How do you find your position on the map by using compass?

Answer 1

A compass alone will not allow you to find your position on a map. A compass provides relative directional guidence only. It is actually only helpful if you know your starting location in relation to where you what to go. Example: If you know your starting (A) and ending (B) locations you can draw a line between the two a map. This line will have a directional bearing of 0 to 360 degrees from North. Using a compass to maintain that bearing you can get from point A to point B.

Answer 2

If you can use the compass to find an azimuth, then you can find the direction of various bodies that you see and that are shown on the map. See the photo in the link, below.

By drawing lines (on the map) at the same azimuth as the one you observed with the compass, you will get the lines to meet in one point. That is where you are (that is the only point where you will be able to observe the azimuths that you did).

Beware of magnetic north versus real north. Magnetic compasses show magnetic north (or not: sometimes there are errors caused by metal on or around you). You'll have to find the orientation of magnetic north on the map (usually shown in a margin) so that your magnetic azimuths are calculated properly.

We normally take three "bearings" and trace them on a map using a special protractor that can roll along a map while keeping its orientation (there are also "parallel rulers" without rollers).

Where the three lines meet is your position (approximately). It is very rare that, in practice, you get a perfect point. you are more likely to get a small triangle and your true position is somewhere around there.

Answer 3

You can't -- you need more than just a compass.

One thing you could do, is to line up the north magnetic arrow on the map with the north pointer in the compass. Then the map will be lined up with the terrain. After that, look around to see if anything around you -- like mountains -- matches anything on the map.