Compasses going crazy...Theories and Research

^JustMike's got it spot on

This is my first post on ATS, been lurking for years, but this drew me out.


Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Conditions: Overcast, Mild, School football field.

Lensatic Compass: 29.5 deg. off to East, at adjustment of 11"6' declination

Android Galaxy S: 35 deg. off to East, adjusted 12" declination

Originally posted by Pilgrum

Originally posted by rubbertramp
does anyone know how a gps compass works?
i'm assuming it's built in and not a satellite signal.

A true GPS unit like in-car navigation systems uses satellites to determine true position and altitude which makes it independant of magnetic pole variations. Compass and GPS apps for mobile phones determine position by triangulation of cell tower signals so they're not as precise or reliable as true GPS units as it relies on strong enough signals from multiple towers. Not sure if any phones have true satellite GPS modules built in but it's possible in up-market units. The thing is, all these GPS methods are not affected by magnetic changes. Even the compass apps for cell-phones do not use magnetic methods to determine bearing so they'll read the same regardless of pole shifts - they just determine your location on the globe and adjust for the known standard variation of magnetic north from true north for that location.

i appreciate your reply.
i quoted the whole thing because it concerns more that just my gps question.
obviously my assumption was wrong.
actually brings more questions to mind.
is something also going on with the satellites and cell grids?
i'll be taking a bit of a ride this afternoon and will watch my gps closely.

btw, i did pull out my good compass.
does seem a bit off, not much, but a bit off to the east.

Originally posted by BlueShift
Really interesting thread, over in northern Ireland compasses are fine lol,
Geographic properties can greatly affect compass bearings and directions, magnetic anomalies in rocks can send them wayyyy off; I know from hiking experiences
Maybe there's something along the east coast of the US changing underground, New Madrid? I'm not sure where exactly it runs...

The New Madrid Fault runs along a portion of the Mississippi river, in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and southern Illinois. Quakes from the New Madrid radiate as far out as Northern Pennsylvania to Northern Louisiana. The Northeast US also has secondary fault systems that run through upstate New York and Canada. Quakes have been more frequent along these fault zones in the past few years also. I believe there is even a secondary fault system running through the central Carolinas.

i heard the government is in the process of setting up giant electro magnets at both the poles to just make an artificial magnetosphere. they will be partly powered by solar panels. they dont want to tell anyone because people wouldnt approve of the amount of money we had to put into it. well over $700billion is needed from what i have heard.

reply to post by coolguy

Sources please

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


Cheers MadDog, that saves me looking up google
Strong correlation then on that map and where you say the New Madrid fault is?

Well I am in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur to be precise. My wife and I haven't used real compasses, but the magnetometer compass in our (different) android phones. After calibrating/resetting the magentometer North is exactly there where it expected to be...

reply to post by BlueShift


All data collected aligns the eastern US false compass readings almost parallel with the New Madrid fault. I'll be working on an updated, detailed overlay map today to show the similarities (unless someone beats me to it).

reply to post by dashen


that's a great idea!

He will think I'm crazy, but that's not a new occurance

Friday night my daughter was going to her friend house and her gps told her to turn right when she needed to turn left left. We live in a really small town, approx 3 miles wide by 4 miles long, so its not like a different route would've been given. It told her to go the opposite direction. Really wierd.

Originally posted by rubbertramp

actually brings more questions to mind.
is something also going on with the satellites and cell grids?
i'll be taking a bit of a ride this afternoon and will watch my gps closely.

Cell towers are firmly fixed on the ground so they're not reliant on magnetic field orientation when triangulating your position but the variation of magnetic north from true north needs to be looked up for your location. Those tables of variations are not updated frequently though as changes may only be needed every ten years or more.
GPS satellites are in motion (orbitting) but they determine where they are at any instant in relation to fixed ground stations by triangulation as well so magnetic shifts don't throw them off either and they'll let you determine where you are on the earth's surface regardless of where the magnetic poles might wander.

reply to post by billxam


Portland, OR

magnetic N is NE

Albuquerque, NM
The digital compass on my iPhone is showing Magnetic North between 15 and 20 degrees East of where I know it to be. Unfortunately I don't have a real compass available at the moment to check it against, but when I do I will post those results.

Okay Gang, I have not read through all the post so, I am not sure if anyone of you actually uses a Compass for anything. I use to a lot and here is how to set up your Compass...North has been moving:




earthsci.org...

Mine is dead north, in Arizona. Mahe sure you are putting it on a flat surface.
In my hand it goes somewhat East. On a flat surface, due north.

I applaud you all working as a team.

I believe you are all doing a good job and keep a check with the pets they will let you know whenthngs are off.

Mostly when I write I am ignored and that's ok the important thing is people have read what I wrote.

Not going over it all again I have done that enough keep this thread going because things are going to slow up and speed up like quakes, volcaoes,magnetic anomalies, Tsunami's the Earth is changing it has to happen like this so it isn't an ELE.

All you are writing about NM fault Cal. etc. are not the big ones I wrote where it is going to be and described what to look for the Mid Atlantic Ridge first off Brazil then the event Africa out to the Ridge.

You are smart keep this thread active.

I'm in Scotland and my compass is about ten degrees off too. Perhaps that theory about the pole shift that's supposed to happen in 2012 isn't far off the truth..... I set it down on a flat surface facing dead north and it keeps fluctuating between 355 and 2 degrees north. I'm not near any possible interference either. Seriously, is that supposed to happen?

The 20-30 degree anomaly i observed last night here in germany has
faded away over the day and the compass needle and smartphone app
now seem to be close to what i expect them to show.