What is this compass?
This solar compass, without electricity or batteries, without magnets, without electromagnetic forces, provides an extremely accurate directional measurment. which then allows you to triangulate your position very accurately.
Why a solar compass?
For centuries the magnetic compass has been the standard for measuring direction. The magnetic compass has been relatively simple, quite reliable, and fairly simply made. But its accuracy is probably why our conversations about direction are usually limited to which way is north, south, east, and west. It is also why we are satisfied to have a compass in our cars that only give basic east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, north, northeast readings. There just appears to be a status about having a compass in our cars, even if it is very inaccurate, and only works in a car or vehicle for just months without it being realigned.
So let me continue, Why a solar compass?
This solar compass is more accurate than many of the tools used today to measure the angles on the maps that we have today. It doesn't have a bouncing needle balanced on top of another needle. Its direction is instantaneous once it is level, and the azimuth is set. It isn't affected by the metal objects in the area that the magnetic compass tries to point to. It gives a true heading or bearing, unlike the magnetic bearing given by the magnetic compass, which then has to be converted to a true bearing. You can use it while traveling whether walking, riding a bike, or in a vehicle. And you can make the solar compass out of any material that you can print the degrees on.
If we can have accurate true bearings constantly, anywhere in the world, just think of the more accurate maps that could be produced, the places we could explore that we couldn't before. Perhaps it would solve the Bermuda triangle problem. What would happen to robotics and automation, if you could have extremely accurate bearings to guide these devices through their travels. What about celestial navigation, with a spherical triangle solution tool that would not need the massive charts, but a chart that gives the celestial bodies latitude and the degrees in relation to the sun for each day of the year, and could give latitude and longitude for each sighting, and do it relatively quickly. The only reason that the sextant can't do that now is that there isn't an accurate enough directional bearing, and it doesn't solve a spherical triangle problem like this Celestial Navigation device. What about the other extremely important aspect of the navigation situation, that of dead reckoning between position readings, and the importance of triangulating your position. Triangulation is made much easier with this solar compass.
Let me address those of you saying that I have a G.P.S. (a global positioning system) that is wonderful. I say yes the G.P.S. is wonderful isn't it. I would not go very far without one. I am also of the age where I remember when civilians were not allowed to have access to this technology. I bless the day that the government decided to let us have access to some of the signal. I also hope that there is not a day when whoever owns those satellites will take away the signal we use today. This solar compass, celestial navigation device is affordable, and access to the celestial bodies is free. Those who rely on the G.P.S. only, may not use it enough to realize the battery life of the batteries, nor have they remembered the power outages that come at the most inopportune times.
Why not have a backup?
Now think about the possibilities of having an extremely accurate bearing indicator and having a very accurate position system from a G.P.S. Think of the possibilities. Think of how accurate your dead reckoning would be, think of how fast and accurate your triangulation would be. To triangulate would be much simpler.
You would plot a true course and you would navigate a true course, instead of plotting a true course then converting it to a magnetic course. Then for your dead reckoning you have to convert from your magnetic heading you have been steering into a true heading, and plot that. Also, triangulation requires you to take a magnetic bearing to a known point and convert it to a true bearing. With this Solar Compass you plot a true course, you steer a true heading, you take true bearings, and all the converting back and forth is less necessary.
Where accurate bearings are important in navigation, we use gyros and other positioning systems like Loran, Inertial Navigation systems, Doppler Navigation systems, and radio navigational aids like VORs, VORTACs, Beacons etc. If you have used these systems before you can imagine why G.P.S. has been so popular. Can you imagine updating your gyros with true bearing, an extremely accurate true bearing?
How to Find Azimuth of the sun:
You take the time disk finding your time that you have available to you. Generally you use your own local time. Then you take the Longitude disk and set your time zones longitude across from your local time. Then you take the two latitude half disks and slide the set time and longitude disks into the equator of the latitude half disks so that the one-half disk lines up with the 12 noon on the time disk and your longitude lines up with the other half disk. Now on the latitude half disk that is lined up with 12 noon go to the suns latitude and note where that is or tag it somehow. Then keeping the latitude half disk with your longitude vertical to the compass rose, and lining it along the north south line on your compass rose disk with the north latitude facing the north part of the compass rose, and the south to the south. Then tilt the whole assembly up to your latitude with the latitude half disk that is lined up with your longitude, keeping it perpendicular and lined up with the compass rose. This is your meridian that you are on and the latitude that you are at, so your position is at the base in the center of the compass rose. The other latitude half disk is on the meridian that the sun is on. You then rotate the complete assembly (compass rose, two latitude half disks, the time disk, and the longitude disk) until the sun and your position is lined up with the aiming base's aiming line. You then read the azimuth on the compass rose where the aiming line intersects the compass rose. Leave the compass rose and the aiming base locked in that orientation and you can then remove the gimbal set and read your bearing under the sun's shadow.
