Upside down compass on map tools

NefariousKoel · 03-25-07, 01:46 PM

Is anyone else getting an upside down compass on the map tools? When you open the compass and use the ruler for instance.

All of mine have South pointing north.:hmm:

sea enemy · 03-25-07, 01:53 PM

yes-it's supposed to be that way, it gives you a bearing.

spec24 · 03-30-08, 10:24 AM

maybe I'm a dope but how does that give you a bearing? The bearing is given in relation to your ship. How would an upside down compass, protractor, et al give the bearing... or anything else. 0 deg points down on these tools. That is neither the front of your ship nor north.

spec24 · 03-30-08, 10:47 AM

sorry, but that was a little hard to follow. In game there are two zero deg points I am concerned with (from what I understand), one is the heading of my boat - if I am looking towrds the bow of my boat I am looking at the zero deg in relation to my boat. So any contact my men make is in relation to my boat. "Bearing 90 deg" will be directly to my right if I am looking towards the bow of my boat from the bridge. The other zero deg is due north. As in if my boat is heading 90 deg it is headed to the East, 180 deg to the south, and 270 deg to the West. Now in the map room all the tools have 0 deg pointing down. And whatever tool I drag with to make a line gives me some bearing in relation to 0 deg pointing down. How does this help me?

Hylander_1314 · 03-30-08, 11:20 AM

First click on your boat. Then move say at 45 degrees to the left and down. Your line that trails as you move the pointer should be matched up with 225 degrees on the protractor, giving you a proper bearing. This is based on the knowledge that 0 degrees is always north reguardless of what heading your boat is traveling.

So even if you are heading at say 295 degrees, your bearing will still be 225 on the protractor using the above example. This applies to the navigation, map only, and helps with calling out headings. This in reference to the compass. So if you want to change headings, to say 270 degrees, you call out, come to heading 270, not change heading 25 degrees to port.

Your readings on your TBT, binoculars, and periscopes will of course be based on what your heading is.

So if you are traveling at the same heading of 295 degrees, and you spot a ship 25 degrees off the port bow, you wouldn't call out ship spotted 2-7-0 degrees, even though that is where it would be on the map, you call out ship bearing 3-3-5 degrees. Since that is in relation to your heading.

It takes a little getting used to, but remember to keep navigation, and attack commands seperate.

Hope this helps!

I've been teaching my daughter this stuff when she takes the helm of my 16 ft. Runabout.

It's easier to explain in a 3d world, than it is to explain it on a 2d screen. As you have to imagine the 3rd dimention, of depth. If you have a compass, protractor, and ruler, you can practise on paper during the cruise, and apply your knowledge when in the heat of battle. It really helps when you have shallow waters nearby, and have to stay deep to avoid destroyers and aircraft.

spec24 · 03-30-08, 12:39 PM

ok, but when my sonar man calls out a contact at bearing 265, that's 265 deg in relation to my boat. As the front of my boat is the 0 deg that stays constant. A stationary freighter's bearing will change as I move around it (in other owrds). That 265 that the sonar called out is in relation to the 0 deg front of my boat. Bearing is in relation to my boat, not north 0 deg. I see, however, that it makes more sense when I drag from the target to my ship rather than my ship downwards (it does not equal 225 deg if I drag 45 deg down and to the left) with the compass tool.
For compass bearing it makes sense when you drage from the targets. It would be nice to be able to rotate them however.

Hylander_1314 · 03-30-08, 09:32 PM

I see your cofusion here. I don't use the map tools when hunting. I've gotten good enough over the years at doing the math in my head for bearing soundings, as to where they are in relation to my boat. If I get multiples for say a convoy, I'll use the trusty old pencil and paper.

Your point is well taken though. It would help to have a set of attack tools that could be used to assist in bearing, but it would have to stay constant with relation to the heading of your boat, or it would have to be made to rotate it so you could do so manually.

Munchausen · 03-31-08, 06:50 PM

As was done in real life, you need to convert relative bearing to true bearing. Easily done if you look at the bottom wheel of your TDC: find your relative bearing on the inner dial ... your true bearing is opposite it on the outer dial.

Now use your compass. Start at your sub's position and pull in the direction indicated on the "backward" compass rose.

04-01-08, 01:27 AM

Sonar man uses bearing. Your boat has a heading.

Bearings are allways relative to your boat - your heading is allways relative to north. Most of the time the skippers wrote the stuff as bearing 234 and heading 234 T (T telling it was relative to True North)

Look for the tool called "360 bearing" it gives you a "compass" that rotates with your boad when you zoom in close enough. Its included in the larger mods RFB and TM(i think).

Good luck

Buffalo9 · 04-01-08, 08:09 PM

Bearing is the inverse of your heading, hence N is inverse of S. That's why the plotting compass is upsidedown.

