Home / Educational Resources / Math Resources / Compass: Definitions and Examples. Using the Centerhold Technique. Timetoprepare.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Other Programs, an affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the Partners. To use the terrain to orient a map, you must be familiar with symbols used on the map. Doing that with a lensatic compass is much like doing that with any other compass. This step comes after aligning our map and compass needle to magnetic north if using a compass that doesnt have a declination adjustment key. Magnetic north would be around 14 degrees to your right, or east. You can use this feature to set your compass in the dark. Kieran James Cunningham is a climber, mountaineer, and author who divides his time between the Italian Alps, the US, and his native Scotland. Throughout this procedure, were not utilizing it at all.). 2. What's that? Line your orienteering compasss base plate up with the maps north-south lines. Once you reach your landmark, align yourself again to make sure youre on the right path. Line it up with that. Now repeat step 3 above and youre good to go. Check the index line to find out the bearing you just have taken. Open the cover completely and pull back the rear sight. Whether or not you participate in orienteering, I'm confident you'll find that a properly oriented map is a huge help in finding your way. Its declination would be written as 14E. If you take just one thing from this guide, let it be the appreciation that contours are the most important navigational feature on the map, especially where hills and mountains are concerned. Turn your declination-adjusted compass dial so due North is at the index pointer. Check the declination of your local location on your map or on a website. Open the compass all the way so that the cover locks into position against the base, forming a straightedge along the left side. On your map, though, you can see the two spots. Hold it square and straight in front of you like you mean business. Your article very useful for me and it helps me understand more about compass. Designate your starting and ending points on the map. The keys to successfully navigating the wilderness are being able to determine your position, know where youre going and understand how terrain affects your movement abilities. Align the map so that the top of the map is parallel with the direction north based on the compass. Hold the compass with your thumb fully in the thumb ring, and your index finger wrapped around and gripping the circular part of the underneath of the compass's base. Alex is a qualified Mountain Leader, adventure writer and content creator with an insatiable passion for the mountains. Heres how it works. Its not unheard of for hikers to accidentally read their map upside down and end up facing south, rather than north. Bear in mind that an east declination value will be a positive number, and a west declination value will be a negative number. Finally, before setting off, be sure to do a quick check by looking around you to see that all features represented on your map are where they should be in the terrain. Set your compass dial to 000 degrees. So your true bearing would be 166. 3. 4. Magnetic north lines up exactly when youre on this line and facing true north. Turn the map and compass until the needle on the compass aligns with the north-south grid lines on the map. 1. 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Open the cover completely and pull back the rear sight. Declination was taken into account while adjusting the compass. durability, and its hyper-accuracy in land. One disadvantage is, unlike the orienteering compass, it's not easy to make it double as a protractor, meaning you'll have to carry a protractor with you. True north and magnetic north are not the same, as stated in Part I. Plot a line on the map using the mountains rear bearing. Now $7.56. To obtain a heading from our map, we may use our compass as a protractor. Look at the red needle to see which direction it is pointing. You just need one more piece of information to figure out exactly where you are on the map. When you return from using your lensatic compass, take it apart as much as possible to detect any moisture. Orient your map so that its lined up with magnetic north (see above). You will receive a verification email shortly. 2. Put your compass on your map. Yeah, book is the most effective tool that can be made use of for affecting your life. What if youre not on a route and just have a broad idea of where you are? SEE IT. Your email address will not be published. Making sure you don't move to change directions, turn the glass compass housing until the short luminous line is directly lined up with the luminous magnetic arrow. Simply look for distinguishable landmarks that are marked on the map, and turn so that both you and the map are facing this object. In this case, it 15 degrees positive (east). Lets break down the individual parts of a lensatic compass so you can understand every element behind how it works. It will make it easier to understand why we adjust for declination in the first place. Sounds like a lot more than a regular compass, doesnt it? Used the G-M angle formed by the . The red end of the needle must be pointing to the top of the map. Lets go back to our Muir Woods example. Performance Steps 1. PART 1 Basic Land Navigation. Some of the components' terms are used in the explanations below. Spread out your map. Ethan Allan, the peak you observed, is cut through by the plotted line. To figure out precisely where you are on the map, you simply need one more piece of information. