Thread: Magnetic North MOVES 55km per year

Originally Posted by Takeovers

Agree, there is no connection between GPS and the magnetic pole.

Yes and no is my answer, or it depends on how you've set up your GPS.

GPS systems provide the user with latitude, longitude and altitude information. Lat/Long is referenced to true North so position is with respect to true north and not magnetic north. However, marine and aeronautical maps are created with magnetic North as reference. All runway thresholds (the two numbers on each end of the runway) are with reference to magnetic North. You can set up your GPS to output heading with respect to magnetic North or True North.

The magnetic earth model is updated on aircraft every 5 years to allow for the drift of magnetic north.

Originally Posted by Troy

Yes and no is my answer, or it depends on how you've set up your GPS.

GPS systems provide the user with latitude, longitude and altitude information. Lat/Long is referenced to true North so position is with respect to true north and not magnetic north. However, marine and aeronautical maps are created with magnetic North as reference. All runway thresholds (the two numbers on each end of the runway) are with reference to magnetic North. You can set up your GPS to output heading with respect to magnetic North or True North.

The magnetic earth model is updated on aircraft every 5 years to allow for the drift of magnetic north.

What you are saying is that one application using GPS as one component does not work. That is not the same as GPS failing.