Thread: I have a compass with inclometer

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Sep 6 2009, 10:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

A compass with a built in inclometer. The inclometer measures heights of things or steep slopes in degrees. A compass is for direction and bearing. Let us suppose that you woke up one day on an island. You have nothing except this device. A compass with an inclometer. You have food for thirty days. You have shelter. But noone knows where you are and neither do you. All you know is that you are on some island somewhere. Let us suppose that you can send out one TELEX to the people that are searching for you. ONLY ONE TELEX. So what information would you gather up to send to these people utilizing this compass with built in inclometer??? What kind of information could you write down in a log to transfer to a telex to send off in helping these search parties in finding your whereabouts? You have at least 30 days before you have to start fishing for food or growing crops or gathering your own food. Or to be found. A wonderful thing about travel is knowing your geography but what if? Just what if???[/b]

I&#39;m assuming that a TELEX is a standard message, not sure if there is a limit to the length. If there is, I&#39;ll rethink this a bit more.

That said,, I suppose that your latitude can be determined with the declination of the noon sun angle fairly easily. I&#39;m not sure about how to do longitude with that, though (if I remember right, that&#39;s always been a complicated issue for sailors. Maybe it&#39;d be a good idea to log the weather, including precipitation, wind speeds/direction, and approximate relative temperatures? A week&#39;s worth of data may help a bit, especially if you can focus along a certain latitude.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (spongebue @ Sep 7 2009, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I&#39;m assuming that a TELEX is a standard message, not sure if there is a limit to the length.[/b]

Stupid question... but supposing I didn&#39;t fall out the sky with my company telex directory - would I know the appropriate address?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Sep 6 2009, 08:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Let us suppose that you woke up one day on an island. You have nothing except this device. A compass with an inclometer. You have food for thirty days. You have shelter. But noone knows where you are and neither do you. All you know is that you are on some island somewhere. Let us suppose that you can send out one TELEX to the people that are searching for you. ONLY ONE TELEX. So what information would you gather up to send to these people utilizing this compass with built in inclometer??? What kind of information could you write down in a log to transfer to a telex to send off in helping these search parties in finding your whereabouts?[/b]

Well lets see, since I have food, water and shelter, I suppose the first thing I&#39;d do is to hike to the other side of the island to see if there was a hotel over there. Hey, you never know, and it never hurts to have a good look around.

So the question is, how do I find how where I am?
Well, to do that, I would wait for a nice clear night; find the North Star and then use my inclinometer......that&#39;s it, I&#39;m done!!!!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Sep 7 2009, 01:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Finding latitude is a great thing. You can find it via the POLARIS or NORTH STAR and the sun. (But with the sun, you have to have that moment when its smack overhead) It&#39;s easier using Polaris. So you have a latitude......[/b]

Uh-huh, just as I thought, as my old scout leader use to say, "the key to finding directions at night is finding that "North Star".
Which leaves our buddy Nick pretty lost.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Sep 9 2009, 10:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Our buddy Nick follows the SOUTHERN CROSS and ends up in Tasmania chasing the Devils.[/b]

Hahaha like I could navigate by stars! I used to have an SAS guidebook which told me how to use my watch as a compass based on the sun or something. And how to make a Punji Bear Trap... but those details are a little disgusting to repeat.

So my question is.... I take it I don&#39;t have a telex re-printer? Whenever I send a telex I get the Z time printed on it

The saddest part of this is I know how to send a telex...

EDIT - Do AA and CO still use them? Or is CX the only one stuck in the 1800s?