Compasses going crazy...Theories and Research

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by VenomVile.6

 

Strange that compass apps are also messing up. Aren't they GPS based??

No,it works off a small gyro in the phone itself as far as i can remember.
No compass,but following thread with interest.

reply to post by Sek82


I use a very well crafted Coleman Engineers Compass. Not one of these cheap walmart models either. The type used for line of sight measurements and such. I am very well versed in using such a tool. I spent many years using this type of compass for dish alignment when fine tuning a satellite TV dish. Also, as a teen, attained Eagle Scout which requires much use of compasses on the trail to Eagle.

So, I know how to use a compass properly. That is why it got my attention yesterday when it read well over 30 degrees off magnetic north and about 40 degrees off true north. I contacted a long-time friend in southwest Virginia who is also well versed in compass usage. He told me his was off by at least 26 degrees, but with a noticeable "waiver" in the needle.

Originally posted by br0ker
reply to post by XtraTL

 

Alrighty then,, I`m on almost 0 degrees magnetic declination. When I pointed the compass down a street that`s supposed to be south\north on the map I see a 13-18 degree error. I now gave this a five percent margin of error.

I don`t really understand it, that`s why I`m stating it.

5 percent error sounds about right.

5 * 360 / 100 = 18 degrees, which also happens to be the maximum of the deviations you posted.

it would be interesting to see how accurately people on this thread believe they can estimate the direction of true north. Those who are being more careful are probably within 18 degrees.

Originally posted by THEDUDE86
reply to post by MadDogtheHunter

 

from what I have read. Your wrong. The phone has a magnet in its speaker. It uses a three axis magnetometer to detect variations in electromagnetic fields. No app required to read the raw data from the magnetometer and accelerometer if your rooted your phone....Stop spewing stuff you do not know.

A magnet in the phone.....well, theres the issue. No magnetic compass is going to operate with precision when located that close to a magnet. There will always be slight inaccuracies. Therefore, why would phone manufacturers create such a device and call it accurate?

reply to post by XtraTL


Are you aware that a month ago, the mainstream media and various science reporters predicted that compasses would start showing anomalous readings due to magnetic field shifts, and that the fact that compasses would start showing anomalous readings was previously discussed here, so there is absolutely no mystery whatsoever?

reply to post by sepermeru


Re-post the link... maybe that will help people understand more of what's going on. The only thing people want to do is learn. This is a great way to do it..

reply to post by tracehd1


I've posted it three times on this thread, and it just keeps getting ignored, but okay, I will post it again.

www.foxnews.com...

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


Yes, that is totally a fair point about my fonts. I actually messed up and didn't intend for the posts to be in all huge like that, but by the time I realized and went to edit a mod did it. Sorry about that.

reply to post by sepermeru

And by all means, theres no need to repost the same thing multiple times. As I already stated, This thread is here for its own separate purpose.....to discuss something that is happening and to share theories and ideas about what could be causing it in such a local manner.

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by Sek82

 

I use a very well crafted Coleman Engineers Compass. Not one of these cheap walmart models either. The type used for line of sight measurements and such. I am very well versed in using such a tool. I spent many years using this type of compass for dish alignment when fine tuning a satellite TV dish. Also, as a teen, attained Eagle Scout which requires much use of compasses on the trail to Eagle.

So, I know how to use a compass properly. That is why it got my attention yesterday when it read well over 30 degrees off magnetic north and about 40 degrees off true north. I contacted a long-time friend in southwest Virginia who is also well versed in compass usage. He told me his was off by at least 26 degrees, but with a noticeable "waiver" in the needle.

If you live where you say you do, then declination is about 11 degrees WEST. But your compass reading on that declination map you posted looks to be about 45 degrees EAST.

Thus, what you just posted here completely contradicts the other posts you made.

WOW this thread has grown. I posted maps last night to keep track but I did it looking for a specific thing. Let me explain. If you have a point, lets call it an anomaly and people on the right of that anomaly see the compass point east wouldn't it be valid to say those on the left would post their compass pointing west? or South if in the North. I don't see any triangulation happening. I am not discrediting at all but doesn't this seem strange? On the new maps the colors are green for North, Red for South, and Blue for not sure. Why is there no mention or more that 3 posts to the West(no color) or one post for the South(no color) If an anomaly is in a certain point wouldn't it be logical that that point be surrounded with compasses pointing to center?

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by sepermeru

 

And by all means, theres no need to repost the same thing multiple times. As I already stated, This thread is here for its own separate purpose.....to discuss something that is happening and to share theories and ideas what could be causing it in such a local manner.

But that doesn't make any sense. The articles predicted that it would be happening in an erratic and local manner. If you would please just read the link you might see why I keep repeating the information -- you're making it obvious you haven't looked at it. Discussing what's happening would be fine. But it's very clear from the excited content of many posts that because the OP states this as being a mystery, many posters do not know that this has already been explained.

Originally posted by sepermeru
reply to post by XtraTL

 

Are you aware that a month ago, the mainstream media and various science reporters predicted that compasses would start showing anomalous readings due to magnetic field shifts, and that the fact that compasses would start showing anomalous readings was previously discussed here, so there is absolutely no mystery whatsoever?

If they said that, they were wrong.

Whilst the field is shifting, it is a very slow and minor change which you would only notice on compasses over a period of years, if not decades (unless you live very near the north pole, e.g. in Canada in which case it might be more noticeable over a period of a few years).

