Does anyone know how to recalibrate the compass.
Mine does not know the difference between n,s,e,w

 

I believe its in the manual

 

Look in the manual, find what zone you are in. Press the reset button next to the compas and set the zone per instructions in the manual.

 

In section 2 of your manual. Follow the instructons on p2-8 closely, Be sure not to exceed 3 mph when doing this. It's best to find an empty parking lot to make the turns. G/L

<font color=green>GSM</font color=green>

 

Making those turns never worked for me. I just drove the car normally and it camed back on with the correct calibration changes. I did follow the MPH rules.

 

awesome, my compass seems more responsive after doing the calibration...

 

how do these electronic compasses work? Why would it need calibrating? interesting.

 

Electronic compasses such as the gyrocompass have been used for
more than 60 years and the GPS satellite navigation system receivers
have been available for consumers for the last 5 years. However,
recently developed magnetic field sensors in integrated circuit (IC)
technology have become available in low cost electronics packages.
The advantages of these devices is that they have no moving parts
and are easy to interface with microprocessors and other types of
navigation equipment and the sensors are not blocked by buildings
etc. as the GPS receivers are.

The new IC magnetic field sensors use the magnetoresistive (MR) effect.
MR sensors make use of an electrical current carrying magnetic material
which can change its resistance in the presence of an external magnetic
field. The MR material used is called permalloy and contains 19% Iron
(Fe) and 81% Nickel (Ni). Using IC technology a thin permalloy film
is deposited on a nonmagnetic insulating substrate (chip) and 4 MR sensors are etched in the film in the form of a square, one sensor on each side. In electronics we call this a bridge circuit. A bridge circuit is a very sensitive method to measure electrical resistance and changes in resistance. In the Philips Semiconductors KMZ52 MR chip, two miniature electromagnets are also integrated on the IC to compensate and calibrate the MR sensors for magnetic field distortions caused by the metals found within automobiles, airplanes ships etc.

The building blocks of an electronic compass consist of a two dimensional
MR field sensor, a signal condition unit (SCU), a direction determination
unit (DDU) and a display. The MR sensors are placed in a plane 90 degrees from each other so that when one sensor is facing in a north - south direction it will have a maximum signal and the second sensor in an
east-west direction will have a minimum signal. As the compass changes
orientation the SCU amplifies the weak MR currents, compensates for
temperature effects and delivers large signals to the DDU. The DDU
derives the azimuth information from the amplified MR sensor signals
and determines the accuracy needed for the display. The display unit can
provide simple 8 point compass headings (N, NE, E, SE etc.) and provide
an alphanumeric display or light LEDs placed around a compass display. In more complex DDUs and displays, the compass heading can be displayed to one degree accuracy by using signal processing and computational corrections. Also, The compass can display directions relative to magnetic north or true north at the users location.