So like, you can have the compass mounted on the inside of the "dome" (forgive me if my umbrella terminology is lacking). So when you're walking around outside and it's raining, you won't get lost for not being able to see the sun. When the sun finally comes out, just turn the umbrella upside down and point a certain spot on it to the north, and the shadow of the specially designed stem will tell you what time it is! Collapses and folds for easy storage, naturally.

P.S. I was actually thinking of making the "dome" out of clear plastic, have compass markers on it, and allow it to spin freely on the stem, some of the spokes being magnetized, perhaps. I just figured wind would probably make it useless then, so a compass mounted inside somewhere was the next best idea.
-- Size_Mick, Dec 24 2003

Seems pretty sensible to me
-- hippo, Dec 24 2023


Well obviously you have a clear fixed shell and the rotating magnetic clear shell with compass markings on protected within that. I think probably a third clear shell on the inside as well so the rotating compass shell is sandwiched and protected between the two clear shells.

With clever and carefully engineered ribs and mechanisms the whole thing should be openable and closeable in the usual umbrella-like way.

The sundial feature can be done with numbers on the rotating compass shell, so that they automatically point North and the shadow of the handle and the markings projects the current solar time onto the ground.
-- pocmloc, Dec 24 2023



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