UKC

Can anyone help me locate Compass Deviation Tables for Europe. Ideally does anyone know the deviation rate for Eastern Greece (Mount Olympus area). Thanks, Clare

In reply to Clare:

Are people incapable at a simple google search these days?

Try this page (found in three seconds):

http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/magmapsp.html

and scroll down to the Europe map.

In reply to James Jackson:

I tried to google it but got details of doing it on ships with a load of navigation lessons.

What keywords did you use to get that?

In reply to sutty:

I used 'compass deviation europe', and that page is the third one down, amongst, as you say, loads of maritime navigation pages.

In reply to James Jackson: I find that most people who do not find the answer in the first link that they open on google, then come on here and post for the information, hoping that someone vaguely computer literate will do the job for them!!

In reply to James Jackson:

I could be mistaken, but i thought UKClimbing was a place where people could share information, in particular, with relation to .... climbing.

It was a fair question.

In reply to SornaBob: Thanks for your support, I too thought this was a forum for information. I did try google, and searched under 'Compass Deviation europe' only to get shipping navigation, I obviously overlooked the recommended site and moved to the source of all mountaineering information JG Forum. C.

In reply to SornaBob: Be careful now, we are talking about a 19 year old, climbing nearly 3 years who is doing a DEGREE in rock climbing!
I think his attitude loaded reply at a totally stupid and ill thought out question thoroughly justified.
Remember, you're not allowed to ask about climbing/routes/gear/ambitions etc. without getting at least a minor roasting.

I gave up asking questions even slightly related to rock/hills etc, it ain't worth the fecking agro!

In reply to James Jackson: Give us a break mate, its Bank Holiday everyone should be chilled, thanks for the link. C.

In reply to James Jackson:

however the info is a good eight years out of date. so good effort but get off that rather high horse.

clare you will need to know by how much the declination has changed (according to james maps) for the area you are visititng. if the need for the info is for a trip to greece local maps will probably state it on the maps a la OS maps. or if not find out from the local greek airport!

In reply to stu: Thanks for the advice, maybe I have confused the issue also by using the term Deviation when it should be variation. But I have checked the OS map I have for Mount Olympus and it isn't on there, so it may be worth checking locally when we arrive. I haven't used a compass outside of the UK before therefore the naivity. C.

In reply to Clare:

declination, variation, deviation. all amount to the same thing, so no worries.

In reply to Clare: I thought it was a fair question,and its nice to get a reply,but why the need for the snotty attitudes on this board? we all should be free to ask anything relevent, and share and benefit from the joint skills here.

In reply to Clare:
Be very careful asking about deviation in Greece, the Orthodox Church doesn't look too kindly on that sort of thing you know.
Also - maps, measuring & plotting... next thing you know you'll be banged up in jail (just think plane spotters).

In reply to stu:



But be careful, inclination is very different, although still related to the magnetic field. Inclination is the reason compass manufacturers make you buy different compasses for different regions. If they simply built a bigger housing then one compass would probably work all over the world. In fact, if you're careful, I'd imagine you can can get one of the current compasses to work in most places, just by observing the way the needle is behaving, and compensating for it.

In reply to Clare: Don't worry, if you need a compass on Mount Olympus I'll donate a fiver to your favourite charity...follow the cart track..

In reply to AHKC: Silva make compasses designed to work all over the world (their explorer range) by using a "multi-balanced needle". They're not expensive either.

In reply to Clare: Look on the map info, usually near the key

In reply to AHKC:

True, and deviation has a totally different meaning from variation, in terms of aviation. But that's irrelevent right now!

Clare, if you're drawing a blank with the up-to-date variation, you have another 2 (admittedly tricky) options:

1. Try and get your mitts on an aviation chart for the area, which will certainly mark the variation. I'll have a quick scout on google (as I no longer have access to those kinds of charts) and if I find anything, I'll post the link.

2. Some charts also say in the key what the rate of wandering (?) is. So it will mark the variation for, say, 1996, and state that it is moving (eg) 0.5 deg West every year. So at a push you could calculate it, though it won't be massively accurate.

Good luck, enjoy your trip, and do be careful what you photograph!

In reply to Jonny Hardcore:

That's my point. They can be built, and I can't see a reason for not building them all like that. I had a look at one, and it does appear as though they've just gone for a larger housing and more versatile pivot. I think 'Multi-Balanced' is meaningless jargon.

I may well be wrong. Does anyone have more information?

Deviation?

Welcome to the world of GMA - grid magnetic angle

As for global compasses - silva makes one I think
Forget what it is that makes north adjusted compasses irregular in the south...but in any case, why not and splurge and buy a global one anyway?

As for the deviation declination - two main points:

Make sure you set the magnetic delcination the right way (East vs West)i.e. if MD is 10 degrees East, and you slip and set it at 10degrees West, you'll be worse off than
if you used the compass zeroed.

Also, for more remote, or precise travel, check the date of the map!

Ex: map is from 1973 , that's 30 years difference in magnetic declination.

say, for the region it's 10 degrees East
with 0.5 degrees increasing every year, that's
30 x0.5 = 15 degrees more!

So, if it's for general purpose, have no fear

However, good compass work not only is a good thing to know,
it's a great confidence boost when you really need to use it

(hope this was informative for at least 1 person)

In reply to Clare:

Hi Clare, if you want to be really technical try the link as it covers the entire world, you need the area lat/long: it's great for my remote geology trips..

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/seg/gmag/fldsnth1.pl

You'll get a page of numbers + explaination

Hope it helps,

Mat. semi professional Google surfer

In reply to Clare: I may be being really thick here, if so please ignore me.

But this is the way I do it, when I am not sure of local declination.

Find an area full of easy identifiable land marks, village/town etc….

1. Take bearing using compass from known point, eg: edge of car park or something to another known point church or pub.

2. Line up bearing on map difference between this and true north on map is the declination.

Does this make sense?

Mick

In reply to Anonymous:

Sounds like a good plan, but I don't know what angular resolution you could expect over these short distances - we're only talking a few degrees either way here.

In reply to James Jackson: I agree be careful, but if you do this to several different points (taking great care) and then averaging out I willing to bet you will not be far out maybe 1/2 deg.

In reply to Anonymous:

Even so, we're still talking 1/2 a deg over what, 5 degs? Big difference if you set out walking on a compass bearing for a few miles.

In reply to James Jackson: I am impressed, I have great difficulty setting my Silva type 4 accurately to 1 deg let alone 1/2 deg.

In reply to Anonymous:

Exactly - I'm just guessing figures, so if it be 1deg then so be it - even worse idea trying to work out magnetic deviency using this method!

In reply to James Jackson: Yep like any method, you test it out, try it a few times in a controlled environment, then if you have confidence in it use it, if not discount it.

In reply to Anonymous:

Sound advice.