Summer time is approaching, and that means outdoor recreation, walks and hikes in the forest. But while enjoying nature, we often forget about the danger. To avoid possible troubles, you need to be able to navigate natural conditions and find the right path.

And the best assistant in this is the familiar compass. There are, of course, GPS navigators, but their operating time is limited by battery charge, and the device itself can break from the slightest blow.

An ordinary compass is a fairly reliable device that can be bought at any sports store for a price of 100 rubles. Knowing how to use it, you will always be able to determine in which direction to move and will not get lost even in an unfamiliar place.

Detailed instructions for using the compass

Compass arrows

1.​ Since the compass needle is sensitive to metal, never use compasses built into metal objects (knives, etc.). Even a needle brought to the compass causes its needle to spin. Therefore, make sure that there is nothing metal near the compass. Keep in mind that power lines and railway tracks also affect the magnetic needle, so you need to move about 40 meters away from them.

2.​ When using, the compass should be placed on a flat surface (for example, on the palm) and not moved. The exception is special compasses that can be used even while running.

3. Around the perimeter of the device you can see a dial - a circular scale with numbers that indicate an angle from 0 to 360 degrees.

4. Now we can find the cardinal directions. The colored compass needle indicates where North is. Most often this is a red arrow, but it can also have the shape of an arrow. If one arrow is blue and the other is red, then the blue one points to the North and the red one points to the South.

North on the compass is indicated by the letter N (from the English North) or C (from the Russian North). The south is marked with the letter S (from the English South) or Yu (from the Russian South). West is the letters W or Z, East is E or V.

If you stand facing North, then South will be behind you, West will be on your left, East will be on your right.

Sometimes this knowledge is already enough to avoid making one of the main mistakes of those who get lost - going in the opposite direction from the exit.

If you entered the forest after turning off a long straight road, then it is enough to remember in which direction you entered and, when returning, stick to the opposite direction.

For example, you entered a forest, moving north. This means that to return you need to go to the South - and you will definitely go out on your own road.

But usually we have to go not exactly to the North or, say, exactly to the West, but in completely different directions. And here the concept of “Azimuth” is very useful to us.

What is Azimuth

From the point where you stand, mentally draw a line pointing to the North. Then, from the same point, draw a line along which you go forward. The angle between these lines is the Azimuth.

1.​ To determine the Azimuth along which you are walking, turn the compass so that its north arrow points to the North designation (that is, to the zero mark on the scale or the letter N or C).

From the center of the compass, mentally draw a line along which you are moving. This line, together with the north arrow, forms an angle. This angle is the Azimuth. Its value must be counted from the north hand (from the zero mark) in a clockwise direction.

You can simply look at the number on the compass scale that your imaginary line crossed. It shows the Azimuth value.

2.​ If you need to follow a certain Azimuth, then position the compass so that its north arrow points to the North designation (zero mark on the scale or the letter N).

Then measure the desired angle (Azimuth) on the scale, counting clockwise from the zero mark (letter N), or simply find the desired number on the scale. Next, draw a mental line from the center of the compass to this number on the scale and go in this direction.

3.​ The azimuth along which you are moving forward is the direct azimuth. To return back you need to go in the opposite direction, that is, along the reverse Azimuth, which is calculated as follows:

if the direct Azimuth is less than 180º, then
OA=PA+180º
if the direct azimuth is more than 180º, then
OA=PA-180º
Where OA is the reverse Azimuth, PA is the forward Azimuth.

For example, you walked forward along Azimuth 240º. This is direct azimuth. To return back, you need to follow the reverse Azimuth, which is 240º -180º = 60º.

4.​ However, constantly making such calculations is quite inconvenient. There is an easier way to find the reverse Azimuth.

To do this, when returning back, you need to follow the same Azimuth along which you walked forward, only now consider the south arrow as the north.

That is, if you walked forward along Azimuth 270º, then you return back along Azimuth 270º, only at the same time you treat the southern arrow as if it were northern.

Example. You have entered the forest, moving along an Azimuth of 270º.

