[TowerTalk] Positoners Calibration to True North

[Don Havlicek]

Being in the Northern Hemisphere makes it quite easy to do at night IF 
the sky is clear.
Find Polaris .. the North Star.  Stand so you can sight Polaris THROUGH 
your tower.  You will be standing due SOUTH of the tower.  Put a marker 
on the ground.  The next day, go out during daylight and mark a point on 
the other side of the tower directly opposite the nighttime marker you 
just put down.  That point is DUE NORTH of the tower.  It will be 
accurate within one degree for any point in the Northern Hemisphere if 
you did the steps carefully.
Good luck
Don
N8DE

AD5VJ Bob wrote:
> Try this link your lucky you have a compass I don't.
> 
> http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/compass.htm
> 
> I have been trying to find a way for almost a year to
> figure true north (assuming that's what the logging
> programs use to do the long path short path thing)
> 
> 
> 
>   73 fer nw,
> Bob AD5VJ
> 
> 10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
> http://www.n5iet.com/
> Code may be taking a back seat for now,
> but the pioneering spirit that put the code
> there in the first place is out front of it all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com 
>>[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> 
> VK2SN 
> 
>>- Sean P Neylon
>>Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 1:57 PM
>>To: towertalk at contesting.com
>>Subject: [TowerTalk] Positoners Calibration to True
> 
> North
> 
>>
>>Dear all,
>>
>> 
>>
>>I am just about to stand up my tower with everything
> 
> ready to 
> 
>>go.yippee..at last..
>>
>> 
>>
>>I have Azimuth and Elevation Positioners M2 OR2800PDC
> 
> and M2 
> 
>>MT1000  see www.vk2sn.com <http://www.vk2sn.com/>  for 
>>further details of my set-up.
>>
>> 
>>
>>My location is in the city of Sydney Australia  S33  53'
> 
> 12.6''   and
> 
>>E151  14'  45.4''    Grid   QF56oc
>>
>> 
>>
>>To start with I will calibrate my poisoners to True
> 
> North for 
> 
>>Nova and such., then once up and running, I will use the
> 
> Sun 
> 
>>or whatever to further calibrate via the controller for 
>>accuracy.  But I want to at least get it close to
> 
> accurate 
> 
>>before I put the tower up.
>>
>> 
>>
>>I also cant really re-adjust once it goes up, I have to
> 
> pull 
> 
>>it down and so on.its very heavy for one person, so Im
> 
> hoping 
> 
>>to get things sorted before it goes up,..plus its too 
>>dangerous to climb and Im not one for climbing towers..I
> 
> like 
> 
>>my kids and want to see them live for a very long time.I
> 
> 
>>don't have the experience.smile.I'll do most things in 
>>life..but not climb towers on houses..!!!
>>
>> 
>>
>>So the question is, I will use a compass to choose
> 
> North, but 
> 
>>this is Magnetic North, to get True North, how many
> 
> degrees 
> 
>>do I add or subtract from Magnetic North.or where can I
> 
> find 
> 
>>this info, or how can I calculate it from my Sydney
> 
> position 
> 
>>- because I gather its different for everyone re
> 
> Latitude.
> 
>> 
>>
>>By the way, I hope this makes sense, the last time I had
> 
> to 
> 
>>figure out where I was by using a compass was when I was
> 
> 
>>about 14 years old..so I would like some advice..
>>
>> 
>>
>>Please advise if Im doing this right, or is there a much
> 
> 
>>better and easy way to sort/calibrate this situation..
>>
>> 
>>
>>Thanks guys,
>>
>>
>>Sean Neylon
>>
>> 
>>
>> 
>>
>> 
>>
>>Sean  P.  Neylon     VK2SN     QF56oc
>>
>>Cell Phone:  ++ 61 413 747 276
>>
>>web:    www.vk2sn.com
>>
>>email:   sean at vk2sn.com
>>
>> 
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>
>>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting
> 
> Towers", 
> 
>>"Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll
> 
> Free, 
> 
>>1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman,
> 
> W2FLA.
> 
>>_______________________________________________
>>TowerTalk mailing list
>>TowerTalk at contesting.com 
>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> 
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>