Adventure racers operate on predetermined routes. Their use for aerial photos is to quickly find a point on the photo within an identified grid square. The Corner Ruler map protractor has a primary use in two applications: aerial photography and adventure racing. They are not intended to find grid azimuth readings on a map and route plotting. They are designed to find a coordinate with a known grid quickly. Next, the grid-square scale is upside down.

Corner Ruler protractors do not have any compass degree markings around the edges. However, some of the features are different. These look similar to the UTM and MGRS military-style protractors. The third kind of map protractor are the corner ruler protractors. UTM is similar but different from the MGRS system in the way that it is read and annotated on a map. A common way of reading UTM coordinates is “Northing and Easting.” UTM squares are further divided into kilometers similar to the MGRS system. UTM maps and protractors are mostly used for hiking and backpacking. So be careful about how you use one of these protractors on maps purchased at your local store. However, these protractors may not be compatible with your typical road atlas map book. In some cases, the UTM protractor can be used with non-topographic maps. The UTM map protractor is most useful with civilian topographic maps, such as the ones that you can purchase from map stores. However, it is not that much different than the military MGRS protractor.

The sailing version looks complicated to read. The maritime version of this protractor incorporates both topographic map scales and marine navigation tools. These protractors have two basic styles: the military style and the nautical style. It has similarities with the MGRS system. UTM is based on the metric grid square system of measuring distance. UTM stands for Universal Transverse Mercator. UTM Map ProtractorĪ commercial version of the military map protractor is the UTM map protractor. For civilian use, this factor is not as critical to land navigation. For example, if you have a genuine military protractor with a date from the 1990s, it may not be as accurate as one with a more current date. The purpose of these updates is to account for the changes in the magnetic declination of the earth. Thus, genuine military protractors and military topographic maps have to be updated often. Moreover, military protractors and maps are for use in training and operations.

Since they may not be under contract with the Department of the Army to supply these products, they would be in violation of the law if they put the U. Why? Because once a company does that, the product becomes the property of the U. However, they are prohibited by law from putting the above label on them. There are military style map protractors available by civilian vendors online. There is a label on the military-issued ones that reads something like this: The significant difference between the genuine military protractors and the civilian copies is labeling. Also, you can find military protractors sometimes being sold in military surplus stores. However, some are scaled for commercial maps, like a UTM map, rather than military maps. This style of the protractor is available on the civilian market. These protractors are for use with the military topographic maps. They use the metric system for measuring distance and feature both compass degrees and mils around the edges. They are scaled to the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS). The most recognizable map protractor is the one that is in use with the U.S. This article will focus on those protractors used with land navigation and topographic maps. There are different types of protractors for each of these applications. They are helpful tools for navigating on air, land, or sea. The three primary functions of protractors for map reading are plotting points on a map, measuring distances and determining azimuths (angles). Map protractors have some essential functions regardless of their calibrated scale. Therefore, it is good to know the two basic kinds of map protractors. However, land navigation with a paper topographic map can be cumbersome without the aid of a map protractor and a compass. Other people prefer to use some kind of GPS and Map application on their smartphone or tablet. Many people prefer to use GPS devices such as those from Garmin®. Land navigation is an essential part of both emergency survival and enjoying the outdoors. There are three outstanding map protractors to consider for your land navigation needs.

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