• To exit the forest, set the compass so that its southern (and not northern!) arrow points to the North designation (that is, to the zero mark on the scale or the letter N).
• Now mentally measure an angle of 270 from the zero mark on the scale º (clockwise) or simply find the number 270 on the scale.
• Then mentally draw a line from the center of the compass to this number (270 degrees). This is the direction in which you need to return back.

5.​ The technique, when we remember only the Azimuth of the entrance, and to exit we go along the reverse Azimuth, works if somewhere nearby there is a fairly long direct landmark (road, river, power lines, etc.). In this case, you only need to know the Azimuth of the entrance. Then you can wander in any direction without remembering them, since then, moving along the reverse Azimuth, you will definitely reach your landmark, only with some displacement.

Therefore, it is very useful before going out into nature to at least briefly glance at the map and remember such landmarks that you can later go to.

6.​ If there are no long straight landmarks nearby, then when moving it is necessary to record the distance traveled in each direction. That is, remember or write down each Azimuth and the distance you traveled along it. To return to the starting point you will need to go the same way, only in reverse order.

For example, you walked first 50 meters along an Azimuth of 80º, then 100 meters along an Azimuth of 300 º . To return to the starting point, you will need to walk 100 meters along the reverse Azimuth 120º (300º -180º=120º), and then 50 meters along the reverse Azimuth 100º (180º -80º =100º). Or simply turn the compass so that its south arrow points to the North designation (that is, to the zero mark or the letter N), measure an angle of 300° from the zero mark and walk 100 meters in this direction. Then measure an angle of 80º from the zero mark and walk 50 meters in this direction.

Distance can be measured by counting steps

True, when picking berries and mushrooms, it is quite difficult to measure and calculate the distance traveled after each turn. In such cases, you can remember (or better yet, write down in a notebook) how many steps and in what direction you walked from one clearing to another.

Having reached the place you like, you need to put some noticeable object on the ground (for example, a bright bag), mark next to it the direction in which you were walking (for example, with a stick), and collect berries/mushrooms, keeping this object in sight. If we want to move further, we return to this object, measure and record a new Azimuth of movement and move on, measuring the distance.

7.​ It is very useful to practice working with Azimuths at home. Walk from room to room, recording the Azimuth and distance traveled (in steps). Then try to go all the way back, focusing only on your notes and determining the return Azimuth.
Then you will easily understand the meaning of Forward Azimuth, Reverse Azimuth and see how it works.

Calculation of azimuth by magnetic declination

There are a few more important points.

1. All maps assume that North is straight up. This is the geographic North, the place where the meridians converge.
But due to the peculiarities of the Earth’s magnetic field, the magnetic needle is directed not to the geographical, but to the magnetic North. It is slightly deviated from the geographical one. The magnitude of this deviation is called magnetic declination.

If the arrow is deviated from the geographic North to the east (that is, to the right), then the declination is eastern (positive); if the arrow is deviated to the west (that is, to the left), then the declination is western (negative).

Each region has its own magnetic declination. In the Moscow area it is positive (eastern) and is approximately +11º, in the St. Petersburg area it is approximately +10º, and in Irkutsk it is negative (western) and is approximately -3º. There are special maps and websites on the Internet where you can find out the magnetic declination in your region.

2. Azimuth calculated based on geographic north (on the map) is the true Azimuth. Azimuth calculated from magnetic north (by compass) is magnetic azimuth.

When you use a compass with a map, take this into account and adjust your movement accordingly.

For example, you plan to follow your map at a True Azimuth of 30º. The magnetic declination in your region is positive +10º. This means, focusing on the compass, you will need to follow a magnetic Azimuth of 20º (30º -10º = 20º).

Thus, with a little practice and learning to use a compass, you will be able to hike as far as you like, and you will feel confident on any terrain, since you will always be able to find your way back.

The compass is one of the most ancient instruments on Earth. Thanks to it, you can quickly understand how to navigate the terrain and correctly determine the direction. How a compass works, how to use it correctly and what knowledge and skills are needed to fully master this device, you will learn in the instructions and video review.

The location of the cardinal directions is sprayed along the device's dial, which helps to correctly navigate the terrain if there is no magnetic or electromagnetic interference. The instrument's needle invariably shows the north magnetic radian, marked with the first tip, while the second will indicate the south. You just need to figure out what indication the symbols on the compass have.