03-25-07, 01:46 PM	#1
NefariousKoel Ace of the Deep Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: No-good Missouri scum Posts: 1,223 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Upside down compass on map tools Is anyone else getting an upside down compass on the map tools? When you open the compass and use the ruler for instance. All of mine have South pointing north.:hmm: __________________ "When Gary told me he had found Jesus, I thought, Yahoo! We're rich! But it turned out to be something different." - Jack Handey

03-30-08, 11:20 AM	#5
Hylander_1314 Sea Lord Join Date: May 2006 Location: 5 Miles Inland West Of Lake Huron Posts: 1,936 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	First click on your boat. Then move say at 45 degrees to the left and down. Your line that trails as you move the pointer should be matched up with 225 degrees on the protractor, giving you a proper bearing. This is based on the knowledge that 0 degrees is always north reguardless of what heading your boat is traveling. So even if you are heading at say 295 degrees, your bearing will still be 225 on the protractor using the above example. This applies to the navigation, map only, and helps with calling out headings. This in reference to the compass. So if you want to change headings, to say 270 degrees, you call out, come to heading 270, not change heading 25 degrees to port. Your readings on your TBT, binoculars, and periscopes will of course be based on what your heading is. So if you are traveling at the same heading of 295 degrees, and you spot a ship 25 degrees off the port bow, you wouldn't call out ship spotted 2-7-0 degrees, even though that is where it would be on the map, you call out ship bearing 3-3-5 degrees. Since that is in relation to your heading. It takes a little getting used to, but remember to keep navigation, and attack commands seperate. Hope this helps! I've been teaching my daughter this stuff when she takes the helm of my 16 ft. Runabout. It's easier to explain in a 3d world, than it is to explain it on a 2d screen. As you have to imagine the 3rd dimention, of depth. If you have a compass, protractor, and ruler, you can practise on paper during the cruise, and apply your knowledge when in the heat of battle. It really helps when you have shallow waters nearby, and have to stay deep to avoid destroyers and aircraft. __________________ A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law. -John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ---------------------

03-30-08, 09:32 PM	#7
Hylander_1314 Sea Lord Join Date: May 2006 Location: 5 Miles Inland West Of Lake Huron Posts: 1,936 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	I see your cofusion here. I don't use the map tools when hunting. I've gotten good enough over the years at doing the math in my head for bearing soundings, as to where they are in relation to my boat. If I get multiples for say a convoy, I'll use the trusty old pencil and paper. Your point is well taken though. It would help to have a set of attack tools that could be used to assist in bearing, but it would have to stay constant with relation to the heading of your boat, or it would have to be made to rotate it so you could do so manually. __________________ A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law. -John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ---------------------

03-25-07, 01:53 PM	#2
sea enemy Mate Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 52 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	yes-it's supposed to be that way, it gives you a bearing.

03-30-08, 10:24 AM	#3
spec24 Swabbie Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 13 Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	maybe I'm a dope but how does that give you a bearing? The bearing is given in relation to your ship. How would an upside down compass, protractor, et al give the bearing... or anything else. 0 deg points down on these tools. That is neither the front of your ship nor north.

03-30-08, 10:47 AM	#4
spec24 Swabbie Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 13 Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	sorry, but that was a little hard to follow. In game there are two zero deg points I am concerned with (from what I understand), one is the heading of my boat - if I am looking towrds the bow of my boat I am looking at the zero deg in relation to my boat. So any contact my men make is in relation to my boat. "Bearing 90 deg" will be directly to my right if I am looking towards the bow of my boat from the bridge. The other zero deg is due north. As in if my boat is heading 90 deg it is headed to the East, 180 deg to the south, and 270 deg to the West. Now in the map room all the tools have 0 deg pointing down. And whatever tool I drag with to make a line gives me some bearing in relation to 0 deg pointing down. How does this help me?

03-30-08, 12:39 PM	#6
spec24 Swabbie Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 13 Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	ok, but when my sonar man calls out a contact at bearing 265, that's 265 deg in relation to my boat. As the front of my boat is the 0 deg that stays constant. A stationary freighter's bearing will change as I move around it (in other owrds). That 265 that the sonar called out is in relation to the 0 deg front of my boat. Bearing is in relation to my boat, not north 0 deg. I see, however, that it makes more sense when I drag from the target to my ship rather than my ship downwards (it does not equal 225 deg if I drag 45 deg down and to the left) with the compass tool. For compass bearing it makes sense when you drage from the targets. It would be nice to be able to rotate them however.

03-31-08, 06:50 PM	#8
Munchausen Commodore Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 608 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 1	As was done in real life, you need to convert relative bearing to true bearing. Easily done if you look at the bottom wheel of your TDC: find your relative bearing on the inner dial ... your true bearing is opposite it on the outer dial. Now use your compass. Start at your sub's position and pull in the direction indicated on the "backward" compass rose.

04-01-08, 01:27 AM	#9
Mav87th Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Sonar man uses bearing. Your boat has a heading. Bearings are allways relative to your boat - your heading is allways relative to north. Most of the time the skippers wrote the stuff as bearing 234 and heading 234 T (T telling it was relative to True North) Look for the tool called "360 bearing" it gives you a "compass" that rotates with your boad when you zoom in close enough. Its included in the larger mods RFB and TM(i think). Good luck

04-01-08, 08:09 PM	#10
Buffalo9 Seaman Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 31 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Bearing is the inverse of your heading, hence N is inverse of S. That's why the plotting compass is upsidedown.