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. You can also plot a known compass bearing on the mapthe reverse process. Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? Start with contour features, such as what the ground is doing in front of you and around you, what happens to the terrain in the middle distance and then whats going on in terms of distant mountain peaks, ridges, hills and escarpments. Well adjust it to account for the declination of our compass. You can use it to find your bearings in any direction you need to go. There was a problem. At this point, your map is almost oriented. To find the tower's bearing with your lensatic compass: 1. How To Get Your Map and Compass To Face the Same Direction. The U.S. military M-1950 lensatic compass shown in this video is still in use today. Execute your docs in minutes using our simple step-by-step instructions: Get the How To Use A Lensatic Compass you need. Read the azimuth: Lastly, ensuring the dial is floating, look down on it and read the azimuth. Center-hold. 6. You learn that it has a 176 bearing. Module 1 Lensatic Compass. You can always orient your map with a working compass. Where the second line intersects with the first is where youre at on the map, more or less. The lanyard hole that can be used by the orienteering compass user can limit access to the compass if not enough space is available to move the compass across your map. The lensatic compass is used by the U.S. Military. B. Compass (For Dummies) Beginner guide to map and compass - Survival Saturday Ep. Map Reading and Land Navigation: FM 3-25.26. 2. Imagine that you want to hold it as if it were firmly mounted in that position. You are missing your point location. Return from Lensatic Compass to How to Use a Compass. 1. navigation and combat. and compass together is to orient the map towards north simply align the map merid, figure 10b while keeping compass edge on landmark pivot compass until magnetized needle is centered within orienting arrow plot bearing on map by drawing line from landmark using the edge of the compass figure 10c 1 how a compass works your compass is a . 2. With the map level, place the compass . Aligned the side of the compass with one of the north-south grid lines. The My Open Country name is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Lensatic compasses are used by the United States military for a reason. The term lensatic comes from the fact that there is a lens on the rear side of the compass that aids in the orienteering process. You want to know how to use a lensatic compass? 4. Check to see if the north directional arrow is inline with the arrow/line of the compass. Orient the map to the terrain. Using the approach described above, plot that bearing on the map. Read the number at the index line. Though GPS and smartphonesare reliable, its still vital to carry a compass, and know how to use it, as a backup or lifesaving form of navigation. Keep it in a case, or wrapped up in a thick cloth to prevent those damages. It typically consists of a magnetized needle that is mounted on a pivot and placed inside a circular housing. In such orientation we use a lensatic scale. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. Let's have a look at the sources that constantly give favorable points. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once its lined up with your compass needle. The compass baseplates edge is now pointed in the direction of the visible landmark you used to get your bearing. Contours are king. If not, recalibrate before continuing. Procedures. Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. Leave your orientating arrow in line with the index line and the direction of travel arrow, as it will already be primed to point magnetic north. Step 1. As we can see, the area Im in has a declination of 4E. 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. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point slightly east. To find directions from your map, you're going to need a protractor, a special instrument used for measuring angles. The angle between true north and magnetic north is declination. 1. The back bearing is 50. The instructions on this page might make orienting a map seem a highly technical thing. Another trick for declination when your compass cant adjust for it is to create your own declination arrow out of masking tape and tape it beneath your compass under the correct declination degree hash (This will only work if your compass has a clear base). It would be 204 (24+180) in this situation. . Look at the index line and read the number. This webpage may also be used to get current declinations. slide 1 to 3 of 3. Once you've got the bearing you can transfer it to the map. Through his hiking, mountaineering, climbing and trail running adventures, Alex aims to inspire others to get outdoors. (1) 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 of the map. Please refresh the page and try again. Not a problem. If you want to navigate and explore like a Navy SEAL, its high time you learn how to use one of these stellar compasses. The Lensatic compass is used to determine 'azimuths' or 'compass bearings' (horizontal angles). Say your azimuth was 170 degrees. A Beginners Guide. You will not be using it for the center-hold technique. Preferred by military for its precision and. Make a mark with your pencil at the notch on the end furthest from the sighting wire. Method #1. (Note: Ignore the magnetic compass needle. With your bezel ring set, stand at your starting point and . 