Global Compass - how do they work

[@stpetie7686]

Every video I think to myself, "Man I'm glad I found this channel".

[@mrparlanejxtra]

What a wonderful world, ooooohhhh yeeeeeaaaaahhh

[@nikob5899]

That's a lovely comment!❤

[@PhilWaud]

That is fascinating, again you teach us about something that we knew nothing about and keep our attention because its so well presented. Thank you.

[@glyngibbs9489]

Excellent as usual, thanks. Can't wait for the quantum electrodynamics talk. Best teacher I ever had.

[@nikob5899]

❤

[@worthlessendeavors]

Some people are born to teach. I’m grateful to encounter them.

[@IOSALive]

The Map Reading Company, Wow, this made my day brighter! Thank you!

[@barnyWRX]

Completely not what I expected the difference to be. Many thanks for the explanation.

[@barrydonaldson]

Excellent! It's amazing how little info there is on the detail of how our compasses work. Even from the manufacturerers! This channel ROCKS my nerdy World! 🤘🤘

[@clivedunning4317]

Thank you for a great explanation of a little discussed area of compass behaviour. I liked your wooden lecturing aids.

[@timbarnard4351]

well I raised a question directly on this a couple of weeks ago, maybe that's not a coincidence to get a new video to directly answer it ... either way, thank you ... all very clear as always!

[@wonkydogleathercraft6698]

Wayne, brilliant course at the weekend near Hathersage, I learned a lot but also realised I need to learn a hell of a lot more. I took your advice and bought an expedition 4 instead of a global. See you on the gold award but not after loads of practice first. Thanks again Glyn

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Hi Glyn, nice to meet you all over the weekend. I've sent you an email this morning with the results. See you in Malham next year then (on the Gold course)

[@kakegarcia8056]

SUCH A GREAT INFORMATION, thanks so much, now I understand. Bests regards from a Venezuelan follower in Panama!

[@07HDFatboy]

Thank you. Was in the US Army did land navigation, but never was taught about that.

[@BrentHottle-gi2pe]

The best explanation of the differences that I’ve ever heard. Now I want to know why lanyards are always to short- bugs the crap out of me.

[@ben31tube]

Excellent video! They are all full of applicable information, with a little humor thrown in!

[@BrightBlueJim]

I discovered this myself, almost 30 years ago, when I was in college studying for an electrical engineering degree, and as a project developed a digital compass, which gave its best results when tilting down on the north end.

[@redf7209]

I think Geologist compasses will allow you to measure magnetic inclination as this varies a lot over the earths surface, so in some places there is a definite pull towards the ground than in other places. I suppose if this was mapped it could be another navigation tool but would probably change overtime like magnetic deviation

[@etherealrose2139]

Although I already knew about this material, I was curious on your presentation. Waffling aside, you had good visuals and explanations... things I wish I saw back when I learned about it. Really useful video for any newbie. Good job! Only downside, was waiting for you to break out the thermos for a nice cuppa while sheltering in the dell! What's your favorite type of tea?

[@nikob5899]

I take a guess - Yorkshire English tea😅

[@LeftySurvival]

I'm completely amazed there's a magnet in the compass! I thought the needle was magnetized. Now I've learned something today and I'm so glad I did. This channel is very informative. I'm off to play with my compasses (NH & Global)...

[@RogerBays]

I live in New Zealand and it is very difficult to find a compass where the southern end of the pointer doesn't scrape. Even proper outdoor shops frequently sell compasses that have been balanced for the northern hemisphere (with a northern hemisphere DIP angle). When I try to tell them they look at me like I come from Mars. I go back to the shop a year later and they are still selling them. Using a compass with the wrong dip angle is incredibly annoying because you always have to monitor if it is scraping and thereby giving you a false bearing. Enjoy your videos, any chance of one about the wonderful, but now discontinued, Silva 54 with the miniature sighting prism built into the housing. I used one in Antarctica to sight in a row of glacio poles, on a bearing. We swore that with care you could sight to 1/3 of a degree. Cheers.