When orienting, it is necessary to take into account that the compass data does not coincide one hundred percent with the geographical ones, since the needle tries to be placed along the magnetic meridian, showing the geomagnetic poles of the earth, which are not identical to the geographical ones. This error in the light directions of the planet on the compass is called “magnetic declination”, and it does not have a stable value.

How to determine cardinal directions

The compass mechanism is simple and ingenious- a magnetized needle, placed in a housing under transparent glass in the center of the dial (dial), when released from the stopper, will show the north pole with its north tail, and the south pole, respectively, with its south tail. The limb is marked with the cardinal directions using letters. If the device is domestic, then the letters will be taken from the Russian alphabet, but if the device was not made in our country, then in accordance with international designations, Latin.

The dial has a circular scale of 360 degrees, which is divided into 4 identical sectors, increasing clockwise. The size of the scale step for an individual device may be different, however, in any case, any of the directions of light is delineated by certain degrees:

• north is marked 0 degrees,
• south - 180 degrees,
• east - 90 degrees,
• west - 270 degrees.

Determining cardinal directions using the device is quite simple, but in order for the mechanism to point in the right direction, a number of simple rules must be followed.

The device must be given an exact horizontal position - for this it is either placed on a flat surface, or held with an open palm slightly below chest level.

There should be no magnetic interference nearby, such as:

• accumulations of metal,
• railway track,
• power lines,
• as well as other similar interference.

If these requirements are not met, the arrow will show the wrong direction.

Once the compass is in the correct position, the lock will need to be released, playing the role of a brake or stopper.

The released arrow, having wavered, will take a firm position when the specially marked northern tip indicates north, and the opposite one indicates south.

After this, you need to align the tips of the arrow with the cardinal directions marked on the dial.

In order to determine the route on the ground, it is necessary to correctly select the desired direction of the path, corresponding to the desired part of the map or outline.

Directional designations

The cardinal directions are designated as accepted throughout the world letters on the compass, which are understandable to any inhabitant of the globe, but Russian-language letters are also possible.

1. The northern direction is denoted by the Latin letter N (in Latin - north) or the Russian letter - C (that is, “north”).
2. The southern direction is shown by the Latin S (in this ancient language - south) or our Yu (that is, “south”).
3. The eastern direction is marked with the Latin E (in Latin - east) or the letter B of the Russian alphabet (that is, “east”).
4. The Western direction corresponds to the Latin W (west in Latin) or the Russian Z (that is, “west”).

Salting (that is, clockwise) it looks like this: at the top - N (or our C - “es”), further on the right side of the limb there is - E (or our “in” Below - S or our Yu, on the left - W or our Z.

Landmarks for the directions of the world, both for maps and globes, and for compasses and terrain, will be placed identically:

• if you position yourself facing north, the north pole will be in front;
• the south pole will be behind;
• the eastern direction will be located on the right hand;
• western - on the left hand.

It is important to understand that the compass, due to the presence of magnetic declination, does not indicate directions one hundred percent correctly! The compass error determines the magnetic declination.

Considering that the device indicates geographic light directions, in fact they will be to some small extent shifted by some amount in degrees. Since the geographic and power poles of the earth do not coincide, it is necessary to make corrections when accurately calculating the azimuth before the upcoming long route. If the expected path is not very long, and the magnetic declination does not exceed 10 degrees, then it makes sense to do without corrections.

Declination is mainly indicated outside the map fields for a specific area. If this is not indicated, it can be found in the reference book - magnetic observatories regularly update the magnetic declination values ​​in degrees that are typical for a particular area.

The eastern declination is distinguished. It happens when the needle of the device deviates from the north geographic pole to the east, and the westerly direction when the needle deviates to the west.

Please note the following:

• Western declination is indicated by a minus (-);
• eastern - plus (+).

Correction for the declination value, which is calculated from the device (or, in extreme cases, from the reference book), will allow you to establish the true settings of the light directions.

The path is first measured by azimuth, and according to it they move across the terrain. The calculated azimuth angle is the value in degrees obtained between the direction of the path to the desired object and the meridian. Then the azimuth that was found from the map will be true, and the one obtained using a compass will be magnetic.