2. There are two ways of doing this. A: To rotate a map in Beat Saber, you can hit the trigger button on your controller. The United States military needs to know how to navigate on land when all digital systems fail. This was developed. Note that we will be moving and adjusting the compass on the map. That would be 130. for Faith in Humanity, how to orient a map using a lensatic compass, orient a map using a lensatic compass powerpoint. 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 . Improve your reading skills with the KWL Method Compass 101 - How to Use a Baseplate Compass Buying a Compass for Land Naviga-tion Basic Navigation with a Compass and a Map How to orient a map and take a . The lensatic compass is comprised of different parts compared to a baseplate compass. to orient the map to find your position. If you have already adjusted your compass for magnetic declination, your map is now oriented and youre good to go. Read your compass (Figures 5-25 and 5-26). You should notice that the direction of travel arrow should be pointing at the top of the map, and the black orienteering lines should also be parallel to the north-south gridlines on the map. However, imagine youre in Muir Woods in San Francisco, facing true north. Next, without changing the orientation of you map, move your compass so that the point you are plotting to/from is under the sighting wire, and the compass dial reading matches your bearing. Lay your map out in front of you on a relatively flat and smooth (and dry!) The easiest way to orientate a map is to relate the features in front of you to the features on the map. To use your lensatic compass to find the direction of your intended azimuth (which you probably got from your map, using your protractor): 1. A visualization depicting the Soldiers Manual of Common Tasks (STP 21-1-SMCT) task Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass (071-COM-1011). Note: This procedure places the fixed black index line of the compass parallel to north-south grid lines of the map. You dont have your point position. Lay your compass on the map and line up its edge with a known landmark. Get your own customized topographical maps, built according to your specifications. So in this installment, well go over the skills you need to do just that. Step 1: Find the North Star. To get among the sources, you can discover the fascinating point to acquire. Place the thumb of the other hand between the rear sight and the bezel ring; extend the index finger along the remaining side of the compass, and the remaining fingers around the fingers of the other hand. Step 3: Find a path that leads to the horizon. Best Camping Knife for Outdoor Adventures, Best 4-Person Tent For Camping [2023 Update], How to Use a Fire Starter: A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide, How to Dispose of Butane Cans (and Other Solvents), Best Hikes in Colorado: 17 Incredible Trails, Types of Backpacks: The Ultimate List of 23 Pack Styles, Learning one of land navigations primary skills, Turn your map using your map and compass together, How to check your map is oriented correctly. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you orient and read a map? Youll want to rotate it till the black arrow outline matches the 4E hash mark. Then, slide your compass around so that its edge passes through the landmark on the map, while the orienting arrow continues to point north. PARTS OF THE LENSATIC COMPASS Compass, Lensatic, US Army, closeup: 2 (From another source) 1. We guide you on how to orientate a map with or without your compass so that you can navigate your way through the backcountry. 3. If the magnetic declinationin your area were zero, you'd proceed in the direction of 062 degrees. 5. Learn Land Navigation Now. relation to a map. The Lensatic compass also has a large number of drawbacks, including the use of a large case that can make this a cumbersome and heavy option. Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Well, we can use our compass as a protractor to take a bearing from our map. The orient a map to the ground by map-terrain association is one of the most basic skills that you will need in order to survive. Making sure you don't move to change directions, turn the glass compass housing until the short luminous line is directly lined up with the luminous magnetic arrow. Great article! Keep doing this until you get to where you want to go. When you point your compass towards true north, your compass needle is going to point a little to the west. Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass 071-329-1011 Conditions: Standards: Orient the map to the ground using a compass. 3. Positioned the cover of the compass toward the top of the map. Have you noticed the agonic line? Heres our step-by-step guide to the most straightforward. At night, however, or in other periods of limited visibility (fog, blizzard, etc) keeping these two luminous bits lined up will be your only remedy. Well use the rear bearing of it to draw a line on the map from Saddle Mountain to our approximate direction. When you face true north, magnetic north is going to be left, or west, of you by about 14. 