Compasses going crazy...Theories and Research

reply to post by MalachiConstant

The last time I had used that same compass, was about 3 weeks ago. At that time, it read like it should and always had read. Yet another reason I noted such a noticeable "change".

reply to post by sepermeru


When I seen this post the first thing I thought of was an article I had seen concerning Fl. Airports...they had to re-calibrate the run-ways etc...

I'm sorry I did not see that you posted the link 3x's...(my bad) and I pretty much went threw all the post..that's why I'm like: MAN..this poster is sooo trying to tell them something...post the link! lol sooo sorry... my bad...


there is a lesson here... before you jump the moon, feed the cow.. errr research...

Originally posted by XtraTL
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).

Are you sure about that?

Earth’s Magnetic Field Flipped Superfast

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by Byrd

 

I never try to argue with an ATS Staff member

Meh... you can argue with me. Lots of folks disagree with me. It doesn't rile me and I do learn things.

but I'm afraid your statement of "Magnetic north is still where it should be" is completely inaccurate. The USGS and NASA have released articles that counter that claim. Here is the link showing NASA's finding along with the USGS Studies.

Bad wording on my part. I should probably have gone into more detail than I did or said "it hasn't shifted suddenly in the past 30 days." I do know about the wandering fields (and had read the 2003 article long ago... nice one, though.) Didn't want to go into the "okay, you have to know the declination and other things including local geomagnetic features" lecture because that's long and boring.

However, for the purposes of this thread, I have used my old Magellan GPS to check North (magnetic and satellite), compared to the declination map of my area, then used my two lensatic compasses (one old military one and a new cheapo one that I have for fun) as well as a Magellan Promark GPS. They all give consistent readings and the readings aren't different from the ones I get when I show kids how to use a compass and map (very simple teaching -- just 'find north like this, find the direction you're going like this, compare to the map, which way have we turned as we were hiking?")

So ... my observations:
* I've been teaching a class about hiking and compasses for kids for the past 2 weeks at Cedar Ridge Preserve (in the middle of nowhere south of Dallas.)
* None of my GPSs or compasses are showing any unusual deviation and all are showing the expected reading for my area.
* The readings haven't changed in the past 2 weeks.
* My readings were taken in the field, more than 100 feet from underground water pipes, power lines, vehicles, and I have no metal on me besides button and zipper on my pants and two pieces of jewelry (not enough metal to register on these devices.)
* I'm standing several feet from the kids and none of them are wearing a lot of metal on them.
* I know how to use a compass but I'm not orienteering proficient with one.

So if you want to pin this as an observation, the Zip Code location is 75104

hmm mine still points north lol

Originally posted by GoldenFleece

Originally posted by XtraTL
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).

Are you sure about that?

Earth’s Magnetic Field Flipped Superfast

Yes, I'm sure.

That research is hotly disputed. It also relates to an event 15 million years ago, not yesterday.

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


You are also denying conclusions and evidence that prove you dead wrong.
Therefore, you can just drop the scientific pretense.

You are not performing unbiased science.
You are fostering ignorance, and filtering out anything you don't like.
Your conclusions will be worth nothing.

The North magnetic pole is still situated roughly at the geographic North pole. It has not done anything to cause compass readings to be off by tens of degrees.

reply to post by sepermeru


At first I was willing to change my stance to incorrect compasses or lack of knowledge in their use.

Now, I'm starting to solidify on the same position. I grow more resolute in the belief that this thread is a hoax.

Wow, this thread has gotten BIG!

From my own opinion, the northpole is where it should be, but something is disturbing it. Could wery well be related to this libya thing going on. I dont know? Maybe china or russia trying to mess up with the missiles going to Libya or something. But still my opinion that this is man made, otherwise we would have felt it by now!

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
reply to post by MalachiConstant

 

The last time I had used that same compass, was about 3 weeks ago. At that time, it read like it should and always had read. Yet another reason I noted such a noticeable "change".

Here is what you posted as your first post:

Originally posted by MadDogtheHunter
I was digging through some old boxes of junk this morning. And I came across my old compass. One of those good ones that allow you to do line-of-sight measurements and all. I opened it up, and noticed something really odd. It was showing magnetic north towards what would be dead-east from where I was standing.

Do you care to explain how in your original post you said that it was pointing dead east and that it was an old compass that you found this morning in an old box of junk.

Now you claim you used it 3 weeks ago.

Moreover, on your declination map you show it pointing north-east, not dead east.

Furthermore you claim that it's actually 30 degrees from magnetic north and 40 degrees from true north. Yet in your location, that's impossible. Declination in your location is 11 degrees WEST, not 10 degrees EAST.

reply to post by Byteman


Sorry to get involved in your dispute. I too have a north reading and feel that magnetic North has not moved considerably however, I have been doing some research into Electromagnetic Anomalies in regards to earthquakes and a compass can be pulled toward that location. I posted my thoughts a page or two back. what we are missing is the west and south reports creating a triangulation of the anomaly

Originally posted by XtraTL
That research is hotly disputed. It also relates to an event 15 million years ago, not yesterday.

Hotly disputed by you, obviously. I think a better word is "inexplicable."

The Steens Mountain rocks have been reported to preserve a change of 6 degrees per day. That rate was so high — imagine trying to navigate when a compass changes by multiple degrees per day — that many scientists challenged the report. One line of argument held that the liquid outer core simply can’t generate magnetic field changes that rapidly. Another held that, even if the changes were happening, they wouldn’t be observable at the surface because the Earth’s internal electrical conductivity would screen the signals out.

