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Earth's Magnetism
Magnetic Compass
Compass Work
Magnetic Compass
Construction of a liquid card magnetic compass
Gyro Compass
Compa
The point of support is above the centre of gravity of the card, so that the card remains substantially
horizontal in all latitudes.
Composition of the liquid and explains how allowance is made for changes in volume of the liquid
The bowl is filled with a mixture of distilled water and pure ethyl alcohol thereby making the mixture
to have the following properties:
The top of the bowl is of transparent glass. The bottom is of frosted glass to diffuse the light coming
from an electric bulb below. This liquid has a small coefficient of expansion, but since its volume
changes slightly with change of temperature, a flexible corrugated plate or expansion chamber is
fitted to the bowl.
filling hole. Once the water is injected to satisfaction the filling hole is screwed back, and the bowl
returned to normal position, and the gimbals unlocked.
Checking that the card is turning freely on its pivot.
The compass card may be tested for pivot friction by deflecting the compass cards a few degrees. If
the pivot is in good condition the card should return to and settle in its original position with no sign
of sticking or jerkiness.
Marking of the lubber line and its purpose
LUBBERS ( LUBBER (clumsy fellow) LINE: The mark on the binnacle, which is brought to meet the
desired point on the compass card.
The lubbers line marks the direction of the fore and aft line of the ship.
So called because a real seaman can do without it.
Binnacle and the arrangement of correcting devices provided
The binnacle is a cylindrical container made of teakwood. No magnetic material is used in the
construction. The compass bowl is slung inside the top portion of the binnacle. The middle portion is
accessible by a door and contains an electric bulb. Light from this bulb passes upwards through a
small slot at the bottom of the compass bowl to illuminate the compass card from below.
A mechanical shutter can control the intensity of the light. The number of magnets in the bucket, the
buckets position with reference to the compass card and the number of hard iron magnets depend
on the disturbing forces. A qualified compass adjuster can calculate this force after conducting
certain tests.
Once the compass has been adjusted, the magnets should not be disturbed and the doors giving
access to tile corrector magnets should be kept
locked.
Deviation and how it is named
Deviation is defined as deflection right or left of the magnetic meridian.
On a lifeboat (fibreglass) the lifeboat compass magnet is affected only by the Earths magnetic field.
As such the LBs course would be the magnetic course affected only by the variation caused by the
earths magnetism.
And the North of the LB compass would be the Magnetic North.
For a ships magnetic compass however the compass magnet is affected by the Earths magnetic
field as well as by the magnetic field caused by the magnetism of the ships hull. The ships hull
becomes a huge magnet due to the repeated high current used in fabricating the ship.
Thus the ships magnetic compass would show a different North than either the True North or the
Magnetic North this is called compass North. The difference between the Magnetic North and the
Compass North is known as Deviation. If the compass North is west of the Magnetic North then the
deviation is termed West and if the compass north is to the East of the Magnetic North then the
deviation is termed as East. is termed as East.
Care in the placing of portable items of magnetic material, including spare corrector magnets, or
electrical equipment in the vicinity of compasses
Since the magnetic compass is affected by magnetic fields, all Ferro magnetic material if brought
close to a magnetic compass will slowly be magnetised (over a period of time), this material may
later exert a magnetic field on the compass magnet.
Similarly any electrical wiring will produce a electrical field which will exert its influence on the
magnet of the compass. This is the reason all electrical/electronic bridge equipment like Radars
electrical/electronic bridge equipment like Radars etc come with a compass safe distance marked
on them.
Need for regular checking of the compass error
Due to change in latitude, course and speed the compass error should be taken at regular intervals.