Re: one for the summer...

Tim Hall wrote:

On Thu, 4 Dec 2008 09:15:09 -0800 (PST), "chris.5th"
<chris.5th@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 4 Dec, 17:13, "chris.5th" <chris....@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
a little trick to impress your scouts...

ok... to bore your scouts...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/880731/find_north_without_a_compass/

and this one... that it links to is rather better...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1669983/how_to_tell_directions_without_a_compass/


What about:

Twist watch round so hour hand is pointing at the sun. Halfway between
the hour hand and 12 (or 1 if it's BST) is South.

Less accurate as you get closer to the equator, and reverses as you cross
the equator. Between the Tropics the method shows either north or south
depending on the time of year. Whereas the shadow stick is more accurate
closer to the equator, and exactly the same south of the equator, since it's
tracking east-west rather than north-south. In UK you'd need to use the
shadow stick at or around midday to get an accurate east-west.


--
John Russell
CSL 1st Pinhoe Exeter Devon
http://www.pinhoescouts.org.uk/cubs/
Cubs don't care how much you know, but they need to know how much you care.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: one for the summer...
    ... closer to the equator, and exactly the same south of the equator, since it's ... tracking east-west rather than north-south. ... shadow stick at or around midday to get an accurate east-west. ...
    (uk.rec.scouting)
  • Re: A Couple of Nights ago
    ... If you can't accept that right now a location at the Equator is ... N lat also has half the radius of the path at ... It's the angle of the shadow that matters. ... The motion of the ocean means nothing if your dangle has no angle. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Where Exactly Is The Equator
    ... J. J. Lodder wrote: ... (at moderate latitudes) ... It takes -a lot- of care though. ... There is no way of doing it near the equator, ...
    (sci.geo.satellite-nav)
  • Re: Where Exactly Is The Equator
    ... (at moderate latitudes) ... It takes -a lot- of care though. ... There is no way of doing it near the equator, ... Do you have a reference to a report of someone doing it and of the exact ...
    (sci.geo.satellite-nav)
  • Re: Where Exactly Is The Equator
    ... J. J. Lodder wrote: ... (at moderate latitudes) ... It takes -a lot- of care though. ... There is no way of doing it near the equator, ...
    (sci.geo.satellite-nav)