Modern navigation devices are now quite accessible, but the simplest compass does not lose popularity, which will not let you down and will help you find the right way even in a deep forest. It does not require batteries or constant recharging to operate. The main thing is to know how to use a compass correctly, and for this you need to become familiar with the principle of its operation. You can use this navigation device even in field conditions.

Types of compasses and instructions for their use

If your trip takes place without a map, in order not to get lost during the hike, you must have any navigation device with you. The best option considered a compass. It can be magnetic, electromagnetic, sports, liquid, military, electronic or artillery. There are also models of solar-powered navigation devices available at retail outlets.

How to use a hiking compass

This model is a magnetic device that helps you navigate in unfamiliar terrain. This compass uses a magnetized needle located strictly along the north-south line. The main advantage of this model is its user-friendly interface. But before you go, you should familiarize yourself with the principle of operation of the device:

• place the device in a horizontal position;
• wait until the arrow stops on its own;
• by turning the navigation device in a certain way, you will orient it (the dial division 0 is placed under the northern part of the arrow);
• East, West, North and South are determined by the corresponding divisions.

The travel compass consists of a simple box round shape. The magnetic needle is located in the central part of the device, and its end points to the north. A rotating scale and digital azimuth degrees are located along the edges of the box. The device may not be sealed or sealed. Exists large number various models of this navigation device, the main differences of which are the size and other additional functions (for example, a thermometer built into the strap).

Regardless of which device model you choose, it is recommended to practice in your apartment before traveling. Instructions on how to use a compass will help you learn how to navigate independently in the forest and in unfamiliar terrain. If you have questions about the operation of the device, ask them to a consultant at the store, where the purchase should be checked.

The most accurate and reliable navigation device is a military one. To manufacture such a device, in almost all cases, metal is used. Knowing how to use a compass correctly, everyone can determine direction and azimuth. The housing can be sealed or simple, which should be selected taking into account the conditions in which the device will be used. The specification of this model is wide, because it can be used both when performing strategically important tasks by the military, and during tourist trips.

The operation of this navigation device is the same as that of a tourist one. When wondering how to properly use a military compass, you need to carefully study the attached instructions. These devices are characterized by maximum accuracy and long term services can be used in any natural conditions(at extreme heat or in the pouring rain).

A military compass has the characteristics of a simple travel device, but is additionally equipped with a ruler. There is a special magnifying lens and a sighting device. A military compass determines the direction as accurately as possible and sets the exact course of movement. Additional Features make this navigation device the most popular.

Geological

This type of compass has a certain difference from a simple one, which consists in dividing the scale, where the direction is located not clockwise, but counterclockwise. The device is additionally equipped with a half-limb and a clinometer. With their help, the angles of incidence of rock layers are determined. The principle of using a geological navigation device is the same as a simple model.

Gyroscopic

This complex navigation compass is equipped with a special device - a gyroscope, which shows not the magnetic pole of the earth, like other models, but the real one. This type installed on aircraft, river or sea vessels. The advantage of the device is its high stability. It can be used in adverse weather conditions, determining the most accurate direction even with strong swaying.

Tablet compass

Such a device consists of a round flask and a magnetized pointer mounted on a special rectangular base, which is a tablet. The ruler located on it helps to determine the distance on the map as accurately as possible. Additionally installed magnifying glass used to examine a variety of small details. This model of navigation device is the easiest to use and may have a mirror.

With the help of a deviation scale, the traversed location is quickly correlated with the map, which helps to correct the movement as accurately as possible. The rotating capsule can record a certain azimuth value; there are luminescent dots on the scale and pointer. The compass is filled with a special liquid that ensures maximum stability of the needle when running.

Use the tablet device for navigation according to the following instructions:

• The longitudinal edge of the device on the map connects the beginning and end of the selected route. It is necessary to ensure that the lines are directed strictly towards the given direction.
• During rotation, the north symbols on the map and the instrument bulb must be combined (2 bright strokes). All maps of the area are oriented only to the north.
• Holding the device in your hands, you rotate it around its axis, aligning the end of the arrow (indicated in red) and 2 luminous points.
• The arrow indicates the direction of the movement being performed, and while moving, it is necessary to periodically check the compass.

Watch with electronic compass

This watch becomes simply an indispensable item for lovers of travel and long hikes, for those who have difficulty navigating by the sun, moss on trees or the stars. Some manufacturers produce navigation devices specifically designed for use in extreme conditions. There are models for climbers, waterproof ones for divers. Titanium, aluminum alloys, stainless steel, and polymers are used to make the case.

