Uses a retractable lens to read the bearing while. They both use magnetization to help you find where you are and where youre going, but theres a catch. Corrected the orientations of the map when the G-M angle exceeded 3 degrees (50 mils) using one of the following: a. What's that? The base is the compass dial, bezel, and the thumb loopthe thumb loop is used for stability to garner a more accurate reading. Overview. Determining a Bearing, or "Shooting an Azimuth", Using Your Compass Sights to "Shoot an Azimuth". A map so lined up is easier to interpret and follow than a map spread out haphazardly. You don't want to hold it crooked, cockeyed, or off level. 3. If your local declination is east of the agonic line, youll need to add the declination to the bearing on your compass; if your local declination is west of the agonic line, youll subtract the declination from the bearing on your compass. You can also use this website to get up to date declinations. Were going to figure out where we are on that line now. Step 2. Orient you compass with the bearing, and draw the bearing line. With the thumb loop all the way down under the compass, put the thumb of one hand all the way inside the loop, and place the index finger of that same hand along one side of the compass. Orient a map using a lensatic compass Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Well, youre going to have to do some math with all your bearings to make sure you get a true bearing. That can make a huge difference! Using a little screwdriver or the metal piece that came with your compass lanyard, turn the small screw. Lastly, the reading lens also helps cover the compass and folds out; this is where the term lensatic comes from. Your lens piece will appear just above your thumb loop. Remember declination from Part I? US $10.58 orient yourself to a map and follow a course over land The lensatic compass is used to set course bearings Instructions for Lensatic compass Open the lensatic compass so that the cover is at a 90 degree angle and the lens bracket is at a 30 degree angle to the case Lensatic Compass. Set your compass dial to 000 degrees. As mentioned in Part I, true north and magnetic north arent the same. Copyright 2013-2019 Collingwood Publications LLC, It's important to hold your compass stable, squarely in front of you, and level. Take a bearing to a visible landmark using your compass. With the map in a horizontal position, take the straightedge on the left side of the compass and place it alongside the north-south grid line with the cover of the compass pointing toward the top . Open the cover completely and pull back the rear sight. There you go. Shoot a bearing with your compass at the peak of Saddle Mountain. The compass baseplates edge is now pointed in the direction of the visible landmark you used to get your bearing. Of course, ignore all of this if youre hiking through the Netherlands or Florida, where hills and, by extension, contour lines are somewhat rare. All you have to do now is take a bearing towards the unnamed mountain. north. Look at your map, or use a website to see your local areas declination. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once it's lined up with your compass needle. Plot a line on the map using the back bearing from that mountain. We know were somewhere along HW 115 and south of Saddle Mountain. But heres the catch: depending on where you are on the planet, the angle of declination varies. When you have a line position, you know that youre on some identifiable line on the map (trail, ridge line, etc. Program, Strengthen Your Tribe: A Report on the Atomic Athlete Vanguard, The Best Riddles for Kids (With Answers! When moisture seeps into the lens case of your lensatic compass, it causes major problems. Then tilt the mirror until you can see straight down into the bezel. Check the declination of your local location on your map or on a website. In this video below,the user walks through the elements of a USGI lensatic compass, and how to properly use one. If everything is matching up, youre onto a winner. Step 4: Walk along the path and make sure your compass always points North. This is sometimes referred to as putting red in the shed. It will be clearer why we need to compensate for declination in the first place. USING A COMPASS Magnetic azimuths are determined with the use of magnetic instruments, such as lensatic and M2 compasses. Hey, it happens! Place the three remaining fingers below as if you are holding a gun. Youll line up your needle with the tape arrow instead of the arrow on your compass. Without getting over-complicated, a standard compass is different from a lensatic compass. 3. Step 3 Use one of two techniques to orientate the map. 5. Kieran James Cunningham is a climber, mountaineer, and author who divides his time between the Italian Alps, the US, and his native Scotland. When we know our point position, we can identify any landmark that we see in our terrain by using the map. Youll want to rotate it till the black arrow outline matches the 4E hash mark. Remember, human features are the last port of call and, whats king again? But I wish I had the simpler kind that just automatically points to the direction on the compass that I am . Step 1. This is commonly known as puttingthe red in the shed. Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. Preferred by military for its precision and. 9-4. 2. Its not an issue. Now were going to find out where exactly we are on that line. Hed just line his map up with the features of the lake we were currently on to find our portage to the next lake. 5. Step 3: Find a path that leads to the horizon. 1 color. pointsnorth, east, south, and westbut some are marked additionally with the. All Rights Reserved. There are so many different kinds of compasses, it can be hard to keep up. However, we should be able to figure it out rather quickly. This was developed for the Center for Initial Military Training, FT Eustis, Va. 4. 3. A good temperature of 65F to 78 should keep the humidity down and help preserve the structural integrity of the compass. Now draw the bearing line using the edge of the compass, and extending it in the desired direction. Welcome back to the Land Navigation Manual for the Art of Manliness. 3. Throughout this procedure, were not utilizing it at all.). See that little black outline of an arrow? 