Calculating azimuth

The map shows the true meridians meeting at the point of the true geographic pole. In this regard, the angle between the meridian that goes north and the course of the path obtained from the map is will differ from the angle found using the device, since the compass needle is located along the magnetic meridian, and not at all geographical.

If there is an eastern magnetic declination in this area, then its value must be subtracted from the azimuth, which was obtained using a compass on the spot, so that its value converges with the true azimuth, which is found on the map. That's why it is designated with a “-” (minus) sign.

If a western deviation is observed in this area, then its length must be added to the magnetic azimuth in order to obtain the true value. That's why it's marked with a + (plus) sign.

You can rest assured about your calculations, because corrections for magnetic declination provide a guarantee that the trip will take place within the planned boundaries and will coincide with true geographical indicators, and the route will not deviate from the map.

Even though progress spoils human society with digital navigation techniques, the classic compass with a magnetized needle is as popular and reliable as ever. Its operation does not require power, the presence of a satellite or a cellular tower, which means that this device will never fail: it will not break, will not run out of power, etc. And even a child can determine the cardinal directions on the compass.

Video

This video will help you learn how to use a compass.

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Why is this compass needed at all?

I think that every schoolchild will say - to determine the cardinal directions, or will say to know where is north and where is south. “North, south, the most difficult thing is to determine where is the west and where is the east,” as the hero of Jerome K. Jerome used to say in a film famous in the vastness of the former USSR.

Well, yes, we have determined where this very west and east are. Why? Until now, in our city life, only curious children were puzzled by this. I think that they made a hole in the brains of many parents so that they could buy a compass. Thank God the Chinese have learned to make this miracle cheaply. By the way, they say it was they who invented the compass right before our era. And before, a compass was an expensive thing. And for some time it was also secret.

So what are all these movements about? Of course, determining where south-north is is half the battle. The question is - why? The ancient Chinese were forced to travel across vast steppes and deserts, practically devoid of clear landmarks. Medieval sailors needed to sail the seas. They needed at least something that would allow them to stay on course. For it is not enough to know that the end point of the journey is somewhere “out there”; you also need to walk or swim straight “there” without turning off the chosen path. Compasses helped people cope with this task. By the way, the compass is considered one of the four most important inventions of antiquity. He helped both merchants and the military more successfully cope with their tasks, that is, establish trade relations or carry out new conquests. Well, who studied what?

The compass did not interfere with other travelers at all, especially in areas where there are no roads. Orienteering athletes actively use the compass. And now also... women who love everything to be feng shui. It seems like I haven't forgotten anything. Oh, yes, children, they are looking for treasures using a compass... God forbid your children find out that there are still metal detectors... your money was crying.

So, the compass is in your hands. What is a modern compass? The cheapest model is a magnetized arrow that rotates on the tip of the needle. This design minimizes resistance to rotation and allows the needle to bob slightly up and down, maintaining an almost horizontal position if you are not holding the compass completely horizontal.

This is the first rule - keep the compass horizontal. This will allow the compass needle to work with the least friction, not touch the bottom of the compass box and show more accurately. In more expensive sports compasses, the needle is held in place by two needles at the top and bottom and the needle is in a viscous liquid, which minimizes the effects of not being completely horizontal and shaking when using the compass on the run. If you got such a compass, it’s good, but we will still work with the compass carefully and let’s not forget about the horizontal position of the compass. The horizontal position is not very important for the electronic three-position compasses found in some GPS navigators. But that's a slightly different story.

Rule two - no hardware nearby. This distorts the compass readings. The arrow may deviate in the other direction.

So, the compass lies horizontally, the pieces of iron are to the side, you look at the arrow. In our tradition, it is customary to make compasses that point with the arrow or the red part of the arrow to the north. Or the arrow says N (north or north). If you got a very exotic compass, look on a sunny day which arrow points towards the sun. This arrow points south... although if you are in Brazil, Australia or any other country in the southern hemisphere, the sun will be in the north during the day. You never know who reads the article.