The Nevada rocks bolster the idea that such changes could be happening, says Bogue — even if scientists still can’t explain why.

The last stable reversal occurred 780,000 years ago. Some geologists argue the Earth is overdue for a reversal and might even be entering one now, as the geomagnetic field has been getting weaker over the past 150 years or more.

Earth’s Magnetic Field Flipped Superfast

My compass is in my stoarge garage with my hunting gear, but I have a built in digital compass in my truck.
My truck is pointed west and compass says North. Eastern Pa. about 1hr North of Philly.

reply to post by MadDogtheHunter


I live in oklahoma and I used my regular compass and then I used my iPhone compass and they both pointed to what should be east!

reply to post by kid_cudi


If pointing west does it point toward the epicenter of the last Oklahoma EQ?

Originally posted by Screwed
I have a military grade los compass and was hiking in the woods behind my house last weekend.
I was showing my boys how to get home using a compass.
I asked them which direction we left the house to enter the woods.
They said WEST.
Good I said.
So which direction do we need to head in order to get home?
EAST? they responded.
Yes, I said.

So, with that I told my oldest to get his compass out of his bob and look at it to determine which way EAST was.
He located EAST.
Here's the problem. It wasn't pointing EAST.
If we would have followed the compass we would have never gotten home.
It was saying EAST was North.

He was saying, "but dad, the compass says to go this way to get home".
I told him "son, the compass must be broken or something. If we go that way we'll never get home".

Later I double checked with my Military Compass and came to the conclusion that I needed to brush up on my
skills a little.

Now, I'm not so sure.

Originally posted by Screwed
I have a military grade los compass and was hiking in the woods behind my house last weekend.
I was showing my boys how to get home using a compass.
I asked them which direction we left the house to enter the woods.
They said WEST.
Good I said.
So which direction do we need to head in order to get home?
EAST? they responded.
Yes, I said.

So, with that I told my oldest to get his compass out of his bob and look at it to determine which way EAST was.
He located EAST.
Here's the problem. It wasn't pointing EAST.
If we would have followed the compass we would have never gotten home.
It was saying EAST was North.

He was saying, "but dad, the compass says to go this way to get home".
I told him "son, the compass must be broken or something. If we go that way we'll never get home".

Later I double checked with my Military Compass and came to the conclusion that I needed to brush up on my
skills a little.

Now, I'm not so sure.

Argung really? I posted my findings last night and this morning. They were checked and rechecked and rechecked again over the course of the last 24 hours. Basics: Compass reads magnetic N, got it, understood, CHECK! Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, got it, understood, CHECK! In my area I have a declination of 8 degrees W, got it, understood, CHECK! Metals, light poles, cars, cell phones, watches, computers, electric poles, etc. all interfere with readings, got it understood, CHECK! And yet still understanding all this as I did BEFORE those screaming that we were/are looney, I STILL get an easterly reading. I also understand that my front porch faces directly east, I know because just last summer, just before my hubby deployed and the weather was warmer in the mornings, we would sit out there and have our coffee while the sun came up and would usually have to MOVE to the back porch because the sun was in our eyes blinding us and it would get hot fast.

Now, I don't know why some of us are seeing variations in our compasses however slight or significant and I am not going to pretend like I am an expert on the matter, but it seems to me that those that have nothing better to do than to come in here and start arguing with us and causing trouble are bored and enjoy creating chaos themselves . If your compass is not affected and you think we are crazy, then state it and MOVE ON PLEASE!! Go start your own thread called "Compasses NOT going crazy" and continue to bash, make fun of, and/or laugh at us in there. Or even if you want to contribute your opinion or knowledge then fine, do so, but then move on, don't continue to bash us.

I, personally, really appreciate those that come in here with knowledge and expertise on the subject of what's going on even if you disagree with us and/or are trying to help us understand so we can apply this knowledge to our findings, but most of the naysayers are not doing this, but instead seem to be enjoying conflict they are creating in here. There is no need for a "Real Housevwives of the United States" reality drama fest in here.

Oh and lastly, I don't think there is one person in here that has claimed to be "totally freaked out, or scared to death" by any of our recorded findings. None of us have said the "world is going to end" or that "everyone is doomed". And most of us have not even mentioned a "conspiracy". This discussion began between a dozen or so adults that have noticed a specified change and was going absolutely wonderful until this morning when some of the naysayers came in here and started basically calling us all cooks and crazies. I don't believe in "aliens" so guess what? I stay clear of those forums. I respect that they have their believes and opinions and it would not be respectful to jump into one of their threads and start slamming them and what they believe just because i THINK i am right. Please do the same in regards to this thread. Please show us the same respect you would want in your own threads. Thanks and respectfully, Watchdog

I'm not sure what the dispute is about. Post 1 was "my compass is off". After several hours we began tracking it on the Google map. After 6 hours, I saw a pattern emerge. There is a distinct ring in the United States and another in Europe.

The poles haven't shifted any more than normal. Something is creating some kind of magnetic pull. It's obvious.

Here's the map as of 5:50 pm, EDST, 3-20-11

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/14fe57993d89.jpg[/atsimg]

I'm here in SE Virginia and I'm 19 degrees off to the east using a engineers compass. I have tried it outside and inside no difference as well...but would you be hearing something about this as I know a lot of things depend on the reading of the magnetic poles. If this is right and we're hearing nothing about it, it makes me think about all those times people say "with all these backyard astronomers someone would notice (insert whatever)". Just something to think about...