Compass program for iPhone and Android

Most popular model phone is a smartphone that almost every traveler has. A special application is installed on it, with the help of which it is easy to navigate the area. When planning a trip to another country, take care of how you will move in an unfamiliar city. Having such an application on your smartphone or phone, you don’t have to worry about getting lost while sightseeing.

Video lesson: how to navigate in the forest using a compass and map

A vacation spent in the forest in the company of friends will leave an unforgettable impression if you don’t have to wander off on the way back. Not knowing how to navigate by the stars, the location of moss on a tree, or use sundial, having bad memory and often forgetting the way, you must take a compass and map with you on vacation. If you have trouble understanding how to navigate the terrain using these tools, watch the video instructions below. It describes in detail how to learn to determine your location on a map and use a compass correctly.

Hello again, dear friends! Guess the riddle!

When this friend is with you,

You can do it without roads

Walk north and south

To the west and east!

Did you guess it? Here's a hint for you! This is a device that helps you navigate the area, not get lost in the forest and find your way back. Well, of course it's a compass!

Someone might smile: why use a simpleton compass today, if in the world latest technologies You can pave the way with modern navigators!

Of course, you need to keep up with the times and make your life easier with the help of fashionable technical gadgets. But what if suddenly in a deep forest the super-conductor’s battery runs out and you don’t have a spare one with you? Or will the GPS connection fail? How then? Even though it may not be useful, each of us should at least know how to use a compass so that we can easily use it when necessary.

Lesson plan:

How did the compass come about?

Before teaching you how to use it correctly a simple device, I would like to briefly tell you who came up with this little thing that helps you find your way.

Where do you think the compass was born? You won’t believe it, but the Chinese are here again! According to some available facts, prehistoric instruments for determining the cardinal directions appeared among them even before our era. Later, from the 10th century, the Chinese used it to determine the right path in the desert.

From China, the compass migrated to Arab sailors, who so needed a guide. A magnetized object placed in water turned to one side of the world.

Europeans have found the required device by the 13th century and improved it. The Italian Gioia made the dial and also divided it into 16 parts. In addition, he secured the arrow on a thin pin, and covered the instrument’s bowl with glass, pouring water into it.

Many years have passed since then, scientists have been improving the compass all the time, but the European idea itself has not changed today.

What types of compasses are there?

The types of guidebooks depend on where they are used.

Magnetic devices

Electromagnetic devices

They operate by magnetic induction and are used in aircraft and ships. They are not magnetized by the metal, so they give less error.

Gyrocompasses

They work using a special device called a gyroscope. This is a device that responds to changes in orientation angle. Such devices are used in shipping and rocketry.

Electronic compasses

This is a new product of recent decades, which already looks more like a navigator, as it picks up a signal from a satellite.

How does a regular compass work?

To learn how to navigate, you need to understand what a regular compass is and how it works. I propose to consider the well-known Hadrian model.

A magnetic device consists of a body and a needle located in the center on which the arrow rests. Most often, this arrow is painted in two colors: one tip is blue and the other is red. A properly working compass always has a blue arrow pointing north, while a red arrow, accordingly, points exactly the opposite - to the south.

It also has a scale. It is called a limb and consists of numbers. The outer scale of numbers is divided by divisions from 0 to 360. This is the degree, or angle, of rotation of the arrow. The direction of movement is determined by it. In addition, the cardinal directions can be signed in Russian or English on the limb in capital letters:

— C or N indicates north,

- Yu or S means south,

— B or E points east,

— W or W shows where west is.

Before using the compass, it is checked. To make sure that your device works without errors, you need to place it on a horizontal surface and wait until the arrow freezes, showing where north is. Bring any metal object near the device. Under the influence of a magnet, the arrow will deflect in its direction. Then we remove the metal from the field of action and observe our arrow.

If our compass is working properly, then the arrow will certainly turn in the direction starting position north.

This is important! A magnetic compass is not used near power lines or near railway tracks. The arrow begins to reach towards the metal, so the mechanism does not work correctly.

Learning to walk by compass

You can learn how to use a compass before going on a long journey with it in your apartment. So, here is a short instruction that will help you master this simple device and use it to return safely from your trip.

Here our work with the compass ends. We go to the next room to pick mushrooms and berries. When the time comes to return home, we take out our compass and begin to look for the right path.

