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Fig 1: The “ancient” magnetic-needle compass is still available and widely used, but electronic compasses provide enhanced functionality, capabilities, and performance under appropriate conditions. This FAQ will look at the fluxgate compass, an electronic version of the magnetic-needle compass, Figure 1.
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And, also, in the event that there’s a warfare environment where signals are degraded, you need to be able to do it the analog way-just in case.” So it behooves us to have that redundancy. We still employ this method because there’s a ton of research to suggest that relying only on our electronic and radar equipment isn’t necessarily the best way to be precise.
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So to figure out a contact’s distance, course and speed, I use a compass and maneuvering board paper a lot. In the profile, she says, “As a surface warfare officer, I actually drive the ship. She’s responsible for driving the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (yes, the captain gives the orders, but implements then and has to maneuver to get the carrier on course and to its objective, both on the open sea and close-in situations. Consider this quote from a Wall Street Journal profile of Surface Warfare Officer Lt. Between the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) system, the compass – whether it is a traditional magnetic needle, or an electronic, no-moving-part version – seems like a redundant and unneeded navigation tool. The classic magnetic-needle compass is not getting much respect or attention these days. Despite the availability of GPS and inertial measurement units, the compass in an electronic fluxgate implementation is still a viable and needed navigational tool.