In less than 19 minutes, I learned about the differences between military and civilian compasses, the Saxon terrace farming practice, the origin of the word “stint”, culinary delicacy of cured beef, and Italian “waffling” that I did not understand. Impressive…most impressive.
No Lasers, no AI, no BS....just plain ol` teaching stuff in a wonderful, straight-from-the-heart fashion. Civilization came from people teaching their audience like that. And from the audience being able to tell the difference between teachers and posers. I come here frequently to reassure myself that the old concept still works. Thank you, Sir. Dirk from Germany
I love this channel. As a retired US Special Forces soldier, I’ve been using maps and compasses for a very long time. There is, of course, always something new to learn. At this point in my life, however, I am watching you for pure entertainment. You are awesome! Keep on waffling and providing such of great fun and educational content.
Ex-British Army infantry. Like your comment. Always something new to learn. I didn’t know what a lensatic compass was until I viewed this channel. Does the US military use degrees or mils?
@@RalphBrooker-gn9ivEx-American Army Infantry here, from my 24 years of experience (alternatively in light Infantry and Mechanized Infantry) we use degrees for land navigation. Throughout my time in the Army, being Infantry and doing a great deal of land navigation, I primarily used degrees. However, during my time as Mechanized Infantry and using the Bradley Fighting Vehicle I used mils to give the precise readings for the position of the turret as well as the elevation of the gun, usually while in defensive positions for use of range cards and Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB).
Your waffles are most educational , and entertaining. I've learned more British, Anglo Saxon & viking history,as well as physics, geography, meterology, ad infinitum from your delightful waffles than has ever been presented in a classroom, while being delightfully entertained. Cheers.
Hi map reading company!! Thank you so much!! Once again you took me on an awesome journey!! It felt like I was right there with you!! My Friend you’re full of outstanding knowledge, history, science and an amazing instructor!! I was actually able to understand between military and civilian compasses. I’ll stick with the civilian compass, no need to throw rocks 😂 by the way that sandwich looks delicious sure hope it tastes good!! Be well my friend!! Looking forward to seeing your next adventure 👍🏿💯❤️ from Washington State 🇺🇸
I prefer a military compass since my activities take me above 2200 meters in temperatures below -30C. Some fluid filled compasses will develop a bubble when exposed to extreme weather. Thank you for the video, Wayne.
I like you giving us info that we didn’t know, you are a wealth of knowledge so please tell us more so we can look for these details, love your videos 😊
I'm from Lombardy and I liked your videos already, but now I'm a true worshipper! 😎 If you happen to come to Italy keep in mind we also have some amazing mountains in Lombardy and I'll be happy to give you directions to some great spots 👍
Love that you got the word ”oxen” in that interesting little history lesson! It’s unusual inflection is because it’s a very old Indo-European word. We use it in Swedish as well, but here it means ”the ox” instead :)
I do love your approach and the odd diversion with a rock and interesting foods in alternative languages. I tend to ramble away to myself in Danish as a stumble along, so you go for it.
Nice video! One thing not mentioned is the role of mils in math. By using mils, you can use the small angle approximation to calculate angle adjustments without needing a calculator or slide rule. Suppose you throw the rock with a trebuchet. You've used your rule-of-thumb to estimate that it is 500m away. Your first shot lands 20m to the left. 20m/500m = 0.04. Using degrees you would need to calculate arcsin(.04). But using radians and the small angle approximation, .040 radians is the angle to adjust. You turn your trebuchet 40 mils to the right and try again.
@@GabrielBeddingfield you can also put in ballistic trajectory., add symbology overlays also, this is vital to finding that pub you vaguely remember years ago when you staggered out drunk as a newt ! 😆👍
@@GabrielBeddingfield just interested, do you recommend using "rule of thumb " and approximation when working this idea using maths? I understand your comments but really is this the best way ? As having worked in this field, I like to hear comments. We are allways learning something new ! 🤓👍
I'm agree 100% with the sandwiches, I've been walking the Wales Coast Path since 2020 (not all the time!) and a flamin' good homemade butty always makes you feel good, especially when the weather is inclement. My favourite is Welsh topside with a punchy salad. All the best, Rob.
I love your your video's. You remind me of the gentleman who taught me to read maps. I was 18 and very unfit. He was in his mid sixty's and fit as a fiddle and also full of anecdotes as well. Thanks Paul.
Thank you, fascinating as ever. My father was ex artillery, and used to throw rocks at things with a considerable degree (or mil) of accuracy. Hope you enjoyed your artisan sandwich. As ever keep up the good work.
During my time in the British Army we only ever used mils. Be that navigating or lobbing heavy pieces of metal someplace. Even my personal Silva compass was in mils. It didn't matter what the officers used as they always got lost !
Great video as always and very simple. I am an engineer and use both types of compasses and both have their purpose as you had mentioned. I do use the Cammenga when I am at high altitudes but for general hunting and hiking I use the baseplate. I had used the Suunto KB-14 in the past when we were building powerlines and this compass has 1/3 degree accuracy and 1/2 degree graduations. Cheers and thank you for making these fun videos.
