UKC

I didn't pay attention much at school.

Will a compass bought in the northern hemispehere work the same in the southern hemisphere? Or does it need adjusted, or do you get different ones?

I just don't know!

Regards,

In reply to Anonymous:

You can use the same compass BUT you must prise it open with a sharp knife (so that it is easy to reseal again) and turn the needle around. Then it will be fine. But you will need to remeber to turn the neddle back around when you come back North.

In reply to Anonymous:

No. You will need one calibrated for that zone ( or a global one)

See http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/faqgeom.shtml#q5c for explanation.

In reply to Anonymous:

Dear Anonymous

If you stand on you head, it works the same as in the northern hemishere.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:

Mr Muir, I see you didn't pay attention in school either.

It's hemisphere, sir.

In reply to chris tan XLIX:

Thank you very much.

In reply to Anonymous:

The various zones can be found here www.wide-screen.com/support/FAQsuunto.shtml#Anchor-60059

In reply to Anonymous:

Dear Anonymous

I left the p out of my reply, so you would get an answer that would be practicable, since you are a cheapskate.

Norrie

In reply to Anonymous: Silva do compasses with a deeper bevel(?!) to allow a freeer movement of the needle, specifically for worldwide travel. They're the Voyager series, recognisable by the flourescent yellow baseplate. Most 'reputable' outdoor emporiums will be able to help you. If you struggle to get one, I can put you in contact with a place. C-:

In reply to Norrie Muir:

Strange, I could have sworn you left the P in, figuratively speaking.

I'm intrigued as to how I can be a cheapskate for asking a question re compasses. You'll have a good reply already made up I guess.

In reply to CarolineMc:

Caroline, ta lots. I'll check out locally. Much appreciated.

In reply to Anonymous: If the needle tilts down into the baseplate of the compass, why don't you just tilt the baseplate a bit so that it doesn't? I took my compass to the southern hemisphere but didn't actually use it - when I looked at it it seemed fine, except for developing a bubble when above 6000m due to the reduced pressure!

In reply to Anonymous: I was going to ask this too, didnt want ridiculing for a stupid question though, seems like it was a valid query, cheers. Ive already sent two compasses out though.

In reply to Anonymous:

No.

Generally the world is divided into magnetic zones and unless you buy a global compass - mine is a suunto I think you will have problems.These are on little gimbles.

alternatively buy one for that zone. I had problems with the US and NZ with this

In reply to Anonymous:
Try Cotswold. They do the Recta Elite Sport Global for £30.
I've been well pleased with mine.

In reply to Anonymous:
It's not such a daft question. Northern Hemisphere compasses generally have a weight placed on the south pole to stop the north end of the needle dipping down too much and scraping the bevel, thus stopping the needle from swinging freely. So, if you take it to the Southern Hemisphere, the proximity to the South Pole will cause the needle to barely move as it scrapes along the bezel.

As a disclaimer - I believed the hype and took a universal compass. I have never tried a Northern Hemisphere one down here. But I was guessing that if Mr & Mrs Silva went to the bother of making one then it must be for a good reason.

In reply to Anonymous:

The 'needle dipping down' and scraping the bezel isn't the most important reason for having different zone compasses, is it?

I've always been under the impression that the different compasses are due to the magnetic declination varying quite severly depending on where you are on the globe, and as such they make compasses for different areas.

In reply to brokenn:

I thought folk were having a laugh with me when I first came across this (like a left-handed screwdriver).

I have used one bought in Australia in Scotland and it works acceptably, provided it is held at the right angle. It is definitely best to have a compass designed for the area you intend to use it in to avoid any risk of misreading it.

In reply to Anonymous:
I bought a southern hemisphere compass in NZ as I had been aware of this problem and not taken my own down there. My S hemisphere compass takes on a considerable tilt up here and I wouldn't like to use it on the hill. Given the low price of a basic Silva compass I would say its definately worth buying one when you get out there.
matt

In reply to Anonymous: I used a N hemisphere compass in NZ for a while, it worked to a point (ha ha) but you had to tilt it and tap it to get the needle to settle. I bought a NZ compass and use the respective ones in each zone now.

In reply to Anonymous:

I have used my northern compass in Oz. I noticed a bit of tilt on the needle, but it didn't seem to affect the compass enough to justify buying another.

Caveat: I only use a compass to identifying North, South, East, West. I don't navigate by degrees.

Don't confuse deviation with balance. Deviation occurs in all zone and affects the direction the compass deviates from true north. Your compass will work just fine, but you need to compare it to a deviation chart to find true north.

Balance has to do with the action on the needle. The magnetic field lines penetrate into the earth, so the compass needle will dip down a little. If your compass is built into the binnacle of your boat, or you are laying your compass flat on a chart table, this could be a problem. To correct this, they are balanced for different zones.

But if you are hiking with a hand held compass, just tilt it a little. I used my north american compass in Australia and it worked just fine.