[@causewaykayak]

There's a good reason folk are working in shops. Shop assistants are notoriously bad listeners and basically slaves to proprietor's directives. They just want to shift stock.

[@markbernier8434]

Go to a ships chandler and try there. Ships of course, go everywhere and move about doing it.

[@causewaykayak]

@@markbernier8434 Quite right. Compasses are swung regularly and larger ports will have agents equipped to do the job. Most modern small boat compasses are fluid mounted globes rather than cards or needles.

[@RegebroRepairs]

The Silva Expedition S has a sighting mirror, which is supposed to do the same thing. I haven't used either, so I don't know, though. But Silva Expeditions is what we always used when orienteering in school.

[@joenicotera2991]

I've had quite a few different compasses over the years...but if you really want accuracy in a small package I bought a sighting compass made by Suunto. I know most compasses have the sighting feature but this one was different...The factory specs were different too. The factory claimed accuracy 1/3 of a degree. I bought it for doing rough survey work...the price wasn't all too bad...i wasn't expecting it to replace a transit...but it usually did. Suunto KB-14/360R OH, AND IT SAYS GLOBAL ON THE DIAL. WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE IN THE FACTORY PHOTO IS THE VIEW INSIDE THE SIGHT WINDOW...HOW YOU USE IT IS KEEP BOTH EYES OPEN.

[@flyingdutchmanindustries5877]

That was very well done. Nice and simple, and no useless music!👍 Good use of 'clunky' props.

[@skypucktrader9909]

Incredibly effective speaker and your props and visuals are outstanding. GREAT work!!

[@davehumpleby3440]

I never knew that. Every day's a school day. Thanks.

[@zacandmillie]

This is an excellent explanation. I wish I'd known this stuff 30 years ago when I joined the army. Never-mind, in my 20 years in I never got lost.

[@KarateLars]

Excellent explanation of something I was wondering about. Thank you for taking the time to make the video.

[@nixie2462]

Damn man, I have NEVER seen a video about something I didn't know I was interested, catch me so hard in the first 35 seconds. Sir, you are hipnotic on another level.

[@peterszarvas94]

It's amazing. I only hike along trails with gps, but your videos inspire me to try out this method and off the trails. Of course in a safe way, start in a familiar small forest:) Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@MDyna32]

The other advantage of many global needle designs is that they can be accurately read while running, canoeing, etc thanks to the stable, fast-settling needle (1-2 seconds or less)

[@Seamus3051]

Excellent presentation, clear and demonstrative. Cheers.

[@tomconway8881]

Rewatching this video. Very good and clear explanation.

[@stevesmith3216]

Not only once again was brilliant, but I didn't even know there was such a thing. I can now plagerise you and impress my friends with how brilliant I am, as if they didn't know already.

[@davidlockwood8136]

Excellent video. You are an exceptional teacher and a decent carpenter. Fortunate to have found your channel. Why are inclinometers useless?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

They are useless to me as I never use them. But there are some people who they help. Mind you if you know how to use a compass then they're not needed as you can get the angle of a slope quite easily. I’ve shown how to do this in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/an21YmermpV6sJo

[@davidlockwood8136]

@@TheMapReadingCompany I found the inclinometer video after asking the question and immediately understood your comment. Determining slope with only the compass was a “why didn’t I think of that” moment. Thank you for the reply and the excellent videos. And I do enjoy your waffles.

[@trektoid5092]

Great explanation. So can a global baseplate compass tolerate a greater angle of baseplate tilt than a northern hemisphere compass when used in the UK?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Yes - that's why a lot of people buy them

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

Aaah, excellent. I’ve seen global compasses advertised but never knew principal. Thank you.

[@lescalger5336]

Great video. I thought I knew something about a compass, but this was new to me. Thanks.

[@markpinther9296]

Excellent video sir. I am always surprised at how few people carry a compass into wooded areas let alone know how to use even the basic functions of the instrument.

