MICRO COMPASS FOR SMALL BOAT NAVIGATION

Marvin Taylor

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	THE RAPID GROWTH of a vast variety of small boats with wide cruising ranges has created an increased demand for improved navigation capability utilizing miniaturized, low cost, low power equipment having a high degree of performance. At the heart of thii system is the ship’s compass. Magnetic compasses are subject to large uncertainties. Gyro compasses have been too large, too costly and have required too much power. A new gyro compass concept utilizing the principles of an inertial quality gyroscopic component has been conceived that can provide a marine compass meeting the above requirements. Combining the mechanism of the classic pendulous compass with an automatic correction technique leads to a unit of outstanding simplicity and miniaturization. This approach eliminates the need for conventional servo electronics which are inherent in modern, precision gyrocompasses. A conceptual description of the compass is introduced and a brief discussion of computer simulations of its operating characteristics.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 16, Number 2
Pages:	147 - 150
Cite this article:	Taylor, Marvin, "MICRO COMPASS FOR SMALL BOAT NAVIGATION", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 16, No. 2, Summer 1969, pp. 147-150.
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