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HungryHippo comments on Open Thread, Jul. 27 - Aug 02, 2015 - Less Wrong Discussion

5 Post author: MrMind 27 July 2015 07:16AM

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Comment author: HungryHippo 31 July 2015 01:05:10PM 1 point [-]

Your analog watch can serve as an impromptu compass.

Point the hour hand towards the sun, then true south will be halfway between the hour hand and the 12-o'clock mark. Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere.

E.g. if it's around 2-o'clock, direct the hour hand towards the sun, and south will be in the 1-o'clock direction --- and therefore north towards the 7-o'clock direction.

Comment author: Lumifer 31 July 2015 02:32:58PM 0 points [-]

Point the hour hand towards the sun, then true south will be halfway between the hour hand and the 12-o'clock mark.

Only if your watch shows solar time which is normally not the case.

Comment author: tut 31 July 2015 04:22:47PM 1 point [-]

If you don't adjust for DST and what part of your timezone you are in it will be off by something like 30 degrees. If you need better than that the adjustments are not very hard (The 80/20 in most places being to just subtract one hour from what the clock shows because of DST).