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#71 Smokecreek1

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Posted 03 June 2016 - 04:31 PM

Yep, you got that right Ski,  still remember that  experience--and it happened  in 1973--to a then very well qualified field experienced outdoors man (and army vet too), crew chief and his experienced survey crew , who thought he/they  knew it all :D

 

Smoke


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#72 Foy

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Posted 03 June 2016 - 04:54 PM

Gee, Smoke, I'm a little disappointed your newbie was even around to make that comment.  SOP on our field geologist crews, populated by guys from NC and Virginia colleges and having no experience in the Public Lands Survey System, was to send the newbies off on an urgent mission, on their first day in the field, to solve a problem with the rig over in Section 37.  We'd make sure he knew he was to remain in radio contact with us on the open work channel all the way there and report when the rig was found and the problem solved.  

 

Good times!

 

Foy


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#73 Smokecreek1

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Posted 03 June 2016 - 05:11 PM

Foy

 

To pick up a sky hook, I bet! :wacko: !!! Maybe a left handed wrench too!  The "newbie" got a PHD several years later, so he showed potential early on ;) .  Yep, those were good times!

 

Smoke


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#74 takesiteasy

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Posted 03 June 2016 - 07:46 PM

Smoke, great story. I can relate as northern Minnesota is filled with magnetic rocks. I have a picture somewhere in the archives with two compasses on opposite sides of a rock pointing north towards the rock. Not good! :)


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#75 Foy

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Posted 03 June 2016 - 07:55 PM

Smoke, great story. I can relate as northern Minnesota is filled with magnetic rocks. I have a picture somewhere in the archives with two compasses on opposite sides of a rock pointing north towards the rock. Not good! :)

The iron oxide magnetite (actually a ferrous-ferric iron oxide) is itself magnetic and is a fairly common component of igneous rocks.  Its presence in outcrop or beneath thin soils can foul a compass right up.  Ditto rocks rich in non-magnetic iron such as the oxide ore of iron known as hematite and the hydrous oxide ore of iron known as hematite.  

 

The Long Range Desert Group used sun compasses to navigate trackless sand seas in the Libyan Desert since compass errors caused by their vehicles' mass of iron and by local magnetic disturbances could be fatal in terms of missing a remote spring or well oasis.

 

Foy


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#76 hoyden

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 05:15 AM

hoyden, the Lady & I love land navigation and have been teaching classes for over 25 years. As many of the topics posted on WTW attest, with advances in gps technology the world of recreational land navigation has changed dramatically. But, from my perspective, the basic skills remain the same and should not be overlooked.

 

In looking for a compass, things to consider -

 

a rectangular baseplate allows the compass to be used as a protractor on your map. This allows quick exchange of information from map to field and from field to map. Declination adjustment allows for eliminating the math involved in the ever changing difference between magnetic north (the language your compass needle uses) and true north (the language your map uses). A mirrored compass helps provides an accurate handheld reading in the field - as well as giving us an emergency signalling mirror and a mirror for putting in our contacts in the morning.

 

This is the compass we use, recommend, and provide to the students in the classes we teach -

 

Silva Ranger

 

I wanna come take classes from you! :-D

 

thanks for the recommendation!

 

and Smoke - great story! 


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