True North or Magnetic North?

[cnelk]

What’s your compass setting on your favorite Hunting App?

 

[Geewhiz]

 

[Will_m]

Whatever happened to a regular compass?

 

[roadrunner]

Doesn't matter, it's just a "calculation" based off of GPS signal.

 

[cnelk]

 

[TJ]

Doesn’t matter, use one or the other.

 

[Next Ridge]

Magnetic

 

[Scotto]

Magnetic. At least I think that's true.

 

[Dos Perros]

iPhone compasses aren’t accurate or repeatable enough to matter.

 

[cnelk]

Anyone notice that OnX reinstalled Compass Mode?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Um. Be careful saying it doesn't matter. Depending on where you are in the us the difference can be 20* or more. if you are navigating with a map and compass that can mean a big difference in what azimuth you shoot vs what you follow.

not to get all mathy, but if for example you are in western Washington and you want to go 1 mile due north, if you took a magnetic compass heading of 0* and walked a mile, you would end up 1/3 of a mile to the east of where you want to be.

if none of that makes sense, google “declination navigation” and read a few of the how to‘s.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Yes, where I live the magnetic declination is nearly 20 degrees. If you follow magnetic versus true, in 3 miles you'd miss your target by about a mile.

 

[sawsington]

I walk until the blue dot moves. Then that's my direction, easy peasy.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I don't use the map like that.
I attempt to orient the map to the terrain.

Then I walk a ways and make sure I'm heading the correct way I want on the map.

What ever compass direction that is it is.

 

[UncleBone]

I don't use the map like that.
I attempt to orient the map to the terrain.

Then I walk a ways and make sure I'm heading the correct way I want on the map.

What ever compass direction that is it is.

About how I do it too. But Im not charting any super wild courses. I also like to have a reference point other than north. A large peak usually.

 

[roadrunner]

Um. Be careful saying it doesn't matter. Depending on where you are in the us the difference can be 20* or more. if you are navigating with a map and compass that can mean a big difference in what azimuth you shoot vs what you follow.

not to get all mathy, but if for example you are in western Washington and you want to go 1 mile due north, if you took a magnetic compass heading of 0* and walked a mile, you would end up 1/3 of a mile to the east of where you want to be.

if none of that makes sense, google “declination navigation” and read a few of the how to‘s.




View attachment 544638

Not talking about a handheld magnetic compass. Your phone doesn't have a metal needle with poled ends.

The compass app isn't any different than an electronic chart plotter. A GPS lat and long is a GPS lat and long.

If I'm going old school, then magnetic is my preference...

 

[BRTreedogs]

I keep a compass in my emergency kit.
But the objective would to be walking a straight line.
Which ever direction I pick.

 

[Rokbar]

Um. Be careful saying it doesn't matter. Depending on where you are in the us the difference can be 20* or more. if you are navigating with a map and compass that can mean a big difference in what azimuth you shoot vs what you follow.

not to get all mathy, but if for example you are in western Washington and you want to go 1 mile due north, if you took a magnetic compass heading of 0* and walked a mile, you would end up 1/3 of a mile to the east of where you want to be.

if none of that makes sense, google “declination navigation” and read a few of the how to‘s.




View attachment 544638

I believe most US TOPO maps will list the declination at the bottom. I was stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY. We were told not to worry about the declination. And if you look at the above map I may have been around 1* W??

 

[1eyedfatman]

True north for utm coordinates.

 

[ozyclint]

GPS on magnetic because the compass is magnetic. If they are both the same it eliminates the chance of making a mistake when using the two together.

Just account for declination when required