Using watch as a compass
 

I was watching some survival type programme the other day and the guy said if you point the hour hand of your watch towards the sun, south will be half way between the sun and 12 o'clock on the watch.

Does anyone knows how accurate this is? Also I assume it would work in both the northern and southern hemsiphere?!

Thanks

Hi Chris

I'm sure someone will be along to give you chapter and verse on this but in rough terms yes it works.
The drawbacks are - doesn't work with a digital watch (sorry!) and more seriously, you need to be close to the meridian of your time zone for it to be accurate(ish) and you'll need to take into account the sun's diurnal error (it varies by +/- 15 mins thru the year) - but I don't suppose you'd be using this for accurate navigation.

Yes!
 

Back of 's comments are accurate. This method is an old established method of finding north. For a detailed explanation , go to a good walker's navigation book.

The SAS survival handbook and many other books detail this, as mentioned above. definately works in northern hemishere, as tried it many times. mainly out of curiosity. but i vaguely remember that it works slightly differently in the southern hemishere. possibly something like taking the other half way point between 12 and teh hour hand.

just crossed back in to the northern hemishere 2 weeks ago so can't try it down south again!

cheers
mike

http://www.spidercanyon.com/backiss/pix/magwatch21.jpg
I got one of these as a birthday present 6 years ago and it's been dead handy. Found my way out of a maze of streets in Marrakech with it once.