Magnets and compasses

[Salop]

Hi All,


Has anyone had issues with their compass after it was in proximity of a magnetic bit of kit, i.e. Phone, magnet in gloves, torches etc. ?


I'm just trying to get a handle of how much of an issue it really is.


Thanks 

[sussamb]

Can end up with the polarity reversed, so best to keep the two separate 

[ninthace]

Look out for mobile phones.  The speaker itself can have a fairly powerful magnet and if you have a phone case with a magnetic catch, it can be an absolute doozy. The catch on mine is powerful enough to lift up the newer copper coins, let alone affect a compass.  If I pass my phone case over a coin on the bar it is mine! 
The same can be true of tablets.  My iPad has a magnetic switch in the case.

[richardh1905]

Has anyone had issues with their compass after it was in proximity of a magnetic bit of kit, i.e. Phone, magnet in gloves, torches etc. ?

Yes, my phone case has a magnetic clasp and I made the mistake of stowing it in the same rucksack pocket as my compass. Discovered the consequences on top of Ben Hope in the mist!

http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=37057.0

[Owen]

Started hearing stories of this happening a few years ago when smartphones first came out. Never heard of it before that, but it's definitely happening more and more. O
I keep my phone and GPS in the lid pocket of my pack and my compass in my thigh pocket

[Skip]

. . . I'm just trying to get a handle of how much of an issue it really is . . .

In the cadet force at school I was taught never to store a compass next to ferrous metal or near a magnetic field.

Virtually all electrical devices generate a magnetic field (so do fixed magnets, of course). So avoid watches, car keys, mobile phones and chargers, radio speakers, electricity power lines and so on.

[ninthace]

Forgot to add - it is not an issue for me.  I have a compass in the hip belt of my backpack but I have not used it in anger since 2011 when I got my first gps.  Now I have a gps unit and 2 navigation apps on my phone. my watch and the sun plus my own innate sense of direction.

[Mel]

Keep it away from gorillapod legs too 

[Salop]

Thanks all, feedback was handy.


I've always been of the opinion magnets should be avoided in walking kit and the responses have helped me solidify my view 

[archaeoroutes]

I once had a group doing navigation and one of the girls kept going off. After watching her for a bit, it was clear she wasn't doing anything wrong. So I checked her compass and it matched mine (and everyone else's). I did the usual check for phone, lumps of metal, whatever in her pockets. Nothing.
Eventually, we tracked it down to a magnetic clip for her water tube to her rucksack strap.

[Deolman]

Some years ago, for reasons unknown, my compass reversed polarity. I was able to correct it by using a strong magnet and stroking the compass needle.