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Re: [RFI] Compass Vectors

To: Michael Clarson <wv2zow@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] Compass Vectors
From: David Cole <dave@nk7z.net>
Reply-to: dave@nk7z.net
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2015 08:54:38 -0800
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
Hi Mike,

I had a location here in Eugene, that would throw off a compass by 20
degrees every time, took me a few months to find out why...  Turns out
there was a buried transformer there...

-- 
Thanks and 73's,
For equipment, and software setups and reviews see:
www.nk7z.net

For MixW support see;
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixw/info
For Dopplergram information see:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dopplergram/info
For MM-SSTV see:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MM-SSTV/info


On Tue, 2015-12-01 at 11:44 -0500, Michael Clarson wrote:
> David: Yes, I was a bit redundant, but I wanted to emphasize that
> there can be substantial and very localized variations in the
> declination that differ from the predictions. 73, Mike, WV2ZOW
> 
> On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 10:47 AM, David Cole <dave@nk7z.net> wrote:
>         I thought I said that...
>         --
>         Thanks and 73's,
>         For equipment, and software setups and reviews see:
>         www.nk7z.net
>         
>         For MixW support see;
>         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixw/info
>         For Dopplergram information see:
>         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dopplergram/info
>         For MM-SSTV see:
>         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MM-SSTV/info
>         
>         
>         On Tue, 2015-12-01 at 10:32 -0500, Michael Clarson wrote:
>         > Another caution: Magnetic "North" can vary substantially
>         from the
>         > predicted declination. I always calibrate my compass by
>         sighting a
>         > physical object and comparing the bearing to a map. I
>         learned this
>         > while trying to aim a microwave antenna on top of a ridge
>         between
>         > Bethlehem and Harrisburg PA. Mountain loaded with iron ore.
>         My compass
>         > was about 30 degrees off! This mountain is one of the few
>         places on
>         > Earth where one's compass can be off that much due to local
>         > conditions. --Mike, WV2ZOW
>         >
>         > On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 9:01 AM, David Cole <dave@nk7z.net>
>         wrote:
>         >         If you are doing this by hand, as I do, then
>         remember, to keep
>         >         the map
>         >         and your bearings, in either True, or Magnetic
>         North, I always
>         >         keep my
>         >         maps in True North, and adjust my compass readings
>         to True
>         >         North, prior
>         >         to plotting them.
>         >
>         >         If you take a Google map, it will be True North,
>         while your
>         >         uncompensated compass, will be in Magnetic North.  I
>         use
>         >         Google Earth
>         >         images to draw my plots on.
>         >
>         >         You need to convert both your map, and your readings
>         to the
>         >         same units,
>         >         either True or Magnetic North, before you draw a
>         bearing line
>         >         on your
>         >         True North oriented Google map.  Here is how I get
>         them to
>         >         match the the
>         >         easy no math way.
>         >
>         >         I go here: http://www.acscdg.com/ and get a map of a
>         long,
>         >         straight,
>         >         road that runs dead N, S, E, or W in my area, the
>         actual
>         >         bearing does
>         >         not matter, it only matters that you know the
>         bearing of the
>         >         road
>         >         exactly, and can read your compass to that same
>         accuracy,
>         >         hence why I
>         >         use N, S, E, or W, they are easy to find on a
>         compass, and
>         >         almost every
>         >         city has N/S/E/W roads.
>         >
>         >         I pick a road that is long, and has a sidewalk, that
>         way I can
>         >         stand on
>         >         the sidewalk, and sight down the sidewalk, not
>         looking off to
>         >         the side
>         >         and sighting down the road from the sidewalk, thus
>         introducing
>         >         parallax
>         >         issues.  I then take my compass to that road, and
>         sight down
>         >         the
>         >         sidewalk.
>         >
>         >         I purchased an adjustable compass so I just adjust
>         the compass
>         >         to read
>         >         the heading of the road, and my compass is now
>         calibrated to
>         >         True
>         >         North.
>         >
>         >         See:
>         http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/declination.shtml for why
>         >         you need
>         >         to do this...
>         >
>         >         I then go home and take a bearing on something far
>         away, from
>         >         a known
>         >         spot on my property, and write that bearing down.
>         Then the
>         >         next time I
>         >         go out and start looking for RFI, I just sight on
>         the object
>         >         again, from
>         >         the same spot, and adjust the compass if it has
>         moved...  I'm
>         >         now all
>         >         set to do True North bearing drawings...
>         >
>         >
>         >         --
>         >         Thanks and 73's,
>         >         For equipment, and software setups and reviews see:
>         >         www.nk7z.net
>         >
>         >         For MixW support see;
>         >         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixw/info
>         >         For Dopplergram information see:
>         >         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dopplergram/info
>         >         For MM-SSTV see:
>         >         http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MM-SSTV/info
>         >
>         >
>         >         On Tue, 2015-12-01 at 02:18 -0500, Roger (K8RI)
>         wrote:
>         >         > Select your area with as much resolution as
>         possible.
>         >         > Drive to a location, take a bearing.  using the
>         Google
>         >         distance ruler,
>         >         > draw a line through your point.  Drive to another
>         point and
>         >         repeat.  Two
>         >         > bearings are often sufficient, but three leave a
>         small
>         >         diamond for the
>         >         > region of error.  Much easier to do than explain,
>         although
>         >         there is a
>         >         > learning curve.
>         >         >
>         >         > It gets messy with RFI hunting when there are
>         multiple
>         >         sources, with
>         >         > overlapping and similar patterns as in multiple
>         networks or
>         >         an area
>         >         > where there are a mix og cable and outside antenna
>         and the
>         >         users just
>         >         > wired the preamps and cable together.  This
>         sometimes can
>         >         lead to a much
>         >         > larger region of error.
>         >         >
>         >         > 73 es good luck
>         >         >
>         >         > Roger  (K8RI)
>         >         >
>         >         >
>         >         > On 11/30/2015 8:16 PM, Karin Johnson wrote:
>         >         > > I'm planning on doing some RFI hunting and
>         wanted to know
>         >         if anyone
>         >         > > knows how to plot compass vectors on Google
>         Maps?
>         >         > > I need to plot intersecting vectors from a
>         direction
>         >         finding loop to
>         >         > > find the source of an RFI generator.
>         >         > >
>         >         > > Karin   K3UU
>         >         > > Palm Harbor, FL
>         >         > >
>         >         > > _______________________________________________
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>         >         > >
>         >         >
>         >         >
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