Compasses going crazy...Theories and Research

Very interesting stuff indeed...

My android compass app is pointing to magnetic north as 15-20 degrees East of where North would normally be pointing...

Bay Area, CA here.

reply to post by BiggNastee


i'd rather see what everybody has to say, and what readings they are getting, like somebody said earlier it could be something manmade causing it which would not effect everybody, but regardless whatever it is people are getting different readings.

people are trying to find out or understand why, taking one persons reading and forgetting the rest will not account for the others being off. so if you don't mind i'd rather not trust one person to tell me if there is a problem.

please don't take offense, but i am always wary of people who say "o.k. folk's go back to sleep nothing to see here, i have it under control, don't worry about it, go back to eastenders"

reply to post by sweetstuff


I'm with you on this one, and thought the same thing

Originally posted by XtraTL
Come on guys. Post a video with a bar magnet held near your compass to prove that it is still working correctly, then post a video of some street signs of straight streets near your house (somewhere in the same town -- doesn't need to give away where you live obviously) that we can find on google maps, then post a video panning from the street signs down to the compass, which should clearly not be near any magnetic or metallic objects (short sleeves, etc)...

or it didn't happen.

Somehow I think aeroplanes might've noticed by now if magnetic north had moved 90 degrees. Don't you!?

edit on 20-3-2011 by XtraTL because: (no reason given)

Want proof of issues with airplanes and this phenomena? Here you go. Yes, it did AND IS happening.

How changes in Magnetic North are impacting Airports

Originally posted by Violater1

Originally posted by billxam
It sure doesn't look to me like this follows New Madrid at all. I put the approximate location of the fault on the map.

It's almost like it's something in the center of the U.S. that has a distinct range.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1ce0a56e1406.jpg[/atsimg]

edit on 20-3-2011 by billxam because: added map

edit on 20-3-2011 by billxam because: (no reason given)

I thought that these two images would help.

Any new positions that display deviation?

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


I work with compasses every day. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, and believe me, I look.
Chances are you had something metallic nearby when you took your observation. Either that or you were simply mistaken. Also, your friend was probably mistaken under your suggestion that north was out of place. It is very easy to lose your bearings on north. But I can assure you that I have noticed nothing out of the ordinary over the last few weeks. Or anytime for that matter.

I've shaken it, got up and turned around with it. Doe see doed it. Done everything but fling it up against the wall. And it points do east. Why TF would I lie? Saying people are hoaxing this is assinine. IMO.

JAY
I believe you Jay, but that isn't answering why mine and others are point east.

reply to post by Byteman


...hoax? Are you serious?

Does that mean everyone whose compasses are off are lying to them? Really?

I think either you did not read everyone's post on this thread, or you like to make odd claims. i would like to see a backup of your theory that the OP is a hoax.

reply to post by billxam



We have two explanations:

1) Half the ATS members do not know how to read a compass (and stay away from electric wires around the house)
2) Something is actually wrong with the N-S position.

Again, please the people having the wrong reading, can you make sure you are a few meters away from your electricity wires in the house? This way we can know for sure if its 1) or 2)

I would suggest for this study to be more accurate that contributers get in their cars and take readings from a number of different types of sites, the more, within reason, the better. The more reliable the data points are obviously the more reliable the data. I still have yet to aquire a compass and take some, will do so shortly and post results from mid-Missouri.

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter

Hoax? Really?

Yup, proven by the fact that compasses are working fine and planes aren't having navigation trouble.

Thats why a lot of people across the globe report the same thing?

A lot? You mean a tiny handful on this sight. Who may or may not be playing up your hoax.

Or all the iPhone readings? LMAO
The iPhone is not a competent compass. Any simple $25 compass beats the crap out of it any day, when it comes to direction finding.

Move along, your attempt at disinfo is not welcome.

LOL, disinfo.
If my compass works fine, you are the one spreading disinformation.

I'll stay in whatever thread I want, for however long I want.
You aren't a mod and have no business trying to order people to leave.

Your hoax is not welcome.