How to find your position:
You take the time that you have as long as it is as accurate as possible and set that on the time disk across from the time zones longitude on the longitude disk. Then you take the two latitude half disks and insert the already set time & longitude disks into the equatorial slit in the latitude disks. Now you need to get the zenith distance between you and the sun. You do this by either keeping the gnome at the same known height and measuring the length of the shadow, then taking the arctangent of the shadow length divided by the gnome height, this gives you the zenith distance between you and the sun. This is the arc length in degrees between you and the sun. You also need now an accurate known direction. You can get this from a published direction, or from a magnetic compass that has had all the corrections of variation, dip, acceleration, deviation, and care taken to avoid any metal within 50 feet or have the corrections made for it. Now that you have that, align your aiming base along that known direction and make it secure, so that it will not move off of that direction while you do the rest. Now take the gimbal set, (the two latitude half disks, the compass rose, the time and longitude disks put together), and line up the half disk that is going to be your position so that it is vertical to the compass rose, it is aligned on the north south line of the compass rose, and the positive latitudes are facing the north on the compass rose. That will be your meridian that you are on. Then rotate the gimbal set so that the sun on its latitude for the day lines up with the aiming bases aiming line. Then swing in or out through the latitude half disk that is fixed perpendicular to the compass rose and lined up on the north south axis of the compass rose the time, longitude disks, and the latitude half disk that has the sun on it, and pitch the north south meridian half disk keeping it still aligned with north and south, also keeping the shadow aligned on the known direction that the base is pointing at. Until the degrees between the sun and your position equal the zenith distance in degrees that you got from the shadow length. This would have to be measured by the arc incremented in degrees. Your latitude is then read on the latitude half disk that is perpendicular and tangent to the compass rose, and your longitude is read on the longitude disk where the vertical latitude half disk is passing through it.
How to find time, and sidereal time:
Finding the time where you are at is based knowing your position's lat. & long, and having a known direction. The difference of this and a sun dial is that this device gives you your local time sidereal time, and all local times, and sidereal times all over the world. This device is also good every day of the year. To do this do the following. First lay the time disk and the longitude disk together, and set one-half latitude disk on your longitude on the longitude disk, and set the other latitude half disk on 12 noon on the time disk. Then tilt the latitude half disk with your longitude set to your latitude keeping it perpendicular and oriented along the north south line of the compass rose. Then keeping your longitude set on the one-half latitude disk, and keeping the other half latitude disk on 12 noon, and note the sun's latitude for the day, and separate the two latitude disks or bring together until the sun's location and your location are lined up while keeping the shadow lined up on the known direction.
By aiming the device in the known direction and lining the compass rose so that it indicates that direction, you then have the sun's azimuth set on the lubber line. This then solves the spherical triangle problem giving the time orientation between the time disk and the longitude disk giving all times around the world, and local times around the world if you know their local times base longitude.
How to find rise and set times:
Finding the Rise and set times of any celestial body is based on what the time is, on the time disk at your longitude, when the arc length between your position and the sun is 90 degrees. It isn't when the angle between the two halves is 90 degrees but when the line between the sun's position (or other celestial object position) and your position is 90 degrees. You don't even need to do this out where the celestial bodies are visible. It can be done any time any where. First with the time and the longitude disks on top of each other set the one-half latitude disk on your position's longitude. Then set the other latitude half disk on the 12 noon of the time disk. Then keeping the latitude half disk that is on your longitude vertical to the compass rose and on the longitude. Tip it up to where your latitude is on the compass rose, and move out or in the two latitude half disks until the degrees measured between the sun, or celestial body, is 90 degrees. Then reading the time that is across from your longitude will be the rise or set time. The difference between the rise and the set time will be which side the 90 degrees were measured on. If it was the east side of the compass rose then it is the rise time, in the west side of the compass rose then it is the set time.
How to determine a great circle course and distance:
This is much like finding the azimuth of the sun or celestial body, only instead of using the position of the celestial body you use the latitude and longitude of the destination that you want. First set one of the latitude half disks to your longitude, and the destination's longitude on the other latitude half disk. Then rotate the latitude half disk with your longitude up to your latitude keeping this latitude half disk perpendicular to the compass rose and lined up with the positive latitudes in the north side of the compass rose, and the negative latitudes in the south side.
Then line up the latitude half disk with your destinations longitude, and latitude with your lubber line, and your great circle course is read there at the intersection of the lubber line and the compass rose. Then if you also want the distance to your destination then measure the degrees between your position and the destinations position, and that is your degree distance. If you want it in nautical miles then convert the arc degrees to arc distance by taking the earth radius plus any altitude that you are at and finding the circumference in what distance units that you like and finding what portion of the circumference is represented by your arc degrees.