[@EarlStirling]

The inclinometer is there to measure slope angle. Very useful if you're on a snowy mountain or hill and want to know whether you're in an avalanche danger zone. Plus it's easy to just print a few extra lines on the compass base, and you've got an extra feature to list on the packaging ;)

[@redf7209]

You could also use the slope angle to match with contours on a map to check position. The Silva inclinometer card allows you to match contour difference to a slope angle table that can be compared with an inclinometer readout. I'd prefer the need to do that stayed theoretical for me

[@DarkCoffee2]

Well... That's news to me! Thanks for the clearly understood explanation, as always!

[@jasont80]

I like the little spherical compass that is suspended in liquid.

[@squarehead560]

Brilliant, educational and enjoyable to watch. Thank you. If the difference is only the pointer separated from the magnet from product manufacturing perspective, why brands not make global compasses the standard product, rather than charging so much higher prices for these compared to the hemispherical ones.(Btw pls do explain quantum electro dynamics…!)

[@michaelperine2333]

I started using a compass when I was a Boy Scout more than seventy years ago. I don't hold the compass flat (or horizontal). I hold it so that the needle moves freely. On rough terrain, what looks like flat may not be.

[@Rooster0529]

Fascinating for a 62 year old guy. I never knew or thought about this.

[@rob_l]

got a question if i'm in Australia and have a northern hem compass as you say the needle bottoms out due to the weights and the earths mag field so if I just tilt the compass so that it does move will this be a true reading

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Yes. See the video at 9:20

[@philsturdy]

Are there any downsides to a global compass, aside from perhaps cost of manufacture, robustness? Does it take longer to settle?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Not that I know of, although they do seem to be a little less robust - due to more moving parts.

[@allenshepard7992]

Thank you for another great video. Sadly, one reward may be a very stupid question. Does the lengty of the needle, seperation of north & south poles affect precision ? I've always thought a longer needle with the north end further from the south makes a difference. Granted size does not affect a spirit level much so I could be wrong.

[@CHUNKYNUGGET666]

Cheers! I’m in the southern hemisphere should I look for SH or Global?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

SH would be cheaper but I have heard reports of shops selling NH compasses without telling anyone.

[@joezephyr]

I bought my Silva brand compass in Sydney Australia. Will it be accurate in the UK?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Probably not if it is marked MS (Magnetic South), you will need an MN (Magnetic North)

[@AdventureOtaku]

Ive been teaching "compass related activities" for 20+ years and didn't know the answer to this. Excellent job. Why do I buy a compass with an inclinometer?

[@Eragon954]

So you can measure surfaces in 3d space for geological mapping. At least that's one use.

[@Jonathan906]

@@Eragon954 I used to be a caver, and Brunton compasses (pocket transits, I believe Brunton terms them as) were and maybe still are used commonly in cave mapping because of their precision and their built-in inclinometers.

[@stephenconger2029]

Is there a kind of compass or similar device for visualizing magnetic field lines in 3d? Like a compass that wouldn't just point north and south but up and down as well (fluidly). I found a phone app once that gave xyz coordinates and this was close but less intuitive than I'd like. I've got some theories on storm cell rotation and relative effects on local magnetic fields I've been wanting to test.

[@sidensvans67]

Interesting . Very well presented . I learned something today . Good Job .

[@alexandermeijer]

I just learned a number of interesting things, thank you!

[@peterjohnson6273]

Don't you just hold the compass base so the needle swings easy?

[@pbingre]

Very well explained, thank you! Is there any remarkable difference in accuracy between these two kinds of compasses (single hemisphere vs. global)?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Not that I know of. I've used both, and they seem to be the same

[@pbingre]

Thank you very much! Meanwhile I've checked Suunto's website. Surprisingly they state their MB-6 Global has a compass accuracy of 2.5°, whereas MB-6 NH is slightly less accurate at 3°.

[@AnthonyHigham6414001080]

What will a global compass do at the north or south pole?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

You can't use a compass at the magnetic South Pole as all directions are north, same with the magnetic north pole where all directions are south. It gets stranger if you are at the geographic south pole as the magnetic south pole is out in the ocean, around 1,800 miles away towards Australia. In the Artic and Antarctic I’d probably use a GPS.

