Compass with Red End of Needle Aligning South

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 1:50 pm

I recently purchased a Polaris 177 compass and discovered that the white end of the needle points north (instead of the red end). I think my kids may done this when playing with it. From the Polaris website:

Be aware that exposing your compass to articles with iron content (a magnetic field) can cause the red end of the needle to align with South, a condition called reverse polarity. Something as simple as being placed next to a pair of scissors or knife for a length of time, microwaves, high tension wires, stereo speakers, magnets, etc. can cause this problem.

compass

Has anyone else experienced this? Should I destroy the compass or at the very least never take is backpacking?

Jeffs Eleven BPL Member

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 1:54 pm

You must have gotten the Australian model

Bob Moulder BPL Member

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Courtesy of google, copy/paste from Knife Forums…

You can fix this yourself; no need to send it off.

I once accidentally reversed the polarity on a Silva Scout compass, so that the needle pointed South. I was playing with a strong magnet, making the needle follow it as I moved it around. I brought the compass into contact with the magnet, causing whichever end was attracted to the magnet to dip down, & make contact with the bottom of the capsule. I then stroked the length of the needle with the magnet, reversing the polarity of the needle.

I was quite surprised when it happened, & thought I'd probably ruined my oldest compass.

I was very pleased when I was able to reverse the process by simply doing it again…compass is normal & works as it should now.

In fact, I've since done it again to demonstrate the effects of a magnet on a compass to my kids–great object lesson!!!

David

David Lewis

Richard Fischel BPL Member

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 2:08 pm

maybe you have a magnetic personality?

Bob Moulder BPL Member

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 2:45 pm

Another option is to do nothing and wait a few thousand years for the Earth's magnetic poles to flip. Just tuck it away and you'll be set for the Big Event.

EndoftheTrail BPL Member

PostedJul 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

Reverse polarity.

Yep. This happened to me earlier in the year when I was in Ethiopia. Imagine the annoyance when my map/instincts and my compass say the exact opposite! Not sure how it happened, but then it reversed itself again after I got back home. Regardless, I tossed that compass in the recycle bin.

BTW, the Chinese name for "compass" (指南針) is literally translated as "south pointing needle". Shouldn't be surprising that old Chinese compasses had the south pointing end painted. The north was where "barbarians" lived, and the south was home. Nowadays, in deference to western markets and all –compasses are all marked to point north — even though it's still called the "south pointing needle".

Compass with Red End of Needle Aligning South

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