Heres a thought. Those few of you trying to discredit all the claims in this thread, possibly just because you can't wrap your head around the details involved with it ....go learn how to read a compass, experiment yourself, then do it a few more times....then come back and rejoin the collaborative research taking place in this thread. Otherwise, your snide remarks are automatically discredited, and add nothing but pure ignorance and immaturity to this thread.

Could it be because of the North magnetic pole heading to Russia?

news.nationalgeographic.com...

I read that a long time ago, I'm sure it has it's effects.

reply to post by rapsmack


that sounds about rite i know the deviation is 18 degrees near coos bay oregon

reply to post by Byteman

Back up your claims of a hoax with REAL evidence, not personal opinion, or go away.

You obviously know nothing about the earths magnetic fields or the science behind any of it. Your attempts to railroad this thread with asinine comments, will fall on deaf ears.

All I'm saying is that I work as a land surveyor. Trust me, I would be one of the very first to know if magnetic north were doing anything drastically out of the ordinary. Our work every day is based on north-south grid. Airline pilots would also be very quick to know. 90 degrees out of phase is a huge difference and not something that would be kept a secret. I just checked both of my compasses and nothing is out of the ordinary.

Now I do understand that the Tampa airport has recently adjusted the bearings of their runways. But this is to be expected. We have done this for airports in my area before. The magnetic pole does drift and from time to time the airports will readjust their bearings. It will most likely shift back again, but who knows...maybe not.

One thing I can say for certain is that north is not 90 degrees out of phase.

Originally posted by Tecumte
I would suggest for this study to be more accurate that contributers get in their cars and take readings from a number of different types of sites, the more, within reason, the better. The more reliable the data points are obviously the more reliable the data. I still have yet to aquire a compass and take some, will do so shortly and post results from mid-Missouri.

I will also do this as I'm pissed to be thought of as part of some hoax.

Originally posted by lifeform11
reply to post by BiggNastee

 

i'd rather see what everybody has to say, and what readings they are getting, like somebody said earlier it could be something manmade causing it which would not effect everybody, but regardless whatever it is people are getting different readings.

As I read through the thread, I don't see any comments from people who do "orienteering" as a sport.
(en.wikipedia.org...) Although I don't do orienteering, I do teach kids how to use compasses and I own several and will probably begin running some low level orienteering events later.

There's a right way and a wrong way to use a compass -- people not involved with compasses may not know this. You have to take your readings with the compass held level and in front of you (I know this is a "duh") -- AND YOU HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM POWER LINES AND METAL OBJECTS.

To quote from the Army training manual on how to use compasses:

The arrow is also attracted by any mass of metal-a truck, your rifle, your helmet, and even electrical power lines. Thus, be sure you use your compass away from metal objects so it will not give a wrong reading.
www.armystudyguide.com...

So if you're standing in your apartment, you're going to get all sorts of silly readings. If you drive to the country and stand next to your car, you'll get all sorts of silly readings. I have recently been doing some mapping work for the Texas Master Naturalists using Google Earth and maps and GPSs (three of them, including a very expensive military spec one (not my own)) and my compass.

Magnetic north is still where it used to be. Map north (different than magnetic north) hasn't changed.

Here's a couple of pages on using compasses for navigation:
www.learn-orienteering.org...

This one's really cool:
www.wikihow.com...

reply to post by kroms33

Pretty bold claims since all of the people in red on This Map are claiming their compasses are off.

Bold is claiming that your one single compass is proving the rest of the world wrong. Or in that maps case, approx 25 compasses vs. hundreds of thousands. or even millions of compasses worldwide.

Anyways, that map only proves that a whole bunch of people can use a compass wrong or have broken compasses.

If you are claiming that all of the people researching this issue are hoaxing the board - you better be able to back that claim up... that is a bold statement.

I never said they were all hoaxing the board, so keep your lies to yourself.

I gave three possibilities, I wonder why you fail to address those possibilities.
No, you only go for the one that makes me look the most confrontational.

Why fail to address my point that compasses could be wrong, or that you might be using yours wrong?

Back up what?
My claim that compasses that point north are working fine and you're SMALL group is wrong?

Are planes crashing all over the place and making emergency landings?
No?

Are reports coming in concerning an unusual amount of hikers and wilderness types getting lost?
No?

Then you are wrong. Magnetic North is still where it should be.