Magnetic North Shift

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

. As long as we can adjust for the variation I don't see the big deal. Your compass will always point to the big magnetic, global lump, regardless of what you call it.
Though I do understand how people have got lost believing it is an infallible and eternal lump of metal on the North pole.

Actually no.

The deviation causes by ferrous metal, electrical currents, magnetics, etc.. on your boat result in a compass that does not point to the magnetic pole.

[Mark Johnson]

If you are on autopilot, and it starts steering you in circles, it is that magnetic "shake to charge" LED flashlight that you bought your wife, (because she thinks there neat).

She has plopped it on the bunk, 2' from the autopilot's fluxgate compass!

Don't ask me how I know... Mark

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

If you are on autopilot, and it starts steering you in circles, it is that magnetic "shake to charge" LED flashlight that you bought your wife, (because she thinks there neat).

She has plopped it on the bunk, 2' from the autopilot's fluxgate compass!

Don't ask me how I know... Mark

Same thing almost. "Stainless" coffee cup near sensor. Fluxgate readings were wonky.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Saucy Sailoress

But... how might this affect the GPS - which I do need in order to set a course which to steer by the compass (I'll be honest, I've never used a compass rose in real life, only training courses....)?

GPS isn't magnetic so it won't affect it.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by hummingway

GPS isn't magnetic so it won't affect it.

Until you stand the H/H GPS next to the compass.....

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Same thing almost. "Stainless" coffee cup near sensor. Fluxgate readings were wonky.

Same thing almost. While motoring in flat calm, wife set down varnish can on deck above fluxgate. I didn't know what happened, so I corrected autopilot.
20 minutes later, the boat corrected the other way.

I got a call on the VHF from a friend who was following us.
He asked what we had dodged because he had scanned the water and couldn't find anything! I said, "We dodged a varnish can."

[boasun]

Another reason why it is moving: Due to the over abundance of Politicans talking. All that hot air coming from their mouths while speaking is causing the earth to heat up. Thus causing the Arctic Ice Cape to melt. And with little ice up there the Polar Bears are now homeless and residing on the arctic island where the Magnetic North Pole normally stays. But due to all of those homeless Polar Bears the MNP has decided to move before it ends up on P. Bear menus as breakfast, lunch and dinner and a late night snack. Nope it is trying to move to a safer area.

[Hillbillylad]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Actually no.

The deviation causes by ferrous metal, electrical currents, magnetics, etc.. on your boat result in a compass that does not point to the magnetic pole.

I was referring to variation not deviation. Regardless of how "North" and constant the magnetic pole is, a compass will always be affected by deviation locally. That doesn't alter the point I made at all. One would assume anyone using a compass would adjust for their own deviation concerns as no two situations would be identical.

[hummingway]

Now that you mention it I have noticed a lot of deviants around whose compasses don't read true.

[knotnow]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Now that you mention it I have noticed a lot of deviants around whose compasses don't read true.

Ya got dat right

nuff said

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by hummingway

GPS isn't magnetic so it won't affect it.

That's exactly what I thought - so as long as we don't have a major blackout at the same time as this mega shift, we'll be alright...

[Unicorn Dreams]

I figure ir's not worth my time worrying aout something that's naturally occurring and has been going on forever.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

I figure ir's not worth my time worrying aout something that's naturally occurring and has been going on forever.

I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about Mann made global warming any more on this thread.

[perchance]

Originally Posted by Don1500

I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about Mann made global warming any more on this thread.

Global Warming? Bring it on as I have a bad case of spring fever and the water here is still too hard to launch the boat.

[perchance]

Originally Posted by IceDog

Quote:
Originally Posted by LakeSuperior
I have heard this was happening and I directly attribute it to a high density of automobiles in the USA and China all turning clockwise on a closed path. The rotationally accelerating steel causing a small magnetic moment in all of the automobiles has perturbed the earths magnetic field causing it to precess.

(TGZZZZ)

Ah yes, the "Cariolis Effect"...

Is that anything like the karaoke effect?