I really like the history aspects you tend to throw into your videos. Whether it's language, gates, or stints it always that bit extra that makes learning about compasses and map reading etc... on your channel so enjoyable and why I subscribed and keep watching. Don't stop the waffles!
I think he is totally cool. Very knowledgeable and pleasant. A video of him on a long hike using the map and compass during the hike would be interesting
Introduced to map and compass while a cub scout as a civil engineer gave a presentation. Growing up in Central Arizona I acquired USGS topo maps (I have nearly 1000) and using a map and compass I found while orienteering evidence of prehistoric cultures, unique geological features and of course water sources. I am glad I came across your channel it has been very informative, and I enjoy your approach to instruction and education.
I find that side notes like that make learning much more interesting and enjoyable. Who would've known! Now you've taught countless others a tidbit of ancient history.
I used to have a lecturer that liked going on on ‘digressions’ as he called them - didn’t cover much of the subject in the hour but learnt a lot of other ‘useless’ stuff 😮😅 Keep up the good work 👍🏻
I absolutely love bresaola! Anyway, in the US military, compasses used for land navigation are calibrated in degrees. The cannon cockers (artillery) and some engineering units use mils. If you go to any surplus store or military contractor and purchase a standard issue GI lensatic compass with tritium dial, it will be in degrees. I own a high accuracy military M2 pocket transit. Mine uses degrees although I believe it is also available in mils and quadrants, the latter for civil land surveying. I have been hiking/climbing/paddling for nearly six decades. I've never used anything but degrees. Incidentally, my undergraduate college degree is in cartography-mapping sciences. As for positional systems, I exclusively use the UTM coordinate system (civilian adaptation of the military system). UTM is a planer system instead of the spherical system of Lat/Lon and is far easier to work with and more accurate in the field. All US large scale topographic maps, even the hideous orthophotoquads, have a UTM overlay. You should do a video on UTM if you haven't already.
Great vid mate!!! The sandwich looks delicious. That is a great description of the difference between just having to travel to a different location with degrees and having to accurately throw "rocks" etc. at a different location with Mils. Jolly good fun to watch. Just if anyone is interested, there are 17.777recurring Mils to 1 degree. Regards, Jas.
Honestly, just give it a try. Sliced grapes. I didn't think so, but it really does give a butty that "something" - oh I got the idea from BBC Posh Butties. And it works 😊
Keep up the good work. A genuine and sincere teacher. Unlike the rest of those time wasting posers on TH-cam - 90% useless yammer for 10% actual content.
Great fun! Well done. In the mid-1960's, my father was responsible for testing and recommending new equipment for the infantry of the Canadian Army. He chose the Silva Ranger, which is still in use, along with its Suunto cousins. I've always enjoyed because of the declination offset - calculate, set, and forget. Naturally, these compasses are in NATO mils. On the other hand, the Royal Canadian Artillery stayed with the precision of compasses like the G150 military prismatic for its rock throwing, for obvious reasons. p.s. my Suunto MB-6 Global in mils arrived last week. I hope that you got your cut!!!
Let me see if I got this straight. A military compass will be useful in WW IV when battles will be fought with rocks and sticks. Until then, I can save a bit of money and buy a recreational compass?
Excellent information. I first learned to navigate with a military compass, i still do. I do think however they can be confusing and an unnecessary expense. A basic baseplate compass is ideal with a map. Using a sighting compass working from degrees to mm, and, if needed a protractor is not really required. Good shout 👍
Good sandwich, Wayne. Never tried that Italian meat yet, but with Montreal Smoked meat (not the same, I know) and Feta, grapes and fresh parsley on rye, I can see it happening. The Suunto I bought last week is fun. I am practicing finding distance to my destinations. This may serve me well from shore to see how far an island is and how wide so I can canoe to it and camp. Yes, look at the map, use a scale..etc, but it would just be fun to verify with a map. It's how these old explorers mapped our country (Canada) using basic tools and a big brain full of numbers. Finding declination for an area using Polaris verifies the maps, and also is good practice.
Well explained reason for most people to use civilian compass. Would have been nice to see those terraces however. Still, your videos are very entertaining.
I did have more film of me walking all over the terraces, but that got edited out. I tend to film around 4 times more than I eventually use. Some people may think I should cut out even more 😂
A button compass is a military compass in the right situation for escape and evasion. I have a fancy Silva Ranger mirror compass, and to be honest it is overkill for most things I ever need a compass for which is mostly knowing which way is north and orienting a map. The base plate compass is good enough for that as it is not as if I am calling in an artillery strike or aiming my howitzer. The mirror comes in handy for other things though like getting a lash out of your eye :)
Thank you very much for taking the time to make the video. I’ve enjoyed your videos very well they’re very detail. They’ve been helpful and show a lot of stuff that I don’t have any idea what it is, but I’ve been using the compass since 68. Nothing to do with your video but where in England are you at? I don’t want your house address just the general area. Those rocks always seem to be popping out behind you. Thank you very much again
That was filmed in Malhamdale - I don't live anywhere near there, I just like the area. Oh it was near where Harry Potted pitched his tent. Google "Malham Cove" "Harry Potter"
Playing around with the math, we could use only Distance*sin(x) with small angles (and with a ridiculous 5º you get less than 0.1% error estimating the off-target). Sounds like it could make it simpler in a beginner's context. Cheers!
