The bearings for these stations are based on celestial observations, NOT from a mag compass then converted to true.

Everyone talks of the importance of the compass, however the only ones that seem to use and depend on them are aircraft pilots and sailors.

We are told to take a map and compass with us when we go hiking, or off-road, or snow mobile riding, but how many do?

May I suggest that when we have used the basic magnetic compass it has never really been that accurate.  We don't really get that close on compass courses with a magnetic compass!  We seem to end up searching for the point we're going to anyway so why even use a compass.  Besides who can go in a straight line anyway, except aircraft and boats?

Even the GPS is not very accurate. The GPS and magnetic compass get you in the vicinity and then the search begins. Even Surveyors and military with their advanced specialty equipment have to spend on average 30 min per point to get as accurate as they claim that they can get.

Let me introduce the compass calibration station;

This station allows you to determine first hand what your total compass deviations are. Then you can accurately take a bearing.  There are more compass errors than just earths magnetic declination.  There are clothing and jewelery items, coins, keys, watches, near by fences, cars, buildings.  Get the complete deviation with the compass calibration station.

When you can accurately take bearings there are a multitude of things that you can do.  You can be suprised at how accurately and close you can get to an accurate bearing and distance point.

For example;

1. You can triangulate your position off of Geologic Survey established triangulation points.

2. You can pinpoint sight seeing landmarks from a location. Have the landmarks for your location in a GPS. Then go to the find feature of the GPS and highlight the landmark The GPS gives a bearing and distance to the landmark. Then with your calibrated compass bearings you can pick it out from the other landmarks. 

3.  You can get the position of an object you can see by taking bearings from two different known positions.

4.  You can follow a course and distance route to your destination.

These Compass Calibration Stations have the cardinal points marked in several ways based on what you want for the points.  ie.  arrows, lines, an actual large compass rose, a post, rocks stacked, figurines,  They don't have to even be the cardinal bearings.  They could be bearings to existing structures or yard ornaments.  You have an idea we can generally incorporate it into the compass calibration station.  The accuracy is ± 1 degree, from celestial observations so they are true bearings, not mag bearings converted to true.

For the total compass bearing trip you need to be able to measure distance.  So a known length is given to walk between.  Counting your steps (paces) between this known distance, and dividing the length by the steps gives you your feet per step.

Then the skill comes in being able to keep track of your step count.  The other skill is picking an object far enough in the distance, but not to far that is on the bearing and walking towards it.

If you would like a compass calibration station in your yard, driveway, park, trailhead, lookout, even in your home contact us for a quote.