[@gerryrozema8338]

@@TheMapReadingCompany I've flown in the arctic a bunch, in the days before GPS. Astro compass is your friend. A good watch is also very handy when in an area with 24 hours a daylight during the summer. If you know what time it is, then you know what direction the sun should be, and you can use that to adjust the gyro.

[@delta7087]

So would it be good to just get a global and be done with it? So no matter what or where you’re not gonna have a problem or if I’m in the northern hemisphere is I better to have one of those? Would it be more accurate in that particular area or would both be just as accurate as the other? Very intriguing and love your videos.

[@StefKomGeekru]

Could you explain what the magnetic field is made of? Also, where do the compass points if you at at the north pole? Like does it flip entirely at some point if you cross it?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

A magnetic field isn’t made of “something” it just “is”. You’ll need recall your school physics lessons and then you’ll remember that a magnetic field is made “by” electric charges which are moving but they are not made “of” something. Do you remember vector fields from your school days ? A school teacher who wanted to explain it so kids can understand it would say something like, a vector field is something which changes the way space works in a specific area. Object within this area will behave in a certain as they are being influenced by the vector field. For example a compass needle in the earth’s magnetic (vector) field. Hope this helps

[@hadesbearer]

Where was this filmed? Millstone Edge or Burbage South?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Millstone Edge

[@Shugosha.2Cor5.20]

Excellent video, great channel, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, God Bless

[@ervano798]

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing. Since very long time it was a big mystery to me how such a global compass functioned. The reason why we need in certain places a compass with a global needle was very clear for me, but not how it works or be manufactured. I own two compasses, a plate compass is a normal compass, my bearing compass is a global type. I see the difference between both by their needle but i had no idee what really was the difference. Now i know it. Is this something i really need? No, i don't but it's very interesting and i am happy know to now it.

[@jimmypalavi]

Excellent video! Is there any type of compass that would be usable nearby iron, which of course can impart an infuriating magnetic field if its own.

[@causewaykayak]

A solar compass . An Astro compass. A polarising lugh compass. All unaffected by magnets.

[@christalbert722]

very nice presentation- good usable info :)

[@Jonathan906]

Fantastic explanation. Is there any issue around reduced leverage from the smaller radius disk of a global compass vs the longer arm of a non-global compass needle?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I like that question 😊 In “some” cases the magnet in a global compass has either the same or more mass than the longer magnetic arm in a standard compass. BUT it has to be remembered that the mass (or size) of a magnet does not directly affect its susceptibility to the Earth's magnetic field - although bigger compasses have room/space for more magnetic material. The strength of a magnet's interaction with the Earth's magnetic field is primarily determined by its intrinsic magnetic properties, such as its magnetic moment, material composition, and magnetization. So (very basically) if you make a better magnet, with more aligned magnetic domains and greater magnetic flux density, it will exhibit a stronger response - in our case spin around inside the compass. Don’t forget that in a standard compass the arm just needs to turn itself but in a global compass the magnet has to turn itself and also drag around the arm, so it needs to react (to the earth’s magnetic field) slightly more. So, and I'm guessing here as compass manufacturers are VERY protective of their intellectual property, I would say that the central magnet in a global compass is just made of better magnetic material with a stronger composition.

[@Jonathan906]

@@TheMapReadingCompany Thank you! That answer makes perfect sense. Thank you for that explanation.

[@simongee8928]

Didnt know about the compensating weights in a compass, but makes perfect sense. Interesting info about global compasses though - ! 😊

[@NorthPoleJeff]

I learn new things every day. Thank you.

[@GiacomoCatenazzi]

Note: it seems that global compass are also less precise (according datasheet of some of manufacturers, iirc 3 degree vs. 1 degree). But the annoying part: shops rarely tell you which version you get (also Silva UK shop did the same error). Considering the global trade I'm wondering if we get really a Northern sector. Is there a way to check, without going to very north places?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

On a Silva compass turn it over and you will see 4 letters. The 2nd two letters are product batch codes (when they were made, etc). The 1st two letters are the magnetic zone for which the compass is intended to be used: MN (Magnetic North), MS (Magnetic South), ME (Magnetic Equator).

