How to determine true south?

[Paddy]

OK. I Think the easy way would be to look in your local paper for Sun rise and sun set times. Don't go by what you think as sun rise/set, your horizion can be off. Half way between setting and rising will be noon for your location. (do get fooled in to looking at a clock for noon!) At that true mid day time, the shadow on a tall plumbed pole/stake will point North/South. In the winter you will get a longer shadow.

 

[stumpfield]

The solar noon method seem the easiest and most accurate for me. I can printed a calendar from this website:

http://www.solar-noon.com/sn_calc.p...=119.804&LongEW=W&TimeZone=120&Type=SolarNoon

 

[steveinmo]

Taste the iced tea. If it's sweet tea.......it's true south.

 

[WVBill]

...Then subtract (or maybe it's add? I always have to think about this) the declination from what your compass says is north, ...

I still remember this from my days as a student pilot in the Navy 40 years ago:

True heading + Variation = Magnetic heading + Declination = Compass heading
(always add West or subtact East)

or T+V=M+D=C (Add West)

To help us young Navy guys remenber TVMDC AW we had this saying:

"True Virgins Make Dull Company At Weddings"

Bill

 

[Egon]

Okay, we've all spouted off and shown our knowledge!

Now go follow Curly Dave's advice and dispense with all this other fuddle duddle and get the job done!

 

[Tom_H]

Taste the iced tea. If it's sweet tea.......it's true south.

ya awlso gotta make shore thay tawk reel rednek an eat fryd chittlins an possum. i knowz cuzz i usta liv in thaat thare tru reel sowth, i growd up down yonner.

Naw, jus kidd'n. Tuh fine reel sowth, ya gotta git uh kumpuss, ame reel good thein shute a buncha aizmuths awffu thayt kumpuss. ya gotta shute aizmuths reel strate ayt the rite deklinashun. thein ya donne fown reel sowth.

gotta go now, frowg laigs 'bout done kukkin.

 

[JimR]

I think the best answer was to stand on the North Pole.

 

[turnkey4099]

I think the best answer was to stand on the North Pole.

But then I would have to go to the south pole so I could find the north pole.

Harry K

 

[JimR]

Yup, Then you would be a world traveller.

 

[Egon]

Yup, Then you would be a world traveller

Nope; just an Ice Cube!