5. Conversely, the black end of the compass needle should be pointing south. This visualization has been approved for public release.Storyboard developed from the STP 21-1 Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks Warrior Skills Level 1, September 2017Approved by the Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT) G-3/5/7, Initial Entry Training, Fort Eustis Virginia. At the summit of Saddle Mountain, take a bearing using your compass. Draw a line towards the roadway youre on using the side of your compass. 3 . These other objects can interfere with compasses, and no matter how miniscule the differences may seem, it can leave an impact. 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. My 159-page, fully illustrated book is yours for the asking. Here's an example from an older map of the Grand Canyon. When youre on this line and are facing true north, magnetic north lines up perfectly, too. Pull your elbows firmly into your sides; this will place the compass between your chin and your belt. Determine your position on the map and set the compass edge over it. Rotate the compass dial until north on the compass ring lines up with north on the map. Its 310 degrees in reference to you, as you can see. Title: USING THE MILITARY LENSATIC COMPASS 1 USING THE MILITARY LENSATIC COMPASS PART 2 Intermediate Land Navigation Module 14 Travel Distance Estimation 2 . There is nothing better than being at the heart of your navigation as a prepper, and truly knowing where youre headed without the need for technological input. When you have a line location, you know youre on a maps recognizable line (trail, ridge line, etc. We'll start from the beginning, and go through everything you need to know to find your way over the terrain. USING A COMPASS Magnetic azimuths are determined with the use of magnetic instruments, such as lensatic and M2 compasses. Using the rotating bezel, turn it until the direction of travel arrow lines up with the north arrow. Open the cover completely and pull back the rear sight. Now it's time to take out the map. How Should I Set My GPS and Compass? Step 2 Lay the map in a horizontal position. The term "lensatic" comes from the fact that there is a lens on the rear side of the compass that aids in the orienteering process. Of course, ignore all of this if youre hiking through the Netherlands or Florida, where hills and, by extension, contour lines are somewhat rare. You cant see the end point in your terrain, so you cant shoot a bearing on it. There is no declination, and you do not need to adjust your compass. 3. Rotate the compass until the north on the bezel points to the top of the map and the compass housing orienting lines are parallel to the maps vertical grid lines, using your position as a pivot. Were going to move that to take into account declination on our compass. Were ready to start orienting ourselves now that our compass has been corrected for local declination. Once you are physically at your starting location, it's time to put your compass to good use. Place the compass flat on the map with the travel arrow pointed in the general direction of north and one of the base plate's long edges linking your location and your destination; you may need a straight-edge to make the connection, depending on the map's scale and the distance to be covered. Next, turn the compass housing so that the index pointer corresponds to the number of degrees of the magnetic declination. Turn your compass on its side. On your map, place your compass. But its important to understand the different types of navigational toolsincluding a lensatic compass. We covered how to use a compass correctly, how to shoot your bearings, and the greatest map for navigating: the topo map, in Part I. Sight: Now peek through the rear sight slot, aligning the sighting wire or the front sight to the desired direction or object. Navigate to your map. A map, by definition, is a small-scale representation of the real world or a section thereof. You can figure this out with a little compass work. All Rights Reserved. With solid land-navigation skills, you'll be more confident and "at home" in the wilderness. A lensatic compass features a small pop-out area for your thumb, and a lid on top of the main compass body. To use your lensatic compass to find the direction of your intended azimuth (which you probably got from your map, using your protractor): 1. 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. Holding any compass in a slack and half-a**ed (that's an old military term. Sometimes we may use GPS technology or navigational apps to find our way, but we will always have the option of a map and compass stashed safely in our hiking backpack. Mt. Step 1 Orient the map. 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. Then turn the map until the position of the landmarks on the map corresponds to the real-world features in the terrain, then cross-check your position with additional features to ensure you have oriented correctly. In this guide, we will be covering the following: The first step to successful navigation with a map and compass in the backcountry is correctly orienting your map. We still need to understand where we are in reference to our map how to orient ourselves before we can start really navigating, which well cover in Part III of this series. Now, rotate the map and compass baseplatetogetheruntil the compass needle is boxed in the red orienting arrow (or direction-of-travel lines) on the compass. If youre in the Adirondacks, youll want to add 14 so your true bearing would be 194. 