Magnetic Declination – a VERY simple explanation

This is the simplest video description of Magnetic Declination you will find online. Declination is simply the difference between True North and Magnetic North. In this video we go through why Magnetic Declination exists and also, again in a very easy to understand way, how to adjust your compass to cope with declination.

[haggis]

I enjoy watching your videos... I've been a land nav chap for going on 6 decades but I watch because I love your relwxed, waffling style!
You're absolutely spot on... declination means little for a trek in the bush with map & compass...
but it's extremely important in sailing .... it's rather a hootenany to take a chart/map and fix a line without taking declination into account and see just how far off the mark you'd be, say, over a 3000 nautical mile distance.
Anyway.. great stuff, mate! Keep keeping it simple... and never stop the waffle! Lots of good info in the waffles! Cheers!

[charlessanders]

Another lesson from The Map Reading Company that really helps drive this home is the WAvES declination method video. Thank you TMRC for the help you provide.

[northwind]

To illustrate a few of your points, a 1960 map from this area (1500 km NNW of Utah) shows a declination of about 23 degrees. Today, it's close to 15 degrees. Grid north is only about 1.5 degrees from true. Always interesting to watch your videos.

[IAMNOSLEEP]

Excellent breakdown and description. Makes it very simple to understand... Cheers

[Journeyman]

There are lots of sayings for declination, but the one I found easiest to use and remember:- Declination EAST, compass LEAST. Declination WEST, compass BEST. In the above example of EASTERLY deviation, if you want to follow a map bearing, the compass has to be LEAST, so you take the deviation off the map bearing to get a magnetic bearing. If you want to plot a compass bearing on to the map, the compass still has to be LEAST, so you add the deviation on to the compass bearing to plot the course on the map. I don't mean to be a teacher here, but I have seen so many struggle with deviation calculations. Conversely use the compass BEST for westerly declinations. TMRC, if I am out of turn just delete this, no umbrage taken.

[medicus]

Great explanation of declination and magnetic vs. geographic north poles. Would you happen to know what creates the magnetic north pole? Is it the rotation of the earth on its axis or is it the composition of the earth below its crust? It seems to me that the rotation is the causative factor in the creation of the magnetic north pole since that specific location tends to vary slightly from year-to-year as does the axis. Am I close? Thanks.

[ervano]

A few days ago i became an answer from the KMI, the Royal Meteorological Institute (Belgium) about a question i asked them concerning the magnetic South-Pole.
In that answer they write the shift of the magnetic North-pole was about 5 Km annually. Since ± 1990 it's speeding up and since some years it becomes a yearly shift of ± 50 Km annually.
The magnetic South-pole also moves yearly but many slower as the magnetic North-pole. The shift of the magnetic South-pole, on the other hand, remains quite stable.

[unclerojelio]

The simplest thing to do is to extend the declination line shown at the bottom of your map unto the map and then duplicate that line in parallel across the rest of the map. Then, instead of finding a grid bearing by aligning your compass bezel to the map grid you can align it to a declination line and read the magnetic bearing directly off the map.

[williewilson]

I find Navigation in General Fascinating. I was dating a GAL 15 years ago before G maps and we where in residential neighborhoods in a hurry to get to a very important B-Day Party and I kept asking here which way North was as she was looking at the map and she kept saying North is Up!!!!😂😂😂😂…. If that don’t want a person to learn about Nav. Nothing will!!!! 😂😂😂

[joopterwijn]

As usual I start watching your videos with a like. In this case I was “first”.. yeah for me. Funny thing, counter didn’t chance to 1 but remained 0! So… I don’t count hahaha.on video topic, a find it amazing when looking to a movement map of the true north magnetic pole! It changes “constant”!

[Alan_AB]

It should also be remembered that a compass is not an "end it all" device. The information gleaned from a compass, north or south etc, must be used in conjunction with other local landmarks and waypoints to orientate your directions. I can't think of anyone who would be involved in navigating who would rely solely on a compass alone.

[P.E.J.]

good video.
Im not sure about this - but I think I´ve heard you say that you can´t take a bearing from a map with a compass with dialed in declination - you have to "zero" the declination of the compass to take the bearing from the map - and then punch in the declination to the compass before useing the bearing in the terrain. Is that right?

[chrisgreen]

Hi. I am interested to know more about the Brunton compass used in this video. Not sure I have seen a compass with curved sides before, is that for decoration or do they serve a purpose? Also what are 3/4 circular cuts for? Thank you.

[PS]

MuGS - Magnetic unto Grid Subtract GuMA - Grid unto Magnetic Add (Westerly Declanation) or MuGA - GuMS (Easterly Declanation).

[purse]

If I'm standing on the south pole and my compass points to the north pole, how does it work on a sphere?
It makes more sense on flat earth and north pole is center of our topographical realm.

[shaunmorrissey]

I love your stuff but I have to be honest, not the best descripion of mag. declination i've come across.

[mrparlanejxtra]

MAG EAST + GRID - IN EAST PLACES. opposite for west. Best to write this on some tape and put your one on your compass so you dont have to remember it.