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Ocelot II

(126,102 posts)
12. That's how non-digital, "real" compasses work - they indicate magnetic north.
Thu Apr 20, 2023, 05:00 PM
Apr 2023

The app just simulates an ordinary magnetic compass, which was used in all kinds of navigation until the invention of GPS. The advantage of a regular mag compass is that it's self-contained, unlike GPS, which relies on satellite signals and an internal electrical source. So if you want to calculate a true course using a mag compass, you just have to consult a declination chart so you know what the variation between true north and magnetic north is at your location.

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