Author Topic: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch  (Read 1266 times)

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Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« on: June 03, 2020, 12:41:45 am »
Hi, recently I bought a spovan elementum 2 digital watch that has a digital compass function.
The compass actually detects the north perfectly, but, when you start rotating the compass, the arrow that points north compensates the rotation of the compass in the wrong direction, so it doesn't points the north any more. What do you think it's causing this issue, is there any way to fix it?
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2020, 12:47:17 am »
I opened the watch, but the main chip has a black blop in it, and I don't see any kind of sensors besides what I think is the barometer, if you need photos of the PCB just tell me and I would disassembly it again.
 

Offline TheMG

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2020, 01:21:13 am »
Nothing wrong with it. Your compass has a reversed compass rose, the watch does not. Maybe there's a setting to change it, maybe not, but the watch is definitely not faulty.

That is because the way your magnetic compass is designed to be used, you're supposed to point it with the red line in the direction where you are "sighting", and then read the bearing off the compass rose at the red line. This differs from a different style of magnetic compass that has a non-moving rose and just a pointer that moves instead.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2020, 01:32:13 am by TheMG »
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2020, 01:29:47 am »
What's a reciprocal bearing? It's normal that the compass doest point north all the time ?
 

Offline TheMG

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2020, 01:34:19 am »
Sorry, wasn't quick enough updating my post. I have more information now, read it again.

It's just the way your magnetic compass is designed to be used, vs the watch. The watch doesn't "point north", it tells you the heading/bearing where the watch is pointing.
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2020, 01:58:20 am »
I don't really know what do you mean, I mean, I think it's wrong because how the compass moves, the 3 dots are suppose to be pointing north all the time, that's what's is on the manual, but it changes the direction the wrong way, I mean, when you rotate the watch clock wise, the compass should rotate anti clock wise to continue pointing with the 3 dots to the north, but instead it rotate in the same direction, so if you turn 90°, the compass rotates another 90° in the same direction inverting the measurements of West and East.
 

Offline fzabkar

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Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2020, 02:38:04 am »
Its not the same model, and no the save compass, but, if you read page 51 you will see it says the 3 dots always points to the magnetic north, but as you can see in the photos, mine doest points the north correctly, showing the wrong direction on the top and the middle of the display.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2020, 02:39:45 am by Jorge_dPO »
 

Offline themadhippy

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2020, 02:59:13 am »
looks fine to me, the 3 dots are showing the direction the N symbol on the watch is pointing
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2020, 03:06:19 am »
Nop, as you can see in this photo, the 3 dots are on the W, and the watch says that the direction I'm pointing is West, when in reality is East.
I would like to send a video, but is too large.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2020, 04:35:22 am by Jorge_dPO »
 

Offline shakalnokturn

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2020, 10:49:50 pm »
Looks wrong to me...
If you hold it above your head and look up at it is the bearing correct?
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2020, 10:53:16 pm »
I tried, and no, it seem that to get the correct mesurment you have to do 360 - the degrees that you read, and change the W for a E and vice versa.
 

Offline shakalnokturn

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2020, 10:02:04 am »
If everything is in the COB and there are no "software" settings I don't see what can be done with it.
Any chance it may be a cheap clone?
« Last Edit: June 04, 2020, 10:03:45 am by shakalnokturn »
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2020, 12:40:08 pm »
It could be a clone yes, but only like 10€ less than the original, besides that, intrigued about what could it be and if I'm able to change it by hardware.
 

Offline CaptDon

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2020, 06:41:37 pm »
There is a setting for True Course or North Up. In North Up
the three arrows stay at North and you read the digital heading
(not very useful) in True Course the three arrows indicate the direction
that the fixed 'N' on the bezel is pointing and in addition you get
the digital reading, two indications of the direction you are facing
(very useful). The translation in the manual is probably bogus!!!
Here's the big question, if you are trying to follow a map which
is aligned to true north and your compass reads magnetic north
what is your local 'Magnetic Variation'. Where I live it is 10deg.
Collector and repairer of vintage and not so vintage electronic gadgets and test equipment. What's the difference between a pizza and a musician? A pizza can feed a family of four!! Classically trained guitarist. Sound engineer.
 

Offline Jorge_dPOTopic starter

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Re: Inverted compass rotation on my digital watch
« Reply #15 on: June 04, 2020, 07:43:04 pm »
I don't know if I have that setting
 


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