Well, we know where north and south are. We completed the first task. Now the owl looks at the compass that is around the arrow. A cross-shaped pattern with or without letters can be applied around or under the arrow, or a scale with numbers and (or) letter designations of cardinal directions can be applied around the circumference. Very often, according to the English tradition: N - north or north (Nordic character, true Aryan) 0 degrees, S - south or south (YOGA and EGIPT in the Yuga) 180 degrees, E - est, or east (Drang nach Osten) 90 degrees, W- west or west (wild wild west - wild west) 270 degrees...

In order for these inscriptions to point in the right direction, you need to rotate the compass itself so that the letter indicating north is exactly opposite the arrow pointing north. Thus, the entire scale turns in the right direction. And the arrow, while you rotate the compass, should point in the same direction and not rotate with the compass. Otherwise, either the arrow needs to be unlocked (there are compasses with blockers), or the compass does not work. Now, if you have expanded the scale, you can see where all four cardinal directions are. Now you can once again rearrange the furniture under the strict guidance of your Feng Shui wife.

You can tell us how to walk in azimuth, but without pictures it will be very boring. And not everyone needs it. If you understand the compass and cardinal directions, you will also understand azimuth. To put it simply, if you went there to the northeast (between north and east), you need to go back to the southwest. And that's it, you'll be back from the forest.

Well, usually most of us use the compass as a toy. But I would advise those who like forest walks, especially long distance ones to pick mushrooms or berries, to put a compass in their pocket. And not just put it down, but before entering the forest, look at which side, southern, northern, western or eastern, is the road from which you are going into the forest. You will know which way to return. If you have a navigator, even better, but take care of the batteries. Otherwise, at the most necessary moment he will turn into a pumpkin.

, west , east).

The directions north and south are determined by the Earth's poles, and east and west (related to the rotation of the planet around its axis) by the visible rising and setting of celestial bodies. Since ancient times, people have determined the approximate southern direction by the position of the sun at its zenith, the eastern direction by the place of its sunrise, and the western direction by the place of sunset; the northern direction (in the Northern Hemisphere) was determined by the North Star. On modern geographical maps, the north side is usually at the top: in this case, the south is at the bottom, the west is on the left, and the east is on the right. On ancient, and sometimes modern maps, the south or east could be placed at the top. On star charts, east and west are reversed [ ] : the card “appears” to be not located under, A over observer.

When orienting a person in space, the principle of four sides is also used: “in front”, “behind”, “left”, “right”. In this case, the directions are not fixed and are chosen relative to the person himself.

The principle of fourfoldness is reflected in folklore, customs, and religious rituals of many peoples, including Slavic ones:

• “go to all four directions”;
• Trypillian four-part altars were precisely oriented with their four crosses to the cardinal points, even if this direction diverged from the orientation of the walls of the house, etc.

In addition to dividing the circle into four directions - north, south, west, east - as orientation problems developed, additional divisions with intermediate directions were introduced: northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast; There are now eight directions in total. Later, the following intermediate divisions were introduced: north-northwest, west-northwest, etc., bringing the number of directions to 16. After another division into intermediate directions, this process was completed with the introduction of 32 directions.

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Subtitles

Colors symbolizing cardinal directions

The traditional color of the south pole of a magnet and the magnetic compass needle is red, and the north pole is blue. Red is traditionally associated with warmth, and blue with cold. In the Assyrian calendar, the north was called the Black Country, the south was the Red Country, the east was the Green Country, and the west was the White Country. City gates in ancient China were painted accordingly.

Symbol

To designate the cardinal directions, 4 Latin letters are often used: N, S, E, W, (which corresponds to the first letters of the names of the cardinal directions in English - North, South, East, West), or S, Yu, E, W (which corresponds to the first letters of the names of the cardinal directions in Russian are North, South, East, West.

In addition, in the history of Russian maritime navigation for a long time, the German names for the cardinal directions were most often used and are still used today - Nord, Suid, Ost, West (Nord, Zuid, Ost, West).

This is most likely explained by the fact that in the era of Peter the Great - the beginning of the 18th century, when the navy of the Russian Empire was being born, many terms in the Russian language came, as is known, from the Dutch language, and there the cardinal directions have the following names, which are largely consonant with their related ones German: N -noord (north), O - oost (ost), Z - zuid (south), W - west (west)