Your very good at Italian, I did 3 years of French and passed all my exams but today I can just about order coffee or tea 😊 I’m just no good at it but of course I don’t use it and that’s😢what you need to do to get good, I have trouble speaking English and I was born hear ha ha ha lol😊
When I first started my hiking hobby I bought an expensive Silva compass from my local Go Outdoors shop. I couldn’t understand why compass tutorials didn’t make sense until I discovered that I had a military compass displaying NMIL. I couldn’t afford a new one so I learnt to navigate using that. I recently went into the same store and noticed that they were still selling military compasses to unsuspecting customers.
A few decades ago I found a DiCi W900 lying abandoned in the desert. It was missing a few screws and the latch, and was covered in mud. I cleaned it up and brought it around to the U.K. unit near us, but no one claimed it. I've always hoped to find a place that could provide me the pieces it needs to be complete. Regardless, I have always happily used it since I got it cleaned up. If I'm 'out', I always have my Garmin GPS V and my W900, and they've always kept me in good stead. If you have any idea where I could get parts for my W900, I'd appreciate a note!
They could add 1 tier lower and base it on a clock standard 1-12. And add a bitty liquid compass to all watches. Just knowing North and a destination's bearing, is major help when biking or walking in a city, and not waving the smartphone around, when wx can get rough. Great Channel !!! Any cool tips for keeping track of cardinals, in the mind, or excersizes to build that awareness??
I've certainly used a tatty old lensatic compass for decades, and I've never had a great deal of difficulty, but I guess it's one of those things where I may be ignorant of a better tool for the job, and just because the tool I have works, I never really looked into options. It's funny, because I could have been using the worst option all this time. 😄
Assuming a hiker goes over a mountain that overlooks a plain and calculate a bearing with 1deg centigrade incertitude, they will miss the target by 1.75mile or kilometer if they manage to walk 100 miles or kilometers, and a 1.75mile/km miss is nothing when you have a 5~7mile/km view around the point you walked towards to. This example is just to make a point that 1deg centigrade accuracy for hiking is enough for most hikers, unless you're treasure hunting.
It seems the audio of this (great like always) video seems to be just on the left channel. I watch it with headphones and there is no sound on the right side. This was the case on another video of this channel. Would be great if this could be fixed
Of course, there are also different types of compasses in the military for a wide variety of applications, such as ground navigation, sea navigation, air navigation, surveying, survival equipment, etc. For staff work with maps, a compass is usually not used, but rather a map protractor. As a rule of thumb, one can assume that a 6400 line display is used in NATO land forces. (Warsaw Pact: 6000mils) Btw:The Recta DP10 Prismatic compass (6400mils) has proven to be particularly fast and easy to read.
Thanks for making these videos so frequently! I haven't noticed before but with this video, somehow your audio came out mono (left speaker / headphone only). Just an FYI!
Truly enjoyable ... but one question ... are you English or Italian? :) (my ancestors are from England and I enjoyed your description and explanation of the surrounding landscape).
Could you comment on the durability of baseplate compasses? Since you are a “power user” of compasses, have you ever worn out a compass or suffered a breakage? I just replaced a name-brand compass because the dial became excessively loose (it would slide laterally!). Is that unusual, or something which does eventually happen? Thank you in advance!
Compass get carried around in rucksacks and pockets, tied to jackets, etc so they are going to get banged about. Many compass use a very thin piece of wire around the bezel to secure it in place. This wire, if it bends, will not hold the dial securely and it will start to move around in the fitting. This is just something that happens due to the use (miss-use) compass have to take. As for the printing wearing off. This has never happened to me as I tend to use good quality compass where the text is stamped into the base place rather than just roll-printed on to it. If it is roll-printed then it will wear off very quickly.