[@phillipmerritt1428]

A lot of good information.I think I knew some of it, but it was a great review.

[@justindawson3428]

I have learnt a few things from this video and for once it was not from your rambles LOL, Thank you for these videos. What is the best way to ask you questions?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Channel members can ask as many questions as they want on the community page - so if you would like to join that would be great 😊 kzbin.info/door/F6JMjE4LM3nuWhaiLjLuOQjoin Or just ask here (not everyone can afford to join a KZbin channel) and if I have time I'll try and answer.

[@dperreno]

This was a great video, but it would have been better if you had shown us at least a picture of an actual global compass next to a conventional one. Or was that Suunto a global compass? I mean, what does one look like? How much more do they cost?

[@sdecarlo]

Thank you for your presentation!

[@jasonpm6401]

So why doesn't the "like" of the inner magnet repel the "like" of the outer arm?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

The arm (north seeking pointer) is made from a non magnetic material

[@maxmn5821]

Thanks for this explanation! (And the carpentry did more than a Blender animation would) I guess many viewers are interested in subtitles of magnetism and don‘t mind few extra details. They may like Paul M Sutter’s AskASpaceman episode about magnetism.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video...👍

[@grahamclifton1483]

Thanks for your work! Please can you mention, the excellent Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain, with Roman towns and roads overlaid on a faint background of modern British roads..?

[@matthewsheeran]

I have a good quality "global" compass with inclinometer. It's only plastic but is a good one which cost me over $100. Most compasses are indeed region specific and don't work very well in such circumstances.

[@UniversalSovereignCitizen]

I got the circular magnet with a plastic pointer just before an advertisement. Thank God.

[@markrae3355]

Love your Videos, have small question, see with global compass can it get demagnetised.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

All compasses can become demagnetised.

[@TimLightfoot-v5h]

@@TheMapReadingCompanyMy global compass got demagnetised in the hold of an aeroplane. Is it possible to remagnetise a global compass? Thanks for the interesting video.

[@mrparlanejxtra]

Do all planets have magnetic north and south poles?

[@moorejl57]

Apparently not. Mars and Venus don't seem to. Our moon doesn't either.

[@mrparlanejxtra]

@@moorejl57 All these nutjobs seem to think God did it. He should have put magnets in everything. Perhaps NASA should drop a great big magnet on the moons south pole?

[@hissingman]

Отличное видео! Спасибо! Подскажите зачем на компасах делают шкалу? На базовой плите, рядом с линзой? 1:24 хорошо видно две такие шкалы? Они начинаются на отметке 10 и соединяются в отметке 0.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

They are Roamers - used to measure distance. 1:24 means that you can use that roamer with a 1:24,000 map.

[@hissingman]

Спасибо большое!!!

[@Chris-op7yt]

the old style but bulkier sphere in liquid compass didnt have this problem?

[@TimLightfoot-v5h]

Is it possible to remagnetise my Global compass? It died in the hold of a aircraft

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I’ve done this a few times, more out of curiosity than a real need, as I tend to just throw away compasses that don’t work for any reason. The last time I did this was with a compass which had depolarised due to being left on a desk next to a laptop overnight. Get a strong magnet (neodymium, etc) and find out which are the north and south ends. Place the south end of your magnet so it is close as you can get it to the tip of the north end of the compass needle. Leave it on a flat table for a while (a few hours up to a few days). Test the compass.

[@TimLightfoot-v5h]

thanks!

[@35southkiwi16]

THANKS. was aware of the issue but didnt know how the work around was achieved

[@givemespace2742]

I have always been amused that the North magnetic pole is a south magnetic pole and visa versa.

[@rogats]

That was very elaborate!

[@adkvoyageur]

Are the Global housing filled w/turpintine?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

All the global compasses I have are oil filled. But there are some others which aren't.