The article at fox news is (shock horror) absolutely disingenuous.

Hikers would be off by miles if they didn't take the declination into account at all, not because of recent changes.

It has always been the case that you needed to adjust for the declination.

This is yet another example of a typical distortion of the main stream media. I'm not the only person who would not trust Fox for accurate scientific information.

The OP is trying to tell us about a deviation of 50 degrees from magnetic north after adjusting for the expected changes in declination.

As we've now established that this has nothing to do with the magnetic north pole of the earth, as numerous people (including myself) have measured it and found it to be where it ought to be, we are only left with a few possibilities.

* Local interference

* Compass which has become magnetised incorrectly due to being stored incorrectly or dropped or something of that nature

* An OP who can't correctly identify landmarks on a map or true north on a map, etc

* An out and out hoax

Do a google search for magnetic north on google news and notice no articles reporting we've had a sudden change in the direction of magnetic north of 30, 40, 50 degrees. It hasn't happened.

Thank you to the voice of reason, I'm glad someone paid attention in grade school Science class. As for everyone else, I have a prediction, and don't forget you read it here first, here it is: "I predict the Northern Hemisphere will increase in temperature as Summer gets closer, amazingly, the Southern Hemisphere will get cooler and Winter will begin there. Don't believe me? Wait, watch, and see.

reply to post by sepermeru

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter

Look at a real world map. I live on the East coast. All declination maps of the US show that my location should show magnetic north right where everyone would think it should be.

Real world map? And here I was looking at a map of Middle Earth.
Oh wait, this is you trying to imply I'm too stupid to use a real map.

How mature.

Nothing here refutes what I said. Please refrain from wasting my time with uselessness.

Compare the location of Pennsylvania to the location of Siberia, then consider the earths rotation and axis. Then, edit your post to reflect how wrong you are.

I did this on a globe, due to real world globes being more accurate than "real world maps". I'm still correct in that since the North magnetic pole is shifting towards Siberia, that would make compasses in North America point Northwest to West. This proves you dead wrong, yet again.



Go ahead and draw a line from PA to the North pole. This is more or less magnetic North from you.

Now draw a direct line from PA to Siberia where the Magnetic pole is migrating to, like your NASA article (that you contradict) says.

Which direction is the Siberia line in relation to North?
Northwest by West, or Northeast by East?

What does the Earth's rotation have to do with magnetic pole attraction in this case?

If the Earth was spinning the exact opposite way, the magnetic pole would still be roughly at the North pole, and it would still be roaming to Siberia and making compass needles in North America slowly orient Northwest to West over time. Assuming all other variables are the same.

Axis, yes I know where true north is. If I did not, then I would not be able to even participate in this topic. Since you know that (you know that right?), then you are obviously just implying I am stupid for the second time in this post, since you cannot prove me wrong.

You are just trying to throw out anything you can think of that sounds remotely related, to try and feign intellectualism. Might as well throw out Polar Bears, and Santa Clause too. Cause they have some link to the North pole.

I won't be editing any of my posts.
Your unreasonable demand is denied.

Thats my last sack of grain for the troll. Looking forward to the updated map at 6pm EDT.

Thank you for admitting that you cannot refute what I say, and do not want to expend anymore effort in being proven wrong by me.

Here in Chicago there is no perceptible deviation. If it stops raining tonight I'll try to shoot Polaris, but I doubt there will be much deviation from the 2000 secular magnetic north.

reply to post by XtraTL

This thread isn't about debunking anyone or anything. Its about figuring out whats going on, apparently mostly in the eastern US. If it turns out to be nothing, so be it. But I think humans in general have evolved to the point where when something appears to be out of the ordinary, whether personally or on a larger scale, they tend to work together to find the cause(s). That, is the point of this thread. Each person who posted their compass readings, has done so, to share information that is happening in real time. Now, we take all that information, examine it and find its cause, whatever it may or may not be. So instead of trying to prove someones compass readings wrong...why not be civil and just continue theorizing its causes together and share it with all of ATS? Thats my goal with this thread, nothing more, nothing less.

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


So what?

Your false reading superimposed on a dec map proves nothing. Except that you can superimpose one image on top of another.

Originally posted by sepermeru

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by sepermeru

 

And by all means, theres no need to repost the same thing multiple times. As I already stated, This thread is here for its own separate purpose.....to discuss something that is happening and to share theories and ideas what could be causing it in such a local manner.

But that doesn't make any sense. The articles predicted that it would be happening in an erratic and local manner. If you would please just read the link you might see why I keep repeating the information -- you're making it obvious you haven't looked at it. Discussing what's happening would be fine. But it's very clear from the excited content of many posts that because the OP states this as being a mystery, many posters do not know that this has already been explained.

We're not predicting here....we are theorizing the cause of something that more than a couple people have noticed in multiple locations.

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by Sek82

 

So, I know how to use a compass properly. That is why it got my attention yesterday when it read well over 30 degrees off magnetic north and about 40 degrees off true north. I contacted a long-time friend in southwest Virginia who is also well versed in compass usage. He told me his was off by at least 26 degrees, but with a noticeable "waiver" in the needle.

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but what may be useful to know is how long it's been since the last time you took a compass measurement and the compass pointed correctly. Could perhaps use this in determining what geologic events have taken place that could possibly be related.