Could you make a video about remagnetising the needle? I accidentally messed my compass today by apparently having it too close to my phone, thank god it wasn't an expensive model
for the Francis Barker M73 where would you purchase one. these are expensive who is reputable seller? And any affordable options with close to same quality/precision? Thanks,
I tend to get my compasses direct from the manufacturer when possible - this way you'll know it's genuine. But it's up to you where you buy from. The M-88 is the cheaper version of these. I got the M73 as I'm only going to do it once, so I thought ..... Here is the URL of pyser optics who make the M73. I'm not sure if can buy direct from them, but if you send them a message from their site you may be able to. Or ask for them for details of a supplier in your area. www.pyseroptics.com/francisbarkercompasses
You have, in my view, hit the nail on the head. Military compasses tend to be designed for higher precision. I think most NATO/ABCA militaries these days are using Silva 55s. Even if they are not issued I think a lot of diggers/toms/joes/etc buy their own. I'm not sure about people like forward observers, they may still be using the old school prismatics if their GPS and laser range finders fall. The 55 has Mils, degrees and a prism to assist in sighting - they used to have tritium, but I'm not sure that tritium is avaiable now from Silva - it certainly is not for civillians. I suspect the 55s are probably note quite ass accurate for shooting a bearing than the old school brass and glass beauties, but apparently they are accurate enough and they are certainly lighter and allow you to use the 1-2-3 system for navigating. And it is not only calling in artillery or air strikes, the normal navigation needs to be pretty good too. We used to bury caches of ammo, water, rations and POL (petrol/oil/lubricants) and to find those or a camouflaged postion a 100m accuracy is not sufficient, you need an 8 figure grid - 10m accuracy to find things like that.Sometimes the way you'd find it is navigate to a fairly obvious feature, and then shoot a bearing and march x metres on that bearing. Being able to shoot a very accurate bearing was very important for that kind of thing. You're looking for a patch of dirt in a desert of the same dirt. You don't want to miss even by a couple of meters, because that mean digging tons - litearally tons - more soil to find your cache,. The british military prismatic compass (MKIII??? MK VIII??? - pretty much like a Francis Baker M73) is a beautiful thing. Like a beautiful object in it's own right regardless of how you use it. The beautiful brass and glass prismatic compasses are pretty much not used in service anymore. But I'd still like to have one just ot own such a lovely well made tool. When I was in the cadets in the 80s we were using compases made in 40s and they were still spot on as far as I can tell. With all respecrt due to Silva - I'm not convinced that any Silva compass will still be in service 40-50 years after it was built. I just need to save up the 500+quid to get my Francis Baker... one day.
I do this, it gives me a margin of error if don’t have declination angle. Rarely use it anyway. 6400mls divided by 360deg = 17.7m at 1Km. Your vid’s are great.
Another great video....I'm sure this is a daft question but I was wondering what your thoughts are on the Silva Expedition NATO/MOD compass, especially as you recently gave the civilian version top marks 👍👍👍
excellent waffle! excellent vid... interesting all round! pay the rock more! 😂😂😂 kind of off vid question, what do you think of wrist compasses? are they useless?
For sandwiches, try cream cheese + pineapple with a slice of Scottish smoked salmon on top, a couple of slices of cucumber and/or a bit of watercress and some black pepper. Lovely !
Throwing rocks = artillery calculations. Napoleon was chosen for the artillery because he was brilliant at mathematics. Degrees are split into minutes and seconds for navigation of ships at sea. So there is more accuracy with 3600 divisions per degree than a standard military compass
You can use minutes and seconds easily enough when you’re on the equator. It’s a bit harder to fit minutes and seconds on a compass bezel that’s only about 4cm wide :)
In less than 19 minutes, I learned about the differences between military and civilian compasses, the Saxon terrace farming practice, the origin of the word “stint”, culinary delicacy of cured beef, and Italian “waffling” that I did not understand.
Impressive…most impressive.
No Lasers, no AI, no BS....just plain ol` teaching stuff in a wonderful, straight-from-the-heart fashion. Civilization came from people teaching their audience like that. And from the audience being able to tell the difference between teachers and posers. I come here frequently to reassure myself that the old concept still works. Thank you, Sir. Dirk from Germany
"TH-cam channels will have green screens, AI animations... I get a rock!"
You sir, are a legend.
Given the choice, I'll take the rock every time.
But a as you could see it was a fine rock!
Dude throws a rock and discovers ancient structures.
That sounds like a breaking news headline!! 😂
That's England mate
I love this channel. As a retired US Special Forces soldier, I’ve been using maps and compasses for a very long time. There is, of course, always something new to learn. At this point in my life, however, I am watching you for pure entertainment. You are awesome! Keep on waffling and providing such of great fun and educational content.
Ex-British Army infantry. Like your comment. Always something new to learn. I didn’t know what a lensatic compass was until I viewed this channel. Does the US military use degrees or mils?
@@RalphBrooker-gn9ivEx-American Army Infantry here, from my 24 years of experience (alternatively in light Infantry and Mechanized Infantry) we use degrees for land navigation. Throughout my time in the Army, being Infantry and doing a great deal of land navigation, I primarily used degrees. However, during my time as Mechanized Infantry and using the Bradley Fighting Vehicle I used mils to give the precise readings for the position of the turret as well as the elevation of the gun, usually while in defensive positions for use of range cards and Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB).
You are one of the most likeable persons on TH-cam, thanks for giving me a smile on a bad day and educating me at the same time!
My thoughts exactly!
My thoughts too. A legend. ❤
The entertainment value of this channel is off the scale.
This bloke’s videos are pure gold.
"I'm waffling in different tongues!" Wayne, you're the best!
I enjoy your humor, interesting topics and presentations... especially, the historical stories.✨
Your historical ramblings just earned you a subscription. I love that you're brimming with useful and interesting knowledge.
Your waffles are most educational , and entertaining. I've learned more British, Anglo Saxon & viking history,as well as physics, geography, meterology, ad infinitum from your delightful waffles than has ever been presented in a classroom, while being delightfully entertained. Cheers.
A true and welcome Polymath and Polyglot. So entertaining and inspiring. Thank You.