[@adkvoyageur]

@@TheMapReadingCompany Thanks for the prompt reply.

[@priestof1s]

Awesome video

[@Βόρειο_Σέλας]

You are amazing, thanks for making this video. I have the Suunto global compass and wasn't too sure how it is manufactured, now I know. I am based in Melbourne Australia and 3 years ago I bought a Cammenga 27 for South Hemisphere and the South pointer needle was still dipping down. So, I disassembled it and added some brass weight at the north pointer and all fixed. The following year I bought another and the packaging clearly shows South Hemisphere balanced and still dipping. I contacted Cammenga and they insisted it is correctly balanced. I doubt it. Anyway, what I am saying is that the Cammenga can easily be balanced by anyone depending on the the region they are ie 1-5. Cheers

[@liftingtheveil8361]

Why does a bar magnet not dip in the North?

[@BradGryphonn]

Yes. I did find it interesting. Very interesting, actually. I have a relatively cheap orienteering compass that currently suits my basic needs. In the future, I'd like to invest in something that is more robust so that my clumsy self can't damage easily, and I can rely on to be accurate. It won't be a global compass, but still, I learned a lot from this video. Thank you.

[@carlubambi5541]

Thank you for your explanation .

[@htomerif]

I think there's a little bit wrong here? The only compasses I have are military lensatic compasses and the magnetic part is embedded in a glass plate massive enough that while it can still turn the pointer, it isn't strong enough to incline the pointer to where it will ever touch anything, even with pretty strong external magnetic field forcing it down.

[@Motoguzzi2231]

North and South indicating might be less confusing?

[@aamiddel8646]

Very interesting. By looking at the dip of the magnet you get also an idea of the latitude.. (if you really get lost..)

[@OutdoorExperience.101]

Interesting information and a good video, as always. Keep up the good work 👍

[@Drpiwi]

How does that differ from an oil filled compass?

[@g.w.moorman3887]

So essentially. the pointer in a global compass is mounted on a gimble. Sailors will appreciate that.

[@causewaykayak]

That was a complicated thing really well presented. I wouldn't be too self critical of your woodwork skills. Those were quite excellent demonstration models. I cant see why globetrotters cant buy a separate compass for each zone They are light enough and cheap enough. Boys Toys probably.

[@roxasparks]

Nah... gimmie the quantum eletrodynamics yadda yadda video. I demand it!❤

[@TurboLoveTrain]

Lovely video. 90% of the world population lives north of the Equator.

[@drpeemac]

Tx for through video...thanks for explaining it so well

[@tracyrreed]

Pilots learn to do "compass turns" and learn the acronym UNOS which stands for "undershoot north, overshoot south". This is because the magnetic compass will dip and chase the magnetic field lines into the ground as the aircraft banks. In the US latitudes it's 30 degrees. So when turning to a northern heading you stop your turn when the magnet compass indicates 30 degrees short of north. So if making a left hand turn towards North you would stop your turn when the compass indicates 30 degrees. As you roll wings level the compass will finish swinging and settle on due north. When turning south you turn until your compass indicates having turned 30 degrees past south. If you are turning east or west you don't have to compensate by overshooting or undershooting at all. If you are turning somewhere in between you reduce the amount of under or overshoot proportionally. So turning to the northeast you would undershoot by 15 degrees. And you have to be able to do all of this in your head on the fly! This is why gyro compass is greatly preferred over magnetic compass. But the gyro compass can fail so you have to know how to use the magnetic compass and make these "compass turns" with the proper corrections. There's another acronym related to the compass which is ANDS which stands for "accelerate north, decelerate south" but this effect doesn't come up nearly as much. I'll leave an explanation of the cause of this one as an exercise to the reader.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I found that really interesting, thanks.

[@1337flite]

NIfty. I've been wondering about that, being in the market for a global compass for my nephew who is an Army cadet and also likely to travel overseas when he is older.

[@liftingtheveil8361]

Why would you need so many different types of compasses?, if you are in the North a free suspended bar magnetic aligns North without dipping, same at the equator and same further south, it still points North.