1. We place the compass on the palm of our hand. Set the arrow towards the north.
2. We build a return line: through the center we connect two numbers: the azimuth point and the one that indicated our initial movement, namely to the “neighboring forest”.
3. We return to where the azimuth is directed.

If you have returned to the original point to the conventional landmark, then you can safely go on a trip. If instead of the kitchen where you came from, you suddenly returned to the bathroom, then it’s still too early for you to go to the forest. Need to practice.

This is important! If your path is winding and often turns in one direction or the other, experienced travelers advise dividing it into sections, choosing a separate landmark at each section and writing down its data. It will be easier to return from point to point.

How to transfer a path to a map?

Some tourists find it convenient to follow the map, where symbols. Sometimes this is simply necessary when you don’t know the exact coordinates, but right place depicted only graphically. How to find it several kilometers away? You need to transfer your course to a regular card.

1. Place the card on a flat surface.
2. Place the compass on top of the map so that you use its edge as a line from your current location to your destination.
3. We turn the device until the arrow hits the north indicator. But! The pointer is not on the device itself, but a pointer to the north direction drawn on the map (the so-called geographic north).
4. As soon as the arrow of the device connects with the arrow drawn on the map, we look at the number - the azimuth, indicating the place where we are going.
5. We remember the destination number and remove the card.

Navigating around the map also helps when you get lost. To do this, just find on paper a landmark near which you are, for example, a river or a road, and using the instructions described above, go to the desired place.

Both the West and the East seduced me.

But I never believed them!

I've walked and sailed hundreds of miles and roads,

But the soul is always eager to go north!

It's true that everyone has a path,

Yes, it’s not often simple and familiar!

And walk along it, don’t get lost, don’t turn aside,

Someone who is magnetized like me can do it!

Are you sure that there is nothing complicated about using a compass?! But this simple device can become an indispensable assistant! Therefore, take it quickly, spin it, train, because summer is coming, and this good time Test your knowledge and have an orienteering competition!

To consolidate the information received, watch the video lesson, and if something was still unclear, then after watching everything will definitely become clearer.

Friends, do not forget to subscribe to the blog news so as not to miss new interesting articles! And join us" VKontakte»!

“ShkolaLa” bids farewell to you for a short time with wishes for good travels!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

To find out the quality of energies in various parts home, it needs to be divided into 9 parts in accordance with the Bagua Octagon. To do this, you need to have a house plan and a good, accurate compass. Someone will say: “Why such difficulties, I already know where the South is, where the North is, and without all this wisdom I will understand where what directions are and how the zones will be distributed throughout my house.” Yes, there’s just one very important nuance: For feng shui purposes very precise degrees are needed and even a small error of 1° can result in zones being defined incorrectly.

For precise measurements Feng Shui masters use a special Lopan compass - this is a professional device that not only has high measurement accuracy thanks to a sensitive magnetic needle and a very detailed scale, but also contains on its panel various symbols, formulas and tips that make the work of a Feng Shui consultant easier .

For those who are beginning to master the ancient eastern science or those who have already advanced far in its study, but do not practice Feng Shui professionally, it is not necessary to set out to purchase this particular compass. After all, firstly, it is not cheap, and secondly, to find a truly real, high-quality Lopan compass, it will not be enough to go to an ordinary souvenir shop “a la Feng Shui goods”. In such stores you will most likely find a souvenir that is not suitable for serious work. Real Lopan compasses are made by Asian craftsmen and may vary appearance, depending on affiliation with the school or the master’s idea.

But there is also no need to give up the idea of ​​​​taking high-quality measurements and making competent calculations - after all, not only the Lopan compass is accurate. A military or tourist compass is quite suitable for this purpose. You can read about how to choose the right compass in the article “” And we’ll talk about how to take measurements correctly further.

We carry out measurements with a feng shui compass correctly

The first thing you need to know is where exactly should these measurements be taken?. And they need to be carried out outside, on the street, because indoors there are a lot of sources of electromagnetic fields that will affect the compass readings. In addition, the feng shui of a living space is determined mainly by the Qi energy entering the house, and it enters from the street.

In addition, in order not to affect the accuracy of the readings, it is better to remove all metal objects and objects that emit radiation during measurements. electromagnetic waves: cell phones, keys, coins, belts with metal buckles, jewelry, etc. If there are many large objects nearby, such as cars, it is advisable to be at least a meter away from them. What if it’s made of metal? front door, it would be better to open it and insert it into the opening wooden board, attach the compass to it and take measurements. For greater accuracy, in the presence of such interference, it is better to take several measurements and choose the measurement that occurs more often - it will be the most correct.