Hi map reading company!! Thank you so much!! Once again you took me on an awesome journey!! It felt like I was right there with you!! My Friend you’re full of outstanding knowledge, history, science and an amazing instructor!! I was actually able to understand between military and civilian compasses. I’ll stick with the civilian compass, no need to throw rocks 😂 by the way that sandwich looks delicious sure hope it tastes good!! Be well my friend!! Looking forward to seeing your next adventure 👍🏿💯❤️ from Washington State 🇺🇸
@Hector-vx5yc thank you for your kind words.
I prefer a military compass since my activities take me above 2200 meters in temperatures below -30C. Some fluid filled compasses will develop a bubble when exposed to extreme weather. Thank you for the video, Wayne.
Yours doesn’t use fluids?
@@paddor My Cammenga 3H Tritium doesn't contain fluid.
I like you giving us info that we didn’t know, you are a wealth of knowledge so please tell us more so we can look for these details, love your videos 😊
Waffling aside, your explanations are always clear and understandable if not, highly amusing. This is why I enjoy watching your videos! Thank you!
I'm from Lombardy and I liked your videos already, but now I'm a true worshipper! 😎
If you happen to come to Italy keep in mind we also have some amazing mountains in Lombardy and I'll be happy to give you directions to some great spots 👍
I like this guy! Soo brilliant… soo humorous and humble!
Come for a compass review. Stayed for the waffles. Thanks for showing us around! You don’t need green screen, ai or animations to be awesome.
Love that you got the word ”oxen” in that interesting little history lesson! It’s unusual inflection is because it’s a very old Indo-European word.
We use it in Swedish as well, but here it means ”the ox” instead :)
I do love your approach and the odd diversion with a rock and interesting foods in alternative languages.
I tend to ramble away to myself in Danish as a stumble along, so you go for it.
Nice video! One thing not mentioned is the role of mils in math. By using mils, you can use the small angle approximation to calculate angle adjustments without needing a calculator or slide rule. Suppose you throw the rock with a trebuchet. You've used your rule-of-thumb to estimate that it is 500m away. Your first shot lands 20m to the left. 20m/500m = 0.04. Using degrees you would need to calculate arcsin(.04). But using radians and the small angle approximation, .040 radians is the angle to adjust. You turn your trebuchet 40 mils to the right and try again.
Yes, but as I mentioned above is this really needed ?
Great points anyway 👍
@@Countryboy071 If you're artillery or mortors, yes!
@@GabrielBeddingfield you can also put in ballistic trajectory., add symbology overlays also, this is vital to finding that pub you vaguely remember years ago when you staggered out drunk as a newt ! 😆👍
@@GabrielBeddingfield just interested, do you recommend using "rule of thumb " and approximation when working this idea using maths? I understand your comments but really is this the best way ?
As having worked in this field, I like to hear comments. We are allways learning something new ! 🤓👍
@@Countryboy071 I'm sure modern military will use a range finder instead of the rule of thumb.
I'm agree 100% with the sandwiches, I've been walking the Wales Coast Path since 2020 (not all the time!) and a flamin' good homemade butty always makes you feel good, especially when the weather is inclement. My favourite is Welsh topside with a punchy salad. All the best, Rob.
I love your your video's. You remind me of the gentleman who taught me to read maps. I was 18 and very unfit. He was in his mid sixty's and fit as a fiddle and also full of anecdotes as well. Thanks Paul.
Thank you, fascinating as ever. My father was ex artillery, and used to throw rocks at things with a considerable degree (or mil) of accuracy. Hope you enjoyed your artisan sandwich. As ever keep up the good work.
This channel is just marvelous.
During my time in the British Army we only ever used mils. Be that navigating or lobbing heavy pieces of metal someplace. Even my personal Silva compass was in mils. It didn't matter what the officers used as they always got lost !
@@petersmithm9 Rupert's 🤦🏻🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great video as always and very simple.
I am an engineer and use both types of compasses and both have their purpose as you had mentioned. I do use the Cammenga when I am at high altitudes but for general hunting and hiking I use the baseplate. I had used the Suunto KB-14 in the past when we were building powerlines and this compass has 1/3 degree accuracy and 1/2 degree graduations.
Cheers and thank you for making these fun videos.
I really like the history aspects you tend to throw into your videos. Whether it's language, gates, or stints it always that bit extra that makes learning about compasses and map reading etc... on your channel so enjoyable and why I subscribed and keep watching. Don't stop the waffles!
For over 50 years I have used my Silva 15TD-CL. It has a mirror and most of the features mentioned in your previous video (60⁰
I think he is totally cool. Very knowledgeable and pleasant. A video of him on a long hike using the map and compass during the hike would be interesting
And I want that sandwich
I loved the side trip to terraces as well as the lesson on compasses
Introduced to map and compass while a cub scout as a civil engineer gave a presentation. Growing up in Central Arizona I acquired USGS topo maps (I have nearly 1000) and using a map and compass I found while orienteering evidence of prehistoric cultures, unique geological features and of course water sources. I am glad I came across your channel it has been very informative, and I enjoy your approach to instruction and education.
Muy clarificador y con ese sentido del humor tan tuyo que convierte tus explicaciones en muy amenas.
