Fluxgate Compass

[JamesG161]

I don't think it has to be "iron".

Right.

Last time I said, in SBO forum, someone sat a Coors Light Tall near my Richie steering compass and it affected the reading...
I got clobbered.

Any large dense MASS [close by] can cause a magnetic disturbance, big Iron is just available on a boat.
Newton spelled that out years ago.

Guess what?
You have to "calibrate" you Flux Compass for YOUR boat!! That compensates for any nearby MASS and offsets from the centerline. Just remember that "MASS" changes nearby will "un-calibrate" it.

As to being the Master of your boat...

When I bought my boat, I had never heard of a "Flux Compass", much less knew what it looked like and where is was located. That didn't mean I was stupid. It is called "training" [with a little help from SBO friends]

Here is the link to the Flux Compass search I did...
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/flux-compass-location.177633/#post-1276905

Good Luck finding yours...
Jim...

 

[JamesG161]

After review that above link...
The iron pipe idea should have been awarded to @justsomeguy

Jim...

 

[FastOlson]

If Occam were a sailor... he might start by wondering if the original installer of the device had tried to follow the instructions. (OK, laugh, but it's a theory.)

That compass would be near the pitch and roll center of the boat, and away from any permanently-installed magnets or motor/speaker coils, or masses of iron. For most of us such an ideal location may not be practical... like under the sole, beneath the cabin table. Yeah sure.
But a conscientious installer might have tried his/her best.
Then again, maybe it's back in a lazaretto and works well enough, anyway.

The last system I installed had a little bright-colored sticker to put on the outside of the interior furniture to warn that the sensor was very near and subject to magnetic influences.

As other have pointed out, someone may still park a bag of tools or a radio too near to it!
(Kind of like corrupting the human-compass interface back at the helm by absent-mindedly parking the handheld vhf next to the steering compass on a night passage.


Happy Hunting!

 

[jssailem]

absent-mindedly parking the handheld vhf next to the steering compass on a night passage.

Yes that could put you 50 Miles off course. Sail right past that island you were expecting to see at daybreak.