True North

Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 08:41:47 +0100, Andrew Cockburn
wrote:

Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew
Hello,

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/seg/gmag/fldsnth1.pl

have a nice week end

Best Greetings From SWITZERLAND
Philippe HAAKE
ICQ 3128404
http://astrosurf.com/skylover/
http://astrosurf.com/skylover/meteo
http://www.astro-ge.net/
http://community.webshots.com/user/beruberu1


beruberu@NOSBSPAMfreesurfDOTch
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Thanks - I knew there would be one out there somewhere !

Regards,

Andrew

Philippe HAAKE wrote:

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 08:41:47 +0100, Andrew Cockburn
wrote:


Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew

Hello,

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/seg/gmag/fldsnth1.pl

have a nice week end

Best Greetings From SWITZERLAND
Philippe HAAKE
ICQ 3128404
http://astrosurf.com/skylover/
http://astrosurf.com/skylover/meteo
http://www.astro-ge.net/
http://community.webshots.com/user/beruberu1


beruberu@NOSBSPAMfreesurfDOTch
!!!!!!REMOVE NOSBSPAM FROM MY E-MAIL!!!!!!

Spammers, here are some email addresses for your spambots:


$LOGIN@localhost $LOGNAME@localhost $USER@localhost
$USER@$HOST -h1024@localhost admin@loopback

JRS: In article -service-com,
seen in news:uk.sci.astronomy, Andrew Cockburn
posted at Sat, 24 Apr 2004 08:41:47 :
Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !


OS Maps can be inspected in bookshops, and borrowed in libraries.

If you were to give your location to within 50 miles or so, ISTM likely
that someone here would have a recent map of near enough that area.
Routemaster maps - 1:250,000 - give a single figure covering their whole
area, which is about a fifth of England, a third of Scotland, or Wales-
and-a-bit.

Unless your compass is a good one, and your area free of stray field
variations, you would do better to use Polaris as a reference - the true
pole is about 5% of the way from Polaris to Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab).

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

What city are you closest to. My GPS will give it. Although your lat long
can also be entered I don't think its necessary.

BTW, set your finder to Polaris and then level to the horizon. It'll be
accurate enough for the LX.


"Andrew Cockburn" wrote in message
-service-com...
Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew

BTW, set your finder to Polaris and then level to the horizon. It'll be
accurate enough for the LX.

Indeed it is :-)

Full report tomorrow !

Andrew

Thanks - you're both right - I forgot about Polaris in the anticipation
of getting my new scope.

Regards,

Andrew

Dr John Stockton wrote:

JRS: In article -service-com,
seen in news:uk.sci.astronomy, Andrew Cockburn
posted at Sat, 24 Apr 2004 08:41:47 :

Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ? I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !



OS Maps can be inspected in bookshops, and borrowed in libraries.

If you were to give your location to within 50 miles or so, ISTM likely
that someone here would have a recent map of near enough that area.
Routemaster maps - 1:250,000 - give a single figure covering their whole
area, which is about a fifth of England, a third of Scotland, or Wales-
and-a-bit.

Unless your compass is a good one, and your area free of stray field
variations, you would do better to use Polaris as a reference - the true
pole is about 5% of the way from Polaris to Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab).

Andrew Cockburn wrote in
-service-com:

Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ?
I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want
to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew

For the best alignment, use the drift method. Especially if you are
wanting to do photography.

LK.

Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th wrote:
Andrew Cockburn wrote in
-service-com:


Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ?
I
have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want
to
accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew


For the best alignment, use the drift method. Especially if you are
wanting to do photography.

LK.

Andrew,
if you'd said where you are someone might have responded!
Try Whittakers Almanac in a local library - they have that information.
Phil

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the response, didn't think of that. Also, Phillipe Haake
pointed me to a web page and I used that and figured out about 2.5
degrees, although others convinced me that using polaris was accurate
enough.

If you are still interested, I can be found at N51:45:46 W0:28:55 ;-)

Regards,

Andrew

P.R.Brady wrote:
Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th wrote:

Andrew Cockburn wrote in
-service-com:

Does anyone know a formula or web page that will allow mw to put in my
lat and long, and calculate the magnetic variation for that location ?
I have a compass, but no idea what the variance is at home, and want
to accurately align my scope the first time I use it.

A quick google returns lots of descriptions of true vs magnetic north,
but no way of working out the variance. If push comes to shove I could
go buy an OS map I suppose but that is a last resort !

Thanks,

Regards,

Andrew



For the best alignment, use the drift method. Especially if you are
wanting to do photography.
LK.


Andrew,
if you'd said where you are someone might have responded!
Try Whittakers Almanac in a local library - they have that information.
Phil