Directional Measuring

Instruments v2.0
REYMART M. SANCHEZ DONA RICHELENE G. ARCEGA REY
MARK A. CASTILLANO

The following slides are made based

on the questions asked during our
previous report.

Wind Direction Measuring

Instruments
Anemometer (Gk. Anemos meaning wind)
basically used in measuring wind speed but with further
modifications was used to determine wind direction.
The first description of an anemometer was given by
Leon Battista Alberti in 1450.

 Anemometer
Weather vane
Windsock
Weather balloon
Radiosonde
SODAR
Magnetic Compass
Gyro Compass
Alidade
The VOR equipment
The DME equipment
The ILS equipment
The GPS equipment
The TACAN equipment
The LORAN equipment

Wind Direction Measuring

Instruments
Vane Anemometer (windmill or propeller anemometer)
A modified anemometer that integrates wind speed and
direction measuring by using a wind/weather vane
instead of cups.
The wind speed is determined by the propellers speed
and the direction is determined through the use of the
tail.

Wind Direction Measuring

Instruments
Wind Vane/Weather Vane/Weathercock
Vane is from the Old English word fana meaning flag.
an instrument for showing the direction of the wind.
They are typically used as an architectural ornament to
the highest point of a building.

Wind Direction Measuring

Instruments
Wind Vane/Weather Vane/Weathercock
The Gallo di Ramperto, Museo di
Santa Giulia in Brescia (Italy), the
oldest weather vane in the shape of
a rooster in the world

WINDSOCK
A windsock is a conical textile tube (which
resembles a giant sock, hence its name) designed to
indicate wind direction and relative wind speed.
Windsocks typically are used at airports and at
chemical plants where there is risk of gaseous
leakage. They are sometimes located alongside
highways at windy locations.
Wind direction is the opposite of the direction in
which the windsock is pointing (note that wind
directions are conventionally specified as being the
compass point from which the wind originates; so a
windsock pointing due north indicates a southerly
wind). Wind speed is indicated by the windsock's
angle relative to the mounting pole; in low winds, the
windsock droops; in high winds it flies horizontally.

Weather balloon
A weather or sounding balloon is a balloon
(specifically a type of high altitude balloon)
which carries instruments aloft to send back
information on atmospheric pressure,
temperature, humidity and wind speed by
means of a small, expendable measuring device
called a radiosonde. To obtain wind data, they
can be tracked by radar, radio direction finding,
or navigation systems (such as the satellitebased Global Positioning System, GPS). Balloons
meant to stay at a constant altitude for long
periods of time are known as transosondes.

Rawinsonde weather balloon just after

launch. Notice a parachute in the center of
the string and a small instrument box at the
end. After release it measures many
parameters. These include temperature,
relative humidity, pressure, and wind speed
and wind direction. This information is
transmitted back to surface observers.

RADIOSONDE
A radiosonde (Sonde is French and German for probe) is a
battery-powered telemetry instrument package carried into
the atmosphere usually by a weather balloon that measures
various atmospheric parameters and transmits them by
radio to a ground receiver. Radiosondes may operate at a
radio frequency of 403 MHz or 1680MHz. A radiosonde
whose position is tracked as it ascends to give wind speed
and direction information is called a rawinsonde ("radar
wind -sonde"). Most radiosondes have radar reflectors and
are technically rawinsondes. A radiosonde that is dropped
from an airplane and falls, rather than being carried by a
balloon is called a dropsonde. Radiosondes are an essential
source of meteorological data, and hundreds are launched
all over the world daily.

RADIOSONDE
Modern radiosondes measure or calculate the following variables:
Altitude
Pressure
Temperature
Relative humidity
Wind (both wind speed and wind direction)
Cosmic ray readings at high altitude
Geographical position (Latitude/Longitude)
Radiosondes measuring ozone concentration are known as
ozonesondes.

SODAR (Sonic Detection and

Ranging)
Used as a wind profiler and are used to study the
thermodynamic structure of the lower layer of the
atmosphere using sound waves.
SODARs are like RADAR and LIDAR systems except that
sound wave are used for detection instead of radio or
light waves.
Other names for SODAR systems include sounder,
echosounder and acoustic radar.

SODAR (Sonic Detection and

Ranging)
Applications
traditionally used in atmospheric research
Wind monitoring for the development of wind power
projects
**SODARs used for wind power applications are typically
focused on a measurement range from 50m to 200m
above ground level, corresponding to the size of modern
wind turbines.

