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Date:         Wed, 1 Mar 2000 00:02:05 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Subject:      Re: Precision Navigation compass
Comments: To: Greg <yeff@EARTHLINK.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <005601bf8331$d2a30b40$0681b2d1@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 10:54 PM 2/29/2000 , Greg wrote: >Do you Know if maps use magnetic North or true North?

Road maps I would expect to use True North. For one thing, depending on where you are the variation can change noticeably within a comparatively small distance -- for example, here in RI the variation is (I should know, but I don't) about 14-15 degrees West. In my cruising grounds in Maine it goes from about 16 degrees at the southern border to over 18 degrees West in Penobscot Bay, and I think it's 20 and change at the northern border.

Marine (and I presume aeronautical) charts are printed arbitrary orientation (almost always True North at the top) but have concentric compass roses showing bothTrue and Magnetic printed at various points on the chart. I would expect topo maps to be similar except that they don't cover enough area to need more than one set of roses per.

david David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation"


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