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how exactly do compasses work? I picked up a compass at a car wash and stuck it on the fake front "vent" window of my car. i have an excellent sense of direction and i know which way the front of my car is facing, but the compass points in other directions other than the one i am facing
i also notice another section of the compass that has arrows. even those directionals seem off.
is this compass actually accurate, or am i slapping it on the wrong part of the window? does it have to be right in front of me in order to show the correct direction?
i bought it not because i need it but because it was cheap and i love gadgets and accessories for my car
A compass needle always points north unless there's some sort of magnetic interference. The directional marks on the compass face will always be off unless the needle happens to be lined up with the mark that indicates the north. Most compasses can be adjusted to line everything up as you change direction.
Some cars have some sort of computer compass in them (GPS maybe?) When you re-set the compass you have to go in a parking lot and drive in circles for a while to get it oriented. Not sure what you found, but maybe it is not just a basic magnetic compass? Or it could be broken.
it is a little cheap compass floating in some kind of liquid. skinay i am in NY city not in manhattan with big buildings but with lots of cell phone towers. right now the front of my car is parked facing west. what should the compass say?
it is a little cheap compass floating in some kind of liquid. skinay i am in NY city not in manhattan with big buildings but with lots of cell phone towers. right now the front of my car is parked facing west. what should the compass say?
If you are facing west, the needle should be pointing at the passenger side. What it "says" depends on how the compass is mounted in the car.
Dude, you can't expect a cheap compass inside your car to work correctly. There is too much electronic interference. I could be wrong, but cars with a compass have the receiver somewhere outside of the cab.
Besides, if you need a compass to navigate Manhattan, you've got bigger problems.
"w", preferably. Assuming you are pointed directly west, regardless of what the needles say, you should be reading an indication on the dial that says W or 270...
The compass you have will only point the North for you - needle moves as you change position.
If your car faces:
- West- needle points N to your right
- East - needle points N to your left
- South - needle points N which is back of the car
- North - needle points N which is front of the car
- in between these points at most of the time...
Imagine yourself on the map at all the time when driving, that's what I do to get a sense of direction.
dude reino ive been living here for 22 years i don't need a compass to navigate manhattan. besides i am in the Bronx i just need a bulletproof vest not a compass...!!!
i think 28173 gave the most accurate info
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