wrist compass. We came in late but we used the "topo" map (off a copier none the less) with terrain features to actually do the course. We were scolded, until they finally verified the compass was waaay off. :-)

    Speaking of grid lines, Ive tried for a LONG time to grasp LAT/LON but gave up... Then I discovered UTM and never looked back! Its MGRS, but for sillyvilians!! Easy as lard is greasy! I mastered the system in 5 minutes.

    I have the NatGeo software from which I laminate the maps I make, and some grid tools from maptools.com (love them!), I also have my Dakota in UTM (Love that GPS!).

    EB
    "Takes .357 to the field... every time..."
    "AR - America's Rifle"
    "Bushido, an honourable way of life"

  9. #19
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Northwest quadrosphere, SOL-3
    Posts
    387
    I was certifying a dog handler as a NASAR Sar Technician once. The program required a compass course of around 1.5km, with 5 legs - the hard part was using pace counts to get the right distances, given the right headings. No electronics allowed.

    This one woman for some reason absolutely wasn't doing it right, at any point. I know she was trained correctly (I trained her), she had demonstrated the right techniques in class, but absolutely could NOT get any leg right, even on direction. At first I thought her compass was hosed, so I gave her mine (which I knew was right) and she still couldn't do it.

    So, in remediation I had her show me what she was doing - and she was going through the right motions, just getting the wrong results (and not just wrong, but inconsistently wrong - a different heading each time). Quite a puzzlement.

    I made certain that she didn't have any metal on her - no radios, underwire bra, surgical implants (although they are not usually magnetic), any other metal. I had her ditch her pack, just in case - still no luck. Finally, I noticed that when my compass got close to her, it moved.....yep, she had her own, STRONG, magnetic field. Thats one of the weirdest things I've seen.

    To get her through the class I had her tell me exactly what to do, I'd do the compass work and she could do the pacing. No problems.

    Another time, I had a (former) USMC Force Recon give me crap about using orienteering compasses, instead of a mil-spec lensatic. I don't give a crap what anyone uses as long as they can successfully accomplish the exercise so I told him to use whatever he wanted.

    Two hours later, he borrowed my orienteering style compass after failing the course 3 times. Oh, he also claimed that my course was laid out wrong - except I used that Lietz transit to lay it out, and everyone else was accomplishing the course OK.

    Use whatever you are good with.


    As far as grids go, I taught myself marine navigation when I was around 12, and celestial when I was 15. I was very happy to learn MGRS/UTM in the military, though.

    And I've found that giving UTM grids to people who should but don't use it is counterproductive

  10. #20
    Thunder Lizard Canning Club Chapter of the Old Farts Society


    Grumpy Old Man's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Galts Gulch, God's Country
    Posts
    2,293
    In my salad days as an exploration geologist I mapped abandoned mines, drilling prospects, open pits and just general geologic mapping using my Brunton to measure the attitude of beds, foliation and fault planes. I've laid out claim lines with it and used it to signal with. For me, a Brunton was, and is, as much a part of my tool kit as my rock pick.

    In boy scouts I used other compasses, but for me, I'll take a Brunton over anything else. It is the tool I am most familiar with.

    BTW,when I bought my first International model, it was only about $100.
    Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Liberty or give me death." Patrick Henry, Virginia House of Burgesses, March 23, 1775

    Quo Vadis?

    Luke 22:36, And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

    emergencyfoodssupplies.com

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •