Natural Navigation - Sun quiz added

[tristgo]

Hey Tristgo - I see from your website that

At the moment, I’m trying to get the word out to the orienteering community about the joys of natural navigation

Yes, not sure it was a great secret though. It is what I often do with navigational communities of all walks, or should I say runs

It is fascinating and quite surprising how differently everyone views the challenge of getting from A to B. Pilots, sailors, walkers... and now the world of orienteering. I learn different things each time and hopefully throw the odd interesting thing back.

Something that has always amazed me is how little interaction there is between different navigational worlds. I was at a navigation conference a few months ago. One of the topics being discussed was how to get over the legal and moral problems associated with computers taking navigational decisions in cars. It had never occurred to those faced with this problem that the exact same hurdles had been faced and overcome in boats and aircraft. I digress, as ever...

I'm delighted that there has been some interest in this forum, although a dose of scepticism puts everyone in good company with navigators from other walks of life!

I'll try to pop back later tomorrow, ta da for now,

T

[Adventure Racer]

One of the topics being discussed was how to get over the legal and moral problems associated with computers taking navigational decisions in cars. It had never occurred to those faced with this problem that the exact same hurdles had been faced and overcome in boats and aircraft.

But I don't think they have. The biggest issue with satnav in cars is surely unskilled users following blindly, with the computer making judgement decisions over the use of the multitude of possible linear routes. In the air or on the sea, not only are the users generally more skilled and not so blindly trusting (though I'm sure there is an element of that in small boat owners), it's also not really possible to be directed onto a railway line, down an impassable lane or through a ford when piloting a boat or aircraft.

Meanwhile those sorts of navigation don't have huge amounts of relevance for an orienteer, given no satnav, few or no roads (in high quality terrain) and a reliance on contour and vegetation features which most others ignore. So it's hardly surprising there's not much crossover.

[EddieH]

At WMOC final in NZ I made a 180 degree error due to the sun being the wrong direction. I knew nothing fiffed but decided to run towards the sea and I'd be bound to work it out. 7 minutes later I saw the fields approaching

Re SatNav I have no interest in it - someone brought one with us in Edinburgh recently and it kept insisting we should turn left (over a bridge parapet and onto a road a hundred feet below )