Gracias. Saludos desde España!
I find that side notes like that make learning much more interesting and enjoyable. Who would've known!
Now you've taught countless others a tidbit of ancient history.
Never stop waffling, love it.
Great content. Thank you for the lesson. Love the bonus learning.
I don't know what I enjoyed more - the explanation or the waffling!
Wow, this video ended up being way more fascinating than I expected going in. Thank you for all the "waffling"!
I used to have a lecturer that liked going on on ‘digressions’ as he called them - didn’t cover much of the subject in the hour but learnt a lot of other ‘useless’ stuff 😮😅
Keep up the good work 👍🏻
I absolutely love bresaola! Anyway, in the US military, compasses used for land navigation are calibrated in degrees. The cannon cockers (artillery) and some engineering units use mils. If you go to any surplus store or military contractor and purchase a standard issue GI lensatic compass with tritium dial, it will be in degrees. I own a high accuracy military M2 pocket transit. Mine uses degrees although I believe it is also available in mils and quadrants, the latter for civil land surveying.
I have been hiking/climbing/paddling for nearly six decades. I've never used anything but degrees. Incidentally, my undergraduate college degree is in cartography-mapping sciences. As for positional systems, I exclusively use the UTM coordinate system (civilian adaptation of the military system). UTM is a planer system instead of the spherical system of Lat/Lon and is far easier to work with and more accurate in the field. All US large scale topographic maps, even the hideous orthophotoquads, have a UTM overlay. You should do a video on UTM if you haven't already.
I'm afraid on this side of the pond our map's use the ordnance survey grid reference and have the lat/lon overlay.
Great vid mate!!! The sandwich looks delicious. That is a great description of the difference between just having to travel to a different location with degrees and having to accurately throw "rocks" etc. at a different location with Mils. Jolly good fun to watch. Just if anyone is interested, there are 17.777recurring Mils to 1 degree.
Regards, Jas.
Honestly, just give it a try. Sliced grapes. I didn't think so, but it really does give a butty that "something" - oh I got the idea from BBC Posh Butties. And it works 😊
Keep up the good work. A genuine and sincere teacher. Unlike the rest of those time wasting posers on TH-cam - 90% useless yammer for 10% actual content.
nice bit of foreign language at the end, i am glad you didn't delete it. Another great video full of interest and brilliantly delivered thanks
Great fun! Well done. In the mid-1960's, my father was responsible for testing and recommending new equipment for the infantry of the Canadian Army. He chose the Silva Ranger, which is still in use, along with its Suunto cousins. I've always enjoyed because of the declination offset - calculate, set, and forget. Naturally, these compasses are in NATO mils. On the other hand, the Royal Canadian Artillery stayed with the precision of compasses like the G150 military prismatic for its rock throwing, for obvious reasons. p.s. my Suunto MB-6 Global in mils arrived last week. I hope that you got your cut!!!
14:34 in an area with terraced farming you can see the contour lines on the ground. :)
Let me see if I got this straight. A military compass will be useful in WW IV when battles will be fought with rocks and sticks. Until then, I can save a bit of money and buy a recreational compass?
Excellent information. I first learned to navigate with a military compass, i still do. I do think however they can be confusing and an unnecessary expense. A basic baseplate compass is ideal with a map. Using a sighting compass working from degrees to mm, and, if needed a protractor is not really required.
Good shout 👍
One of the best channels , if not the best channel on TH-cam!
The only compass I knew for many years was an ex British Army oil-filled compass ( and 1" OS maps ). They served me well.
Thank you for another excellent video. Greetings from Portugal .
Good sandwich, Wayne. Never tried that Italian meat yet, but with Montreal Smoked meat (not the same, I know) and Feta, grapes and fresh parsley on rye, I can see it happening.
The Suunto I bought last week is fun. I am practicing finding distance to my destinations. This may serve me well from shore to see how far an island is and how wide so I can canoe to it and camp. Yes, look at the map, use a scale..etc, but it would just be fun to verify with a map. It's how these old explorers mapped our country (Canada) using basic tools and a big brain full of numbers. Finding declination for an area using Polaris verifies the maps, and also is good practice.
SPOT ON,great lesson as always,keep them coming buddy.
Another good video. Thanks.
Well explained reason for most people to use civilian compass. Would have been nice to see those terraces however. Still, your videos are very entertaining.
I did have more film of me walking all over the terraces, but that got edited out. I tend to film around 4 times more than I eventually use. Some people may think I should cut out even more 😂
@@TheMapReadingCompany Your discovery might lead to that area being named after you. All maps of the area would have your name on them!
A button compass is a military compass in the right situation for escape and evasion. I have a fancy Silva Ranger mirror compass, and to be honest it is overkill for most things I ever need a compass for which is mostly knowing which way is north and orienting a map. The base plate compass is good enough for that as it is not as if I am calling in an artillery strike or aiming my howitzer. The mirror comes in handy for other things though like getting a lash out of your eye :)
Thank you very much for taking the time to make the video. I’ve enjoyed your videos very well they’re very detail. They’ve been helpful and show a lot of stuff that I don’t have any idea what it is, but I’ve been using the compass since 68.
