Windvane
What exactly does a windvane do?
The windvane is a fairly straight forward instrument, despite the common misconceptions that surround it. It simply spins with any blowing wind to settle in the source direction of that wind. This allows a person to visually align the compass points with the pointer in order to determine the name of the wind.
Why does it point to the source direction of a wind?
Most people think that the pointer points in the direction of the wind, but this is one of those common misconceptions mentioned. It points into the source direction of a blowing wind because all winds are named from their source.
How accurate is a windvane?
Provided that the compass points are correctly aligned with the true compass directions, and that the pointer is correctly balanced, the wind vane is completely accurate and can help you to provide the true name for the wind.
