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I think I've popped a few of them up, but they largely depend on sunlight. If you've not got enough light to cast a shadow, use a magnifying lens to help with the shadow.
Set up a stick, mark the end of the shadow, then when you know that, wait 10 minutes and the shadow will have moved. Mark that point too. That will give you a rough east west line, between those 2 marked points, so north and south is easy to sort out.
*Using an analog watch flat on the floor* Get a stick and cast a shadow. Point hour hand at the sun. The mid point of the gap between the hour hand and the sun points south. This can be out if it's daylight savings time. If it's PM, dissect gap from 12 to hour hand. If it's AM, dissect gap from Hour hand to 12 on the watch.
If you're in a single spot, general shadow movement in time will read east to west.
If it's early in the day, you can see East (sun rises in the east). If it's late, you can see West (sun sets in the West).
When there's not enough light, you'll be surprised how effective a magnifying lens is at creating a shadow. In this case, you're better off using a flat magnifier, like a museum card magnifier (I keep one in my wallet) instead of a fresnel. For a fresnel, if you follow where the brightest spot is projected, while the magnifier is kept in the same spot, this also give you an east to west line.
Hope they help. All very basic, and most people probably already know them, but just forgotten them.
I think I've popped a few of them up, but they largely depend on sunlight. If you've not got enough light to cast a shadow, use a magnifying lens to help with the shadow.
Set up a stick, mark the end of the shadow, then when you know that, wait 10 minutes and the shadow will have moved. Mark that point too. That will give you a rough east west line, between those 2 marked points, so north and south is easy to sort out.
*Using an analog watch flat on the floor* Get a stick and cast a shadow. Point hour hand at the sun. The mid point of the gap between the hour hand and the sun points south. This can be out if it's daylight savings time. If it's PM, dissect gap from 12 to hour hand. If it's AM, dissect gap from Hour hand to 12 on the watch.
If you're in a single spot, general shadow movement in time will read east to west.
If it's early in the day, you can see East (sun rises in the east). If it's late, you can see West (sun sets in the West).
When there's not enough light, you'll be surprised how effective a magnifying lens is at creating a shadow. In this case, you're better off using a flat magnifier, like a museum card magnifier (I keep one in my wallet) instead of a fresnel. For a fresnel, if you follow where the brightest spot is projected, while the magnifier is kept in the same spot, this also give you an east to west line.
Hope they help. All very basic, and most people probably already know them, but just forgotten them.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin