Gyro Compass On Ships - Construction, Working, and Usage

26.06.
2024, 21:31 Gyro Compass on Ships: Construction, Working, and Usage
Home › Marine Navigation
Gyro Compass on Ships: Construction,

Working, and Usage
By Soumyajit Dasgupta | January 18, 2024 | Marine Navigation
A Gyro compass is a form of gyroscope, used widely on ships. It employs an

electrically powered, fast-spinning gyroscope wheel and frictional forces,
among other factors, to find the true north, utilising the basic physical laws,
influences of gravity, and the Earth’s rotation.
Construction of Gyro Compass

The Gyro compass has become an indispensable instrument in almost all
merchant ships or naval vessels for its ability to detect the direction of the true
north and not the magnetic north. It is comprised of the following units:
https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-navigation/gyro-compass-on-ships-construction-working-and-usage/ 1/26
26.06.2024, 21:31 Gyro Compass on Ships: Construction, Working, and Usage
Master Compass: Discovers and maintains the true north reading with
the help of a gyroscope.
Repeater Compasses: Receive and indicate the true direction transmitted

electrically from the Master Compass.
Course Recorder: Makes a continuous record of the manoeuvring on a

moving strip of paper.
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Software
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Control Panel: Governs the electrical operation of the system and

ascertains the running condition by means of a suitable meter.
Voltage Regulator: Maintains constant supply of the ship to the motor-

generator.
Alarm Unit: Indicates failure of the ship’s supply.
Amplifier Panel: Controls the follow-up system.

Motor Generator: Converts the ship’s DC supply to AC and energizes the
Compass equipment.
Gyro compasses are linked to the repeater compasses via one transmission
system. The fast-spinning rotor attached weighs from 1.25 pounds to 55
pounds.
Learn more
It is driven by thousands of revolutions per minute by another electric motor.

However, the most essential part of a Gyro compass system is the spinning
wheel, known as the Gyroscope.
Working of Gyro Compass

External magnetic fields which deflect normal compasses cannot affect Gyro
compasses. When a ship alters its course the independently driven framework
called ‘Phantom’ moves with it, but the rotor system continues to point
northward.
This lack of alignment enables it to send a signal to the driving motor, which
moves the phantom step in with the rotor system again in a path where the
phantom may have crossed only a fraction of a degree or several degrees of
the compass circle.
As soon as they are aligned, electrical impulses are sent by the phantom to
the repeater compasses for each degree it traverses.
The Gyroscope in the Gyrocompass is mounted in such a way so that it can

move freely about three mutually perpendicular axes and is controlled to
enable its axis of spin to settle parallel with the true meridian, influenced by
the Earth’s rotation and gravity.
Learn more
The Gyrocompass system applications are based upon two fundamental

characteristics, which are:
Gyroscopic Inertia: The tendency of any revolving body to uphold its

plane of rotation.
Precession: A property that causes the gyroscope to move, when a

couple is applied. Instead of moving in the direction of the couple, it
moves at right angles to the axis of the applied couple and the spinning
wheel.
These two properties and the utilization of the Earth’s two natural forces,
rotation and gravity, enact the Gyrocompass to seek true north.
Once settled on the true meridian the rotor indefinitely will remain there as
long as the electrical supply of the ship remains constant and unaltered and
unaffected by external forces.
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Usage and Errors

Gyro compasses are pre-eminently used in most ships in order to detect true
north, steer, and find positions and record courses.
But due to the ship’s course, speed and latitude, there could appear some
steaming errors. It has been found that on Northerly courses the Gyro
compass north is slightly deflected to the West of the true meridian whereas
on Southerly courses it is deflected to the East.
Modern ships use a GPS system or other navigational aids to feed data to the
Gyrocompass for correcting the error. An orthogonal triad of fibre optic
design and also ring laser gyroscopes which apply the principles of optical
path difference to determine the rate of rotation, instead of depending upon
mechanical parts, may help eliminate the flaws and detect true north.
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#navigation equipment
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14 Comments
john tosh says:

May 16, 2012 at 11:46 pm
pleasehelp.compass with cover,like divers helmit, has veiwing glass init, electric light
and oil lamp.cover comes off with half turn. beleav off american frigate
Md. Bulbul Islam says:

July 10, 2015 at 10:06 pm
It is helpful as it is in plain language. I appreciate it.
ariel says:
July 23, 2015 at 8:16 am
can you please state the main systems under the control of the gyrocampass and
explain it?
zohur says:
September 21, 2015 at 11:23 pm
i m a business man so i need some importnt person those agree to business with
me..
zohur says:
my items are gyro compass,radio equipmnt jss710/720,radar monitor,sound signal

reception,Transas ecdis,ECDIS,ship horn/whistle, and all typs of ship navigation..so
pls anyone demand any types navugation call me on 01676842852 or email:-
zohurelahi1986@gmail.com..thxx
Gregory says:
November 20, 2015 at 1:45 am
As a ship moves from one side of the earth to the other, wouldn’t the gyroscope flip
upside down? If it is indeed spinning to maintain angular momentum, the coronal,
axial, and sagittal planes would remain the same. Even if the gyroscope were to
remain in a fixed location (ship anchored at a port), the earth is rotating. If the earth
rotates once, the gyroscope in the anchored ship should do a complete 360° flip.
Does anyone here have an explanation?
Nawir says:
January 10, 2016 at 11:21 pm
My ship staying at port/docking for a long time, do i have to take a gyro compass
error in everyday?
Please advise!
Thanks
Brgds,
Nawir
James says:
June 10, 2017 at 4:48 am
How often must the course recorder be aligned with the gyro course? Why is this
important and how is the alignment being recorded?
Corrine says:
September 8, 2018 at 9:26 am
I have a compass that is heavy, round and has liquid in it. Can you tell me what it is
called?
V Swaminath says:
HOW IS THE TRANSMISSION EFFECTED FROM THE MASTER COMPASS TO THE

REPEATERS?
Huntley Rowe says:

December 13, 2018 at 3:55 pm
@Corrine I believe that it is a magnetic compass
stacey feist says:

March 7, 2019 at 12:43 am
I would think the 360 applys,like a clock laying flat on the floor,not standing up right
like on the wall.?
Naji says:
April 12, 2019 at 9:42 pm
Is it possible to create a portable Gyrocompass as the one in ships is big and heavy?
Walter Rojo says:

December 21, 2020 at 5:37 pm
El sistema giroscopico, inventado por Karl Anschutsx en 1912, sufrio variantrs

tecnológicas a traves de los años, sumando mas giroscopos en su nucleo, y
mejorando los sensores de campo. Las infimas desviaciones latitudinales (+/-0.05°
en latitudes >70°) fueron compensadas mediante sistemas de control electronico,
pero, toda esa tecnología murió a principios del siglo XXI, al crearse el giroscopio
laser, que no utiliza partes moviles ni giroscopos. Es libre de mantenimiento y de
desvios.
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26.06.

2024, 21:31 Gyro Compass on Ships: Construction, Working, and Usage

Home › Marine Navigation

Gyro Compass on Ships: Construction,

A Gyro compass is a form of gyroscope, used widely on ships. It employs an

Construction of Gyro Compass

Repeater Compasses: Receive and indicate the true direction transmitted

Course Recorder: Makes a continuous record of the manoeuvring on a

Control Panel: Governs the electrical operation of the system and

Voltage Regulator: Maintains constant supply of the ship to the motor-

Alarm Unit: Indicates failure of the ship’s supply.

Amplifier Panel: Controls the follow-up system.

It is driven by thousands of revolutions per minute by another electric motor.

Working of Gyro Compass

The Gyroscope in the Gyrocompass is mounted in such a way so that it can

The Gyrocompass system applications are based upon two fundamental

Gyroscopic Inertia: The tendency of any revolving body to uphold its

Precession: A property that causes the gyroscope to move, when a

Award Winning Yacht Software

Usage and Errors

Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction

Vessel Monitoring System: Ship Tracking with a Difference

What is Bridge Navigational Watch & Alarm System (BNWAS)?

What is Monkey Island on Ships?

Award Winning Yacht Software

Daily Maritime News, Straight To Your Inbox

Join over 60k+ people who read our daily newsletters

Enter email here

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

john tosh says:

Md. Bulbul Islam says:

It is helpful as it is in plain language. I appreciate it.

my items are gyro compass,radio equipmnt jss710/720,radar monitor,sound signal

Does anyone here have an explanation?

HOW IS THE TRANSMISSION EFFECTED FROM THE MASTER COMPASS TO THE

Huntley Rowe says:

@Corrine I believe that it is a magnetic compass

stacey feist says:

Walter Rojo says:

El sistema giroscopico, inventado por Karl Anschutsx en 1912, sufrio variantrs

I'm not a robot

Download 13 FREE Maritime eBooks

Enter Your Email

Yes, Send Me FREE eBooks

Crowley Christens America’s First Fully Electric Tugboat At The

Transport Unions Urge EU States To Strengthen Supply Chain Laws

MV Dali Ship Departs Baltimore 3-Months After Francis Scott Key

Indian Shipping Ministry Warns Of Deceitful Practices Targeting

In A First, U.S. Army Successfully Tests Precision Strike Missile

ChatGPT 4.0 Now available

Subscribe to Marine Insight Daily Newsletter

Oily Water Separator

Free Maritime eBooks

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A RAPTIVE PARTNER SITE

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