Compass
An instrument used for navigation and orientation that
shows direction relative to the geographic cardinal
directions or points.
Compass Rose - diagram that shows the directions
north, south,
east and west as abbreviated initials
marked on the
compass.
Angle Markings in degrees; north corresponds to zero
degrees
and the angles increase clockwise, so east is
90 degrees,
south is 180 degrees and west is 270
degrees; allow the
compass to show azimuths or
bearings

Magnetic Compass
First invented as a device for divination by the Chinese
as early as the Han Dynasty (since about 206 BC; made
of lodestone) and later adopted for navigation by the
Song Dynasty during the 11th century. Western Europe
and Persia was recorded to use compass around the
early 13th century.
Functions as a pointer to the magnetic north because
the magnetized needle aligns itself with the horizontal
component of the earths magnetic field.
The needle is mounted in a low friction pivot point so it
can turn easily.

Compass and the History

Before the invention of the compass, geographical
position, destination and direction at sea were primarily
determined by the sightings of landmarks,
supplemented with the observation of the position of
celestial bodies.
On cloudy days, the Vikings may have used cordieriteor
some otherbirefringent crystalto determine the sun's
direction andelevationfrom thepolarizationof daylight
The invention of the compass enabled easier
determination of heading when the sky was foggy, safe
navigation far from land, increasing sea trade, and
contributing to the Age of Discovery.

Magnetic
vs
True North

Magnetic Declinations/Variations
Depending on where the compass is located on the
surface of the earth the angle between the true and
magnetic north, called the magnetic declination, varies
widely with geographic location.
Most local maps indicates the local magnetic declination
to allow the map to be oriented with a compass parallel
to the true north.
Maps with the latest declanation iformation should be
used because the earths magnetic field are constantly
changing (geomagnetic secular variation)

T-V-M
Variation
West,
Magnetic Best;
Variation East,
Magnetic
Least

Converting T-V-M
T
V
M
256 4E 252
Given two variables, you can get the third:
T
114

T
?

V M
12 ?
W
V M
2E 051

T V
M
35 ? 001

"M" for Magnetic

When noting on a chart, entering in a log book, or
plotting a magnetic heading or bearing, degrees are
followed by the letter M, as in 134M. This is important
so that a magnetic reading isn't confused with a true
reading. Directions are considered to be true unless
indicated otherwise.

Forgetting to
correct for
variation can
have
disastrous
consequences.

Gyroscopes
Greek words: gyros meaning turn or revolution and
skopein meaning to view.
Discovered by French scientist Leon Foucault in 1852
Basis of gyroscopes.
Characteristics
1. Inertia first law of motion by newton
2. precession

Gyrocompass
Non-magnetic compass which is based on a fastspinning disc and rotation of the earth to automatically
find geographical direction.
Advantages over magnetic compass
1. They find true north as determined by earths rotation,
which is more useful than magnetic north.
2. They are unaffected by ferromagnetic materials, such
as the ships steel hull, which can change the magnetic
field.

Gyrocompass
When in proper running order, the gyrocompass points
constantly to true instead of magnetic north.
The gyrocompass is powered by electricity, if the power
is cut off, it is useless, making the magnetic compass
that is standard aboard ship because the magnetic
compass operates through the attraction exerted by the
earth. Consequently, the magnetic compass will never
go out of commission because of power failure.
Being an extremely complicated and delicate
instrument, it is also subject to mechanical failure.
Some gyros become erratic afterthe ship makes a
series of sharp turns at high speeds.

Gyrocompass

Bearing and Azimuth Circles

Accessories to the gyrocompass to check the bearing or
aziimith of certain points or celestial bodies
Strictly speaking,azimuthandbearingare the same in
meaning: the horizontal angle that a line drawn from
your position to the object sighted makes with a line
drawn from your position to true north. The
wordazimuth,however, applies only to bearings of
heavenly bodies.

Pelorus
a
reference
tool for
maintaini
ngbearin
gof a
vessel at
sea.

Alidade
An azimuth/bearing circle having a telescopic sight
mounted over it

From previous lessons, directional

measuring instruments are:
Compass- instrument that indicates direction]
Magnetic compass it depends on the earths magnetic field for its directive force
Gyro compass depends on the tendency of the pedolus gyroscope to seek to align
its axis with that of the earth
Gyro compass repeaters located at various parts throughtout the ships to indicate
the master gyro heading
Bearing circles a non magnetic ring formed to fit snugly over the compass bowl
about which it can be turned to any desired direction; used to determine bearings of
terrestrial objects
Azimuth circles similar to the bearing circle with a special attachment for
observing the sun; use to determine the bearing of celestial objects
Pelorous or dumbed compass, consist of a compass stand, compass bowl and
compass cart used in determining bearings
Alidade an azimuth circle having a telescopic sight mounted over it.