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#160138 - 01/11/12 06:27 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: billstephenson]
Rayman1968 Offline
member

Registered: 06/12/10
Posts: 30
Loc: Ventura, CA.
Originally Posted By billstephenson
I like my cheap lensatic compass too, and his looks a lot better than mine blush

What do you use, or consider a quality one, and why?


Cammenga

They're the only company contracted by the Department of Defense to supply lensatic compasses to the US Military.

I have two of the tritium versions (model 3H) and they are rock solid.

That being said, I actually prefer to use a baseplate compass while on the trail. Just easier than a lensatic (no having to orient your map), much lighter/slimmer, and it gets the job done. I don't go out to call in artillery strikes or figure out how far 'that tree over there' is from 'that rock over there'.

When it comes to baseplate compasses I'm a huge Suunto fan. But when it comes to lensatic compasses, Cammenga is king.

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#160140 - 01/11/12 06:44 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Rayman1968]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Cammenga was founded in 1992. I got mine in the 70's.

It works fine.

Baseplate compasses only have an accuracy of 11 degrees. That means if you are taking a bearing on something a mile away, you can have a .2 mile error.
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#160149 - 01/11/12 09:02 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Gershon]
Rayman1968 Offline
member

Registered: 06/12/10
Posts: 30
Loc: Ventura, CA.
Originally Posted By Gershon
Baseplate compasses only have an accuracy of 11 degrees.

Painting with a broad brush there....what's your source for this bit of info?

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#160183 - 01/12/12 08:24 AM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Rayman1968]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Originally Posted By Rayman1968
Originally Posted By Gershon
Baseplate compasses only have an accuracy of 11 degrees.

Painting with a broad brush there....what's your source for this bit of info?


Army field training manual think. It might have been one of Sgt. Rock's sites.

Added: I'm glad you challenged this broadbrushed statement. The only way to really know is to test it. Site on something a couple hundred feet away. Record the siting.

Then using the GPS, mark the location you sited from as waypoint. Walk to the location and see what the bearing is to the waypoint. The reciprocal is what your compass reading should have been.

I'll add he results


Edited by Gershon (01/12/12 08:43 AM)
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#160184 - 01/12/12 08:52 AM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Gershon]
skcreidc Offline
member

Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Gerson, I am not going to even look that up and guess more like 2 to5 degrees at least. My Brunton has 0.5 degree accuracy. Look at the divisions; it should be in something like 1, 2, or 5 degree increments. This will give you some idea of the accuracy.

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#160188 - 01/12/12 09:05 AM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: skcreidc]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
It's not just the accuracy of the compass. It's the accuracy of the person reading it.

Anyway, I went out and tested it. I marked my start on the GPS as a waypoint. Then went out and walked to different locations and took a bearing back to the start. I was consistantly 1 degree left of the GPS.

Thank again for challenging me on the statement.


Edited by Gershon (01/12/12 09:06 AM)
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#160208 - 01/12/12 12:43 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Gershon]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Quote:
I marked my start on the GPS as a waypoint. Then went out and walked to different locations and took a bearing back to the start. I was consistantly 1 degree left of the GPS.


Wouldn't the accuracy of the GPS would affect this reading too?
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#160219 - 01/12/12 03:17 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: billstephenson]
oldranger Offline
member

Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
I would say that a variation of one degree would be trivial in nearly all real world situations.

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#160223 - 01/12/12 04:12 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: oldranger]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Yes, the accuracy of the GPS would affect things. An accuracy of one degree is plenty good for real world situations.
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http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

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#160225 - 01/12/12 04:24 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Gershon]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Light pole brainteaser. This one is real difficult, but IS doable.

You are in a parking lot with poles oriented something like this. It's a freehand drawing, so measurements are not accurate. You have 50 feet of parachute line plus enough to tie it to the pole.

Using a compass and the parachute line, draw the magneic azimuth lines and distances shown. Do not go more than 50 feet from the red pole.

Magnetic north is at the top of the page.

(This is a tough one.)

Time limit: 1 hour.

Accuracy:

No more than 8 feet error on any distance or 5 degree error on any bearing.

.


Edited by Gershon (01/12/12 04:40 PM)
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#161562 - 01/31/12 08:15 PM Re: Brain Teaser - Navigation skills [Re: Rayman1968]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Originally Posted By Rayman1968
If you're serious about map/compass/land navigation using a lensatic compass, the first thing you need to do is ditch that cheap Cammenga replica and get a real one.


Well, the old compass started acting up, so on your advice I got a Cammenga. What a difference! The numbers are much easier to read. It setles down to the bearing much quicker. It's not as sensitive to being level.

Thanks for the recommendation. Anything I said disagreeing with you was wrong.
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