FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture - Fishing equipment

Fishing Technology Equipments

Gyrocompass

Equipment Class: Fishing technology	Equipment Type: Wheelhouse
Characteristics
Gyrocompass is a compass that is independent of the magnetic field of the earth and depends upon the properties of the gyroscope and upon the rotation of the earth.

Gyrocompass

Courtesy of Navis.gr

Most larger ships carry a gyrocompass which relies on the gyroscopic effect in which a freely spinning body aligns itself at right angles to the direction of movement. The gyroscope senses the spinning movement of the earth and aligns its axis of spin north/south. The advantages of the gyroscope is that it does not require corrections of the magnetic compass but it does require a reliable source of electricity and also takes some time to start up.



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