Going out into the street, regardless of whether it is a private house or an apartment high-rise (in this case, measurements are taken at the entrance), you need to turn to face the entrance door, holding a compass in your hands. As already mentioned in the article mentioned above, if you use a regular compass, it is advisable to attach it to some kind of board in order to be able to align it with the facade of the house.

So, holding the compass near your stomach, at the level of your navel, align it with some parallel - this could be the front door, a step or a window, and begin to twist the disk with the degree scale until the arrow with north marked on it points to geographic North on the compass scale. The value we need will be located below, near the stomach, because we take measurements turning our face to the door, but in fact the door itself, and therefore the house, faces in the opposite direction.

Questions come to me from time to time - tell me how to use the Lopan compass, where is it taught and how to choose the “right” one? In reality, the question is not entirely correct. With the same success, you can ask the question - how to learn to use a car steering wheel?

Obviously, there is no need to study the steering wheel separately; all that is required if you want to learn how to drive a car is to learn to drive. And then you will naturally use the steering wheel, as well as other controls. Accordingly, studying Lopan separately is also absurd; one must study Feng Shui itself. And then you will not only understand what the different rings on Lopan mean, but simply choose the compass that has the formulas you know, and you will use them.

Therefore, we could safely say that beginning “fenshuists” do not need Lopan; just a good engineering compass with which you can accurately measure directions is enough. And you will already do all further construction on a piece of paper, in a calm atmosphere. Whereas the main advantage of Lopan is that you can evaluate Feng Shui right in the field. Which is important only for practicing consultants.

But there is one “but” - it can be difficult for a beginner to accurately measure at least “in degrees”. Simple compasses are usually round, and no matter how you stand against the wall, the measurement error can be quite large. And therefore, the breakdown into sectors in the room is only approximate.

As a result, a person tries, for example, to activate the flower of romance, and ends up in the wrong mountain. There is no effect, and one gets the feeling that even here one cannot do without a master. Or without Lopan, at least.

But when a person buys Lopan, it turns out that even here there is no complete confidence in the measurement results. Because there really are certain little tricks and simple additional devices that allow even a beginner to measure with degree accuracy. Including not having a Lopan, but just a good compass on a square base.

How to measure correctly?

To make a breakdown into sectors, we need to “link” your house or apartment to the cardinal directions. So that you already know exactly where the west ends in your apartment and the southwestern sector begins, etc. And since in order to compile a map of flying stars it is important for us to know the facade direction (in degrees), it is easiest to immediately measure the direction of the facade. Then, using the simplest geometry, we will, firstly, divide the apartment plan into sectors (just rays from the center in the manner of cake slices), and secondly, we will be able to enter the required direction of the facade into the flying stars calculator.

I will add that step by step instructions For technical aspects of constructing a map of flying stars, you can download it.

But first, you need to measure correctly.

Well, let's go outside, taking with us a compass, a ball of thread and something like a photographic tripod (if not, a simple stool will do).

Place your tripod against the side wall of the house, tying the string so that it touches the side of the house.

Stretch the thread along the wall and move another 3-5 meters away from the facade to avoid distortion. Move it left and right so as to record the moment the thread touches the wall. Now you have in your hands an exact perpendicular to the facade.

Place your Lopan under the thread and combine your own thread, which is on the compass, with the one you pulled. Rotate the Lopan dial until the north end of the needle aligns with zero degrees on the compass scale.

Read the degree of the front direction at the intersection of the thread and the outer edge of the compass scale.

Everything is ready! To control, you can measure against another wall and average the result. If instead of a Lopan you are using a simple compass on a square frame that does not have threads, simply place the long side of it against your thread and also read the degree on the side of the scale farthest from the house.

As you can see, the advantage of Lopan is that in addition to degrees, we immediately see which “mountain” the measurements fall on. IN in this example the façade turned out to be directed towards the middle southern sector (Mount Horse). Therefore, if we try on and get slightly different readings, then without referring to reference books, we will be able to assess whether our façade accurately “looks at the Horse”. Or we find ourselves somewhere on the border of sectors and additional measurements are needed to obtain a correct map of flying stars.

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 best helper in this there is a compass familiar to everyone. 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 influence 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 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 symbol (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 magnetic field The Earth's 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 how 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.