TRUE NORTH QUERY

[wa2moe@doitnow.com]

At 09:45 PM 1/6/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I hate to bring this up because last time someone asked this question on
>packet, the troops RAVED for weeks. Anyway here goes; anyone know a quick
>and dirty way of locating true North? 
---------
True north is compass north plus or minus deviation (that's magnetic north)
and plus or minus variation (the difference between the north pole and
magnetic north). That's the book method.
The easy method for hams, and as a one-time navigator I'd endorse, find the
star Polaris, the North Star, and true north is within a degree of the
heading from you to Polaris. If you can find the Big Dipper it's easy.  The
outer two stars in the dipper (away from the handle) point to Polaris.
                              Stu Greene WA2MOE 
                            7537 North 28th Avenue
                          Phoenix, Arizona 85051  USA

                              wa2moe@doitnow.com                           


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