Looking for a portable digital compass

[BsSmith]

I think I might of found an easy solution for tracking rockets in unharvested corn fields and trees.

What I would need is some sort of digital compass, to keep a perfectly straight line. I don't know where to look for one of these (haven't tried Wal-Mart yet), does anybody have a source for digital compasses?

 

[skycopp]

https://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

 

[quickburst]

I think I might of found an easy solution for tracking rockets in unharvested corn fields and trees.

What I would need is some sort of digital compass, to keep a perfectly straight line. I don't know where to look for one of these (haven't tried Wal-Mart yet), does anybody have a source for digital compasses?

I bought one on e-bay.

 

[sylvie369]

Some Garmin handheld GPS units have something called "Sight n Go" that serves a similar purpose. You point the GPS at your target (presumably the point at which you saw the rocket disappear into the corn), and press a button, and you get a line that you can follow on the screen. If you go off course to the right, the line moves to the left, and vice-versa. I've used it with some success with rockets, though it was not as helpful as I'd hoped. Maybe with more practice.

 

[Sailorbill]

Look around for an inexpensive personal GPS. Some have compasses included. Nice thing about the GPS is you can set a track and it will tell you how far left or right of the track you are plus how far you are from the launch pad .

 

[JOAT]

Electronic compass is not nearly as accurate as a real magnetic compass. What is the electronic version giving you over a real compass?

 

[Handeman]

Electronic compass is not nearly as accurate as a real magnetic compass. What is the electronic version giving you over a real compass?

Hey, that was my question!

 

[BsSmith]

Some Garmin handheld GPS units have something called "Sight n Go" that serves a similar purpose. You point the GPS at your target (presumably the point at which you saw the rocket disappear into the corn), and press a button, and you get a line that you can follow on the screen. If you go off course to the right, the line moves to the left, and vice-versa. I've used it with some success with rockets, though it was not as helpful as I'd hoped. Maybe with more practice.

I was going to ask another question about something like this, but then I thought it would be useless without a GPS transmitter onboard the rocket. Looks like they do make them!

Electronic compass is not nearly as accurate as a real magnetic compass. What is the electronic version giving you over a real compass?

I was hoping that the electronic compasses had the same sort of point and go setting on them. It's easy to drift off course with a magnetic compass, especially over long distances. All of the magnetic compasses I've seen only have the NSEW and NE, SE, NW, NE, and SW markings on them. If the rocket falls between the marks, I can drift one or 2 degrees off the correct course.

 

[Handeman]

It's easy to drift off course with a magnetic compass, especially over long distances. All of the magnetic compasses I've seen only have the NSEW and NE, SE, NW, NE, and SW markings on them. If the rocket falls between the marks, I can drift one or 2 degrees off the correct course.

Check out the military or Boy Scout compasses. They are usually marked to a degree, or 2 at the most. They are just as accurate as the digital and in some cases, more.

The secret to following a line is not the compass, it's picking out a landmark, tree, bush, stick, or anything else that is online and walking to it. Then taking another reading and repeating. This can get very tedious in heavy cover but it does work. To do it right, you have to do the work and be accurate, don't depend on the instrument.

 

[DaveCombs]

Check out the military or Boy Scout compasses. They are usually marked to a degree, or 2 at the most. They are just as accurate as the digital and in some cases, more.

The secret to following a line is not the compass, it's picking out a landmark, tree, bush, stick, or anything else that is online and walking to it. Then taking another reading and repeating. This can get very tedious in heavy cover but it does work. To do it right, you have to do the work and be accurate, don't depend on the instrument.

So, what troop were you in?

(I'm a Scoutmaster myself.)

 

[Chrisn]

All of the magnetic compasses I've seen only have the NSEW and NE, SE, NW, NE, and SW markings on them. If the rocket falls between the marks, I can drift one or 2 degrees off the correct course.

Wow. Whats the point in a compass then? were the compasses you've seen from a kids Mcdonalds toy meal? All the ones ive used/seen are marked 360degrees.

 

[mkadams001]

I use the landmark method to find my rockets. Even with a compass you have to use landmarks, at least from where you started, to get you back on track after going around obstacles. A GPS would be a lot more fun though.

 

[Handeman]

So, what troop were you in?

(I'm a Scoutmaster myself.)

Back when I was a scout in the early '70s, I was in Troop 133. I was Cubmaster for my son's Pack and then a committee member while he was in Troop 26.

 

[Handeman]

Another method for finding a rocket that can work very well if you have help and are not on flat terrain. You only needs three things. This works very well in corn fields if there are slight hills so you can see the whole field.

1. A sight that can be attached to a camera tripod or other stand and locked in place. Use it to lock onto the location where the rocket went down. This can be a stick with a nail in each end, a straw, or anything else that allows you to get and keep a line of sight to the landing spot.

2. A flag on a rod or pole. The blaze orange ones on fiberglass rods for use on bikes and ATVs work very well and are light.

3. Two way radios. You don't need the expensive 5+mile range ones. 2 mile radios work just fine since you can't see the flag that far away anyway.

The person with the flag goes and gets the rocket while the person using the sight talks the person with the flag to the landing sight. If it doesn't put you dead on, it will get you very close.

If you have a set of radios and can make up a sight and flag, this is a NO Cost solution.

 

[Handeman]

Another method for finding a rocket that can work very well if you have help and are not on flat terrain. You only needs three things. This works very well in corn fields if there are slight hills so you can see the whole field.

1. A sight that can be attached to a camera tripod or other stand and locked in place. Use it to lock onto the location where the rocket went down. This can be a stick with a nail in each end, a straw, or anything else that allows you to get and keep a line of sight to the landing spot.

2. A flag on a rod or pole. The blaze orange ones on fiberglass rods for use on bikes and ATVs work very well and are light.

3. Two way radios. You don't need the expensive 5+mile range ones. 2 mile radios work just fine since you can't see the flag that far away anyway.

The person with the flag goes and gets the rocket while the person using the sight talks the person with the flag to the landing sight. If it doesn't put you dead on, it will get you very close.

If you have a set of radios and can make up a sight and flag, this is a NO Cost solution.

BTW, if both people have compasses with them, it can make the "go there", "go here" directions easier to communicate.