Nothing to do with your video but where in England are you at? I don’t want your house address just the general area. Those rocks always seem to be popping out behind you.
Thank you very much again
That was filmed in Malhamdale - I don't live anywhere near there, I just like the area.
Oh it was near where Harry Potted pitched his tent. Google "Malham Cove" "Harry Potter"
Oh wow, dove hai imparato a parlare Italiano? Complimenti, non me l'aspettavo. Il miglior Italiano che io abbia mai sentito da uno straniero in anni.
Lavoro in Italia - sono maestro di sci
@TheMapReadingCompany aaah ecco, tutto torna. Certo che sai fare tantissime cose
Playing around with the math, we could use only Distance*sin(x) with small angles (and with a ridiculous 5º you get less than 0.1% error estimating the off-target). Sounds like it could make it simpler in a beginner's context. Cheers!
Your very good at Italian, I did 3 years of French and passed all my exams but today I can just about order coffee or tea 😊 I’m just no good at it but of course I don’t use it and that’s😢what you need to do to get good, I have trouble speaking English and I was born hear ha ha ha lol😊
Italian waffle...there are no limits to how cool yout videos are!
I'd be disappointed if you didn't waffle, it's what makes this TH-cam channel my favourite, need to say that gorgeous-looking sarnie, is a bap.
When I first started my hiking hobby I bought an expensive Silva compass from my local Go Outdoors shop. I couldn’t understand why compass tutorials didn’t make sense until I discovered that I had a military compass displaying NMIL. I couldn’t afford a new one so I learnt to navigate using that. I recently went into the same store and noticed that they were still selling military compasses to unsuspecting customers.
You can use mils, grads, degrees, etc. It makes no difference, as long as you and anyone else who needs to, understands the direction and information.
@@TheMapReadingCompanyyes, I just would have liked to know what I was buying rather than struggle through thinking it was me. 🙂
A few decades ago I found a DiCi W900 lying abandoned in the desert. It was missing a few screws and the latch, and was covered in mud. I cleaned it up and brought it around to the U.K. unit near us, but no one claimed it. I've always hoped to find a place that could provide me the pieces it needs to be complete. Regardless, I have always happily used it since I got it cleaned up. If I'm 'out', I always have my Garmin GPS V and my W900, and they've always kept me in good stead. If you have any idea where I could get parts for my W900, I'd appreciate a note!
Absolutely loved your history lesson!
They could add 1 tier lower and base it on a clock standard 1-12. And add a bitty liquid compass to all watches. Just knowing North and a destination's bearing, is major help when biking or walking in a city, and not waving the smartphone around, when wx can get rough.
Great Channel !!!
Any cool tips for keeping track of cardinals, in the mind, or excersizes to build that awareness??
Thank you. Excellent video.
Loving the history lessons !!
Hey, I really enjoy your videos! Just a heads up, your audio mix is only sending sound through the left channel. Check the video with headphones.
Hello MRC! Greetings from Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Hello there!
I do enjoy these videos 😊
I've certainly used a tatty old lensatic compass for decades, and I've never had a great deal of difficulty, but I guess it's one of those things where I may be ignorant of a better tool for the job, and just because the tool I have works, I never really looked into options.
It's funny, because I could have been using the worst option all this time. 😄
Assuming a hiker goes over a mountain that overlooks a plain and calculate a bearing with 1deg centigrade incertitude, they will miss the target by 1.75mile or kilometer if they manage to walk 100 miles or kilometers, and a 1.75mile/km miss is nothing when you have a 5~7mile/km view around the point you walked towards to.
This example is just to make a point that 1deg centigrade accuracy for hiking is enough for most hikers, unless you're treasure hunting.
Lovely bits of limestone, I would guess that you're somewhere between Settle and Grassington
Great video. Thanks!
Fascinating and thanks so much for a traffic video
MUY INTERESANTE, GRACIAS. 😊
Canadian army used Silva Ranger in mills back in the 80’s. Not sure what they have now, or if artillery crews had more precision instruments.
Using a military compass to throw rocks at things?
Sounds like a load of ballistics!
😂
a naturalist does not have to apologise for going to other topics. it is him we are coming to see. :)
Now I know what a mil is. Thank you. Your rock!😊
Now we need to know why English people turned mille into thousand.
Mr Beast of navigation!
I love this!!!❤
Why don't the military compasses add a baseplate, eliminating the need to carry a protractor too?
It seems the audio of this (great like always) video seems to be just on the left channel. I watch it with headphones and there is no sound on the right side. This was the case on another video of this channel. Would be great if this could be fixed
Of course, there are also different types of compasses in the military for a wide variety of applications, such as ground navigation, sea navigation, air navigation, surveying, survival equipment, etc.
For staff work with maps, a compass is usually not used, but rather a map protractor.
As a rule of thumb, one can assume that a 6400 line display is used in NATO land forces. (Warsaw Pact: 6000mils)
Btw:The Recta DP10 Prismatic compass (6400mils) has proven to be particularly fast and easy to read.