4. Thank you for signing up to Advnture. When you face true north, magnetic north is roughly 14 degrees to the left, or west, of you. Everything on your map will be reversed if youre looking south and holding the map right side up. Influences can be the factors of how the people life runs. Module 11 Plotting Position Coordinates exact positioning, used to communicate to others with a 2. 2. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.e. He is currently the President of the London Mountaineering Club, training to become a Winter Mountain Leader, looking to finally finish bagging all the Wainwright fells of the Lake District and hoping to scale more Alpine 4000ers when circumstances allow. Finally, read the number on the rim of the compass. For this task, the lensatic compass really shines. 4. Step 2. a. Once you know that you're facing north, rotate the compass so that the luminous line is over the 170-degree mark. Determine the correct magnetic azimuth to the designated point within 3 degrees using the compass-to-cheek method, or within 10 degrees using the center-hold method. Tilt it forwards until you can see your sighting arrow. All you have to do is shoot a bearing towards the unidentified peak. The narration and imagery may seem old-timey in this era of high-def computer graphics . ? We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. 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. Turn the map and compass together until the red needle is pointing north. This was developed for the Center for Initial Military Training, FT Eustis, Va. On your map, shoot the back bearing that you just took with your compass from the top of Saddle Mountain. west is 270). Once you are physically at your starting location, its time to put your compass to good use. Step 4: Walk along the path and make sure your compass always points North. Turn the map and compass together until the azimuth sighted lies under the Index Line. 3. A map and compass are useless unless you know how to use them properly. Move the lens holder: Slightly push forward the lens holder. We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Step 2: Line up your lensatic compass with the North Star and make sure the index mark is on the star. If your local declination is east of the agonic line, youll need to add the declination to your compass bearing; if its west of the agonic line, youll need to remove the declination from your compass bearing. What happens if you dont adjust your compass for declination? 3.30 MB. We can find out easily enough, though. Remember, maps are drafted with north at the top. 1. At Advnture, we never head out into the backcountry without a map and compass. Youll want to turn it until that black arrow outline is lined up with the 4E hash mark. Some of the best land navigators around are orienteers--those who participate in the cross-country running/map reading sport of orienteering. Get your own customized topographical maps, built according to your specifications. Copyright 2013-2019 Collingwood Publications LLC, It's important to hold your compass stable, squarely in front of you, and level. This makes it easier to relate what you see on the map with what you see on the ground. We just dont know where we are. Turn the little screw using a small screwdriver or the little metal piece that comes with your compass lanyard. Don't worry that your red orientating arrow doesn't point exactly map north. Your action from here depends on the value and direction of your declinationeast or west. Most compasses are marked with the four cardinal. FM 3-25.26: Map Reading and Land Navigation. The cover is used to protect the compass and also incorporates the sighting wirewhich helps you determine direction. It is easy to learn and it can be done with just a map and compass. Move the lens holder: Slightly push forward the lens holder. 4. You see that its 230 in relation to your location. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. You then see where the line you drew intersects with the protractor's numbers, in this case 062 degrees. What if you dont have a compass that allows you to adjust for declination? Were headed to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma for this example. Use a Compass to Plot Bearings on a Map. 3. This is sometimes referred to as putting red in the shed. As long as you can hold the compass level and steady, the exact grip doesn't matter. Using your location as a pivot, rotate the compass until north on the bezel is pointing to the top of the map and the compass housing orienting lines are parallel with the map's vertical grid lines. The fundamentals of using a map and compass to find your way around. (They are oriented to Grid North, which is not necessarily the same as . Look through the sighting slot and find some target (a tree, boulder, whatever) that lines up with your sighting wire. NY 10036. Fog or dense forest may mean you cant see but a few feet around you in any direction. Its not an issue. On the other hand, wrap the fingers around the three fingers below the compass. Orient you compass with the bearing, and draw the bearing line. Whether or not you participate in orienteering, I'm confident you'll find that a properly oriented map is a huge help in finding your way.