Starting out?

Mole wrote (see)

Bluff is right (not Paddy et al)

the North (seeking) end of the needle on a compass is the same polarity as  the North Pole of a magnet so the Magnetic North Pole is actually the South Pole of the Earth's Magnetic Field

 Salih,apart from keeping your compass away from mobile phones, MP3-4 players

 and other gadgets,all you need to remember is the red pointer points to

 the "magnetic " north  unless distracted ,if I were you just now I would'nt be thinking of

 the    other two norths. My monies on Paddy, but don't worry about all that.Cheers

Salih Deen wrote (see)

Dear All,

Thank you so much for your responses.  I think I will indeed have to go outdoors.  If a few coins in one's pocket can throw this off, well then...my desk has a laptop, printer, wires...

I don't think there is a bubble.

How do you all find GPS navigation? Is that as completely accurate as they make it out to be? If yes, any device that anyone recommends?

 Thanks again

First, a few pennies in your pocket is not going to have that great an impact unless your compass is extremely close to them. So hold your compass a sensible distance away, and the best way to define if the needle is affected by anything metalic, is to see how free moving the needle is.

If its seems rather sluggish and reluctant to move, then it might be affected by a metalic object.

Regarding GPS, many GPS units rely on the satelites to give a bearing, therefore they should not be affected. Though there are some with electronic compasses fitted, the easiest way to tell is to try it when there is no suitable signal for the gps to operate.

If the compass gives a bearing, then its electronic, if it doesn't do anything, ie no incomplete display or no needle is showing, then it is not electronic and is dependant on the data received from satelites.

Bluff wrote (see)

Mole wrote (see)

Bluff is right (not Paddy et al)

the North (seeking) end of the needle on a compass is the same polarity as  the North Pole of a magnet so the Magnetic North Pole is actually the South Pole of the Earth's Magnetic Field

could it be the other way around - the north magnetic pole is actually the north of the earth's magnetic field, and the north seeking end of the needle is the south pole of the compass?

if it's just a question of opposite poles attracting, you could call those poles bob and fred and it wouldn't be any more untrue than 'north' and 'south' on a ball floating in space?

Posh Totty wrote (see)

if it's just a question of opposite poles attracting, you could call those poles bob and fred and it wouldn't be any more untrue than 'north' and 'south' on a ball floating in space?

But who'd want to walk on a bearing heading towards Fred West.

But then you wouldn't be able to remember the compass points as Never Eat Shredded Wheat!

Posh Totty wrote (see)

Bluff wrote (see)

Mole wrote (see)

Bluff is right (not Paddy et al)

the North (seeking) end of the needle on a compass is the same polarity as  the North Pole of a magnet so the Magnetic North Pole is actually the South Pole of the Earth's Magnetic Field

could it be the other way around - the north magnetic pole is actually the north of the earth's magnetic field, and the north seeking end of the needle is the south pole of the compass?

No. The north end of a compass needle is  the 'north' polarity of it's magnetic field - the same polarity as the 'north' end of every magnet in the world.

Posh Totty wrote (see)

if it's just a question of opposite poles attracting, you could call those poles bob and fred and it wouldn't be any more untrue than 'north' and 'south' on a ball floating in space?

You could.  It's just an accepted convention, just as left/right  and up/down are accepted conventions - but I wouldn't want to start using them the opposite way around from everyone else - makes life a little difficult for no purpose.

My OH is a Yoga teacher, and because she faces her class when demonstrating, has had to learn to say the opposite direction to the one in which she is moving so that students can move in the same direction as her. Trouble is, it sometimes accidentally bleeds into real life and causesproblems!

Mole wrote (see)

My OH is a Yoga teacher, and because she faces her class when demonstrating, has had to learn to say the opposite direction to the one in which she is moving so that students can move in the same direction as her. Trouble is, it sometimes accidentally bleeds into real life and causes problems!

Mole... she shouldn't worry...

Two wrongs don't make a right...

But three lefts do!

@Paddy

off to Yoga right now

Ooooo.... I too am a Jedi student.

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Ah, you said yoga didnt you