which way is north?

Conscript · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:12

yantorsen said:
fair enough, just you made it seem simple, but it's not always easy to find something to charge the pin with, you oversimplified it.

Its been a long time since I made one but I seem to remmeber that a steel needle would be sufficient as most grades of steel are magnetic. Therefore it is influenced by the Earth's magnetic field whether you magnetise it or not.

I might be wrong. Been a long time since GCSE science classes.

yantorsen · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:14

Conscript said:
Its been a long time since I made one but I seem to remmeber that a steel needle would be sufficient as most grades of steel are magnetic. Therefore it is influenced by the Earth's magnetic field whether you magnetise it or not.

I might be wrong. Been a long time since GCSE science classes.

Yes in theory, but the friction and other forces acting upon the needle would stop this from happening in reality, so a stronger charge needs to be applied to the needle to overcome it.

fiveub · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:14

Use a needle, a leaf and some water. Easy

ConTRo13R · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:15

yantorsen said:
Yes in theory, but the friction and other forces acting upon the needle would stop this from happening in reality, so a stronger charge needs to be applied to the needle to overcome it.

14,000V from an over head power line should suffice, just drape a bare copper wire over one

yantorsen · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:18

ConTRo13R said:
14,000V from an over head power line should suffice, just drape a bare copper wire over one

that wouldn't work either as it'd just try to stick to something or earth itself or something like that, plus you'd probably get killed.

Shikkaka · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:18

Go to the M1 and you should see signs for North and South.

Conscript · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:19

Steameh said:
Go to the M1 and you should see signs for North and South.

A) What if he cant find the M1 cos he has no sense of direction?
B) Who's the say that the M1 runs directly north and south?

Sanguinnus · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:27

sorted! Worked out that I live in north belfast, worked out which way it is from here, thanks for all the help guise

BloodyL · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:29

p4radox said:
http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/nocompass1.html

That's all well and good but useless if you are wearing a digital watch!

Conscript · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:31

BloodyL said:
That's all well and good but useless if you are wearing a digital watch!

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/nocompass1.html said:
Many people wear digital watches these days (I do myself, if I wear one at all). If you do, draw an analog watch face on a piece of paper, and then mark the hour hand on using the digital watch. The rest of the method is identical.

Greebo · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:32

In the Southern hemisphere:

Place the watch on a level piece of ground.
Point the figure 12 towards the sun. For more accuracy, align the shadow cast by the twig with the 12 o'clock line.
The North-South line is the line dividing the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock line in half.

In the northern hemisphere point the hour hand in the direction of the sun. The North-South line is again the line dividing the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock line in half.

EDIT: Damn, soo slow, posted already

Le_Petit_Lapin · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:34

Sanguinnus said:
sorted! Worked out that I live in north belfast, worked out which way it is from here, thanks for all the help guise

Your office is directly SE of our house, just checked on Google maps.

But here, judging by the way you manage to get lost walking down a straight road, this information is probably no use to you...

David91 · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:35

Azagoth said:
Face South and then turn 180 degrees.

for some reasons this sprang to mind

why do they call it the xbox 360?

becuz when u see it u'll turn 360 degrees and walk away

dangerstat · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:36

Put a cushion in the ground, first walk forwards until you reach a pub, do the same in the left right and backwards directions.

If you enter the pub and the guy serving you is in a pink t-shirt and called tarquin, you have to use your VISA card to order a pint, that direction is south.

If you enter you pub, you can order a pint, a 3 course meal and spend some money on the quiz machine with only the change in your pocket your heading North.

If you enter the pub and it costs about the same as your local, your going east or west.

Dangerstat's guide to navigation

floatindolphin · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:44

check if you're in Sheffield or London. Easy

Sanguinnus · 24 Nov 2008 at 17:45

dangerstat said:
Put a cushion in the ground, first walk forwards until you reach a pub, do the same in the left right and backwards directions.

If you enter the pub and the guy serving you is in a pink t-shirt and called tarquin, you have to use your VISA card to order a pint, that direction is south.

If you enter you pub, you can order a pint, a 3 course meal and spend some money on the quiz machine with only the change in your pocket your heading North.

If you enter the pub and it costs about the same as your local, your going east or west.

Dangerstat's guide to navigation

That's all well and good if we entertain the fallacy that any bank would ever trust me with a visa card

2blue4u · 24 Nov 2008 at 18:02

Find a church. Face the altar and you're facing East.

Moss on a tree

Needle/magnet water

get a decent phone

position of the sun

use a map and local features

speak to the person with custody of the office brain cell

Cosimo · 24 Nov 2008 at 18:03

Use the pole star, Polaris in Ursa Major.

gdpayne · 24 Nov 2008 at 18:10

simulatorman said:
Use the pole star, Polaris in Ursa Major.

Want to try that one again?
Wrong twice over.