3. Please refresh the page and try again. Place the compass on your map with the edge along a north-south grid line. 4. Remember, maps are drafted with north at the top. Last but not lease, lensatic compasses are prone to scratching. Most compasses are marked with the four cardinal. 4. Also known as setting the map, orientating helps to relate your position and the landscape around you to the map, therefore making onward navigation more straightforward. Hold your compass in the two-hand hold, steady and level in front of you. A compass is a device used for navigation and orientation. Close is good enough in horsehoes, but I'm hoping exact is the standard for artillery fire. So, if youre in Muir Woods and your compass has a bearing of 180, youll want to subtract 14. Now, hold the compass level and squarely in front of you. 1. 2. The two basic techniques for using the lensatic compass . Lets break down the individual parts of a lensatic compass so you can understand every element behind how it works. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 2. Nothing is permanent and contours are more permanent than pretty much everything else on a map. 6. We may use the map to identify any landmark we observe in our landscape once we know our point location. Keep doing this until you get to where you want to go. Hold the compass steady and level, and up to your face. Learn Land Navigation Now. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point a bit to the west. A visualization depicting the Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks (STP 21-1-SMCT) task Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass (071-COM-1011). North is always at the topof any map. 4. The first step in orienting ourselves with our map and compass is to double-check that north on the map corresponds to north in our landscape. 3.30 MB. 3. (Note: Ignore the magnetic compass needle. relation to a map. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.e. Thankfully, its notwhether orienting your map with a compass or without, this is a skill that can be learned in minutes and which can be done in a matter of seconds out in the field. Place your map on a horizontal surface and then place the compass on the map so that the orienting arrow points to true north on the map. This straightforward video shows both approaches to using a compass to orientate a map: All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! Pull the lens holder up so that it is at a 90-degree angle to the base of the compass. Take a bearing on the mountain thats southwest from you. My magnetic declination is 4E, so Ill be moving the black arrow outline towards the red hash marks that are going towards E DECL.. To make sure you receive a correct bearing, youll have to perform some arithmetic with all of your bearings. The cover is used to protect the compass and alsoincorporates thesighting wirewhich helps you determine direction. My 159-page, fully illustrated book is yours for the asking. First, open the compass to its fullest so that the cover forms a straightedge with the base. (They are oriented to Grid North, which is not necessarily the same as . Your map is now aligned to magnetic north. If you dont start out using your lensatic compass with a map, then its just a regular compass. If the magnetic declinationin your area were zero, you'd proceed in the direction of 062 degrees. Learn to navigate using a topographic map and a compass. Rotate the compass dial until north on the compass ring lines up with north on the map. Look at which way the red needle is pointing. This is also known as triangulation. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A: You can use the arrow keys, or you can hold down shift and move in any direction to rotate a map around its axis. Declination is the angle formed by true north and magnetic north. Plot a line on the map from Saddle Mountain at 130. 1. Use your index finger to steady the front of the compass. Where the second line intersects with the first is where youre at on the map, more or less. To use your lensatic compass to find the direction of your intended azimuth (which you probably got from your map, using your protractor): 1. ? Lets say youve hiked the peak of Camels Hump in Vermont. The obvious drawback here is that such an approach is impossible in poor visibility. 3. The fact that they glow in the dark (especially, if they're the tritium kind which will glow for years without having to be exposed to light) means you can use your compass without a light for night navigation. Line your orienteering compasss base plate up with the maps north-south lines. You should be able to turn the map so that if you were to imagine jumping into it, the features would lie in the same direction both on the map and in your surroundings. For this example, were going to go to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Module 11 Plotting Position Coordinates exact positioning, used to communicate to others with a To use this method (a) Open the cover to a 90-degree angle to the base. You want to go cross country directly to Devil's Wash Basin, a deep and beautiful lake you've heard a lot about. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point slightly east. He is currently working towards qualifying as a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and International Mountain Leader. Assume youve climbed to the top of Camels Hump in Vermont. There are 2 ways to do this - using landmarks or using a compass. This may arise when you don't know your current position but have taken a back bearing from a visible landmark (1) you can identify on the map. A compass needle aligns with the magnetic fields in the Earth, which is what it uses to help you find true north. Using the approach described above, plot that bearing on the map. The edge of the compass baseplate is now pointing in the direction of the visible landmark from which you took your bearing. A lensatic compass is often referred to as a military compass, and is typically used by the U.S. Military. Battle tested - shock, water, sand proof, and. Customize the template with smart fillable areas. Tilt it forwards until you can see your sighting arrow. Bear in mind that an east declination value will be a positive number, and a west declination value will be a negative number. Your compass is now set. It is the bread and butter of navigation and a good habit to get into every time you set off in any given direction. Line it up with that. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. to orient the map to find your position.