Thanks for making these videos so frequently! I haven't noticed before but with this video, somehow your audio came out mono (left speaker / headphone only). Just an FYI!
Sorry it happens every time I film in the rain.
@@TheMapReadingCompany No need to apologize, video was great!
Truly enjoyable ... but one question ... are you English or Italian? :) (my ancestors are from England and I enjoyed your description and explanation of the surrounding landscape).
Could you comment on the durability of baseplate compasses? Since you are a “power user” of compasses, have you ever worn out a compass or suffered a breakage? I just replaced a name-brand compass because the dial became excessively loose (it would slide laterally!). Is that unusual, or something which does eventually happen? Thank you in advance!
Compass get carried around in rucksacks and pockets, tied to jackets, etc so they are going to get banged about. Many compass use a very thin piece of wire around the bezel to secure it in place. This wire, if it bends, will not hold the dial securely and it will start to move around in the fitting. This is just something that happens due to the use (miss-use) compass have to take.
As for the printing wearing off. This has never happened to me as I tend to use good quality compass where the text is stamped into the base place rather than just roll-printed on to it. If it is roll-printed then it will wear off very quickly.
Could you make a video about remagnetising the needle? I accidentally messed my compass today by apparently having it too close to my phone, thank god it wasn't an expensive model
Which do you prefer and would recommend out of either the Silva expedition 4 or expedition?
On all my courses, if the participants don't have a compass, I loan them an Expedition 4.
@@TheMapReadingCompany thanks
for the Francis Barker M73 where would you purchase one. these are expensive who is reputable seller? And any affordable options with close to same quality/precision? Thanks,
I tend to get my compasses direct from the manufacturer when possible - this way you'll know it's genuine. But it's up to you where you buy from.
The M-88 is the cheaper version of these. I got the M73 as I'm only going to do it once, so I thought .....
Here is the URL of pyser optics who make the M73. I'm not sure if can buy direct from them, but if you send them a message from their site you may be able to. Or ask for them for details of a supplier in your area.
www.pyseroptics.com/francisbarkercompasses
You have, in my view, hit the nail on the head. Military compasses tend to be designed for higher precision.
I think most NATO/ABCA militaries these days are using Silva 55s. Even if they are not issued I think a lot of diggers/toms/joes/etc buy their own. I'm not sure about people like forward observers, they may still be using the old school prismatics if their GPS and laser range finders fall.
The 55 has Mils, degrees and a prism to assist in sighting - they used to have tritium, but I'm not sure that tritium is avaiable now from Silva - it certainly is not for civillians. I suspect the 55s are probably note quite ass accurate for shooting a bearing than the old school brass and glass beauties, but apparently they are accurate enough and they are certainly lighter and allow you to use the 1-2-3 system for navigating.
And it is not only calling in artillery or air strikes, the normal navigation needs to be pretty good too. We used to bury caches of ammo, water, rations and POL (petrol/oil/lubricants) and to find those or a camouflaged postion a 100m accuracy is not sufficient, you need an 8 figure grid - 10m accuracy to find things like that.Sometimes the way you'd find it is navigate to a fairly obvious feature, and then shoot a bearing and march x metres on that bearing. Being able to shoot a very accurate bearing was very important for that kind of thing. You're looking for a patch of dirt in a desert of the same dirt. You don't want to miss even by a couple of meters, because that mean digging tons - litearally tons - more soil to find your cache,.
The british military prismatic compass (MKIII??? MK VIII??? - pretty much like a Francis Baker M73) is a beautiful thing. Like a beautiful object in it's own right regardless of how you use it.
The beautiful brass and glass prismatic compasses are pretty much not used in service anymore.
But I'd still like to have one just ot own such a lovely well made tool. When I was in the cadets in the 80s we were using compases made in 40s and they were still spot on as far as I can tell. With all respecrt due to Silva - I'm not convinced that any Silva compass will still be in service 40-50 years after it was built.
I just need to save up the 500+quid to get my Francis Baker... one day.
I do this, it gives me a margin of error if don’t have declination angle. Rarely use it anyway.
6400mls divided by 360deg = 17.7m at 1Km.
Your vid’s are great.
Another great video....I'm sure this is a daft question but I was wondering what your thoughts are on the Silva Expedition NATO/MOD compass, especially as you recently gave the civilian version top marks 👍👍👍
excellent waffle! excellent vid... interesting all round!
pay the rock more! 😂😂😂
kind of off vid question, what do you think of wrist compasses? are they useless?
I can't say as I've never used a wrist compass, sorry.
For sandwiches, try cream cheese + pineapple with a slice of Scottish smoked salmon on top, a couple of slices of cucumber and/or a bit of watercress and some black pepper. Lovely !
Please keep waffling. I like maps, but your knowledge of history intrigues me even more.
Throwing rocks = artillery calculations. Napoleon was chosen for the artillery because he was brilliant at mathematics. Degrees are split into minutes and seconds for navigation of ships at sea. So there is more accuracy with 3600 divisions per degree than a standard military compass
You can use minutes and seconds easily enough when you’re on the equator. It’s a bit harder to fit minutes and seconds on a compass bezel that’s only about 4cm wide :)
Thank you!