Is my G-Shock Triple Sensor v3 Compass very broken?

biogon · Apr 23, 2015

Hi guys.

I picked up a second-hand Rangeman and was playing with the compass when I noticed something.

The compass is really messed up. When the top of the watch faces north, the double-bar cardinal arrow points vaguely north-ish. It's about 15 degrees off from my iPhone and from north on a map.

The bigger problem is when I turn the watch 180 degrees. North no longer points to north. Now it's pointing about 30 degrees East.

The test I did was to align it up to the side of a desk. Let's say it reads 220 degrees. Then I turn it around exactly front-to-back, so, 180 degrees, and now it reads 78 degrees... and not 40, like it should.

I tried doing a 2-point calibration, but that didn't help at all.

Any ideas? Is this one totally hosed?

Thanks.

Watch_Geekmaster · Apr 23, 2015

Before any conclusion, do the bidirectional calibration, then the northerly calibration (if available). Also check the declination setting, make sure it's correct. If it's still off, then you can say it's faulty.

Rocat · Apr 23, 2015

All the calibrations were probably set by the previous owner to his/her area and obviously your area is different unless you live in the same town.

biogon · Apr 23, 2015

See, the thing is, I DID try the regular 2-point calibration. The declination adjustment is off.

Here's my question: Doesn't calibration just affect the orientation? i.e. where North is?

Why would North and South not be 180 degrees apart? For me, North faces "north", but South faces Southwest.

This makes NO sense.

Lost Cosmonaut · Apr 24, 2015

biogon said:
See, the thing is, I DID try the regular 2-point calibration. The declination adjustment is off.

Here's my question: Doesn't calibration just affect the orientation? i.e. where North is?

Why would North and South not be 180 degrees apart? For me, North faces "north", but South faces Southwest.

This makes NO sense.

A few questions:

1) Dumb question, but are you holding the watch as perfectly horizontal as possible? Tilting a compass can make a vast impact on where it points, unless you have a 3D compass which the Rangeman does not.

2) Are you inside a building or near any possible sources of magnetism? You would be shocked what has enough of a magnetic field to effect a compass.

3) Have you set the declination properly for your location.

4) Have you switched away from the compass and back to it to see if it "resets" by switching through the other sensors? You can also press the top-right button to do a refresh while in compass mode.

Kind of "duh" questions, but have to make sure you weed out all the possibilities.

biogon · Apr 24, 2015

Ok, so I figured it out.

Two very interesting calibration things.

1) Calibrating the Triple Sensor's compass under the influence of magnetic fields does in fact make 180 degrees... not 180 degrees. The first time, I had calibrated it in the house and went outside to test.

2) Treated wood somehow has enough magnetic interference to screw up calibration. The second time I calibrated, the watch was aligned to a porch railing with no metal or steel within 10 feet to ensure that it was exactly 180 degrees apart.

In both cases, lo and behold, while the watch faced magnetic North, it indicated north, but pointing South, it indicated Southwest or Southeast.

I had to stand out in middle of the street to calibrate, a good 50 feet away from any structure, for it to calibrate such that north and south were actually 180 degrees apart -- and point north and south.

Guess I learned something...

hiker · Apr 24, 2015

so your compass works fine now?

Rocat · Apr 24, 2015

I noticed the same thing when I was checking my Casio ABC watches. I had to go out the back yard away from everything to get a correct reading.

biogon · Apr 24, 2015

hiker said:
so your compass works fine now?

Yessir. It still isn't as accurate as my iPhone or an old-fashioned magnetic compass, but at least it's pointing in generally the right direction.

Promethius · Apr 26, 2015

That's one of the reasons I sold my PRG-240, north would vary by up to 30' depending on how level the watch was. This was regardless of the number of calibrations I did, even minute deviations from horizontal would vary the reading by maybe 10'.

I decided my Riseman with a $15 Silva band compass was simpler and more reliable.

cal..45 · Apr 26, 2015

The problem with electronic compasses is, that they get messed up easily by alot of things. Basically you must not wear or carry any metallic items on you - coins, knives, belt buckles all this things can interfere with electric compasses, not to mention any electro-magnetic device like a smartphone, computer ect....

cheers

StephenWatch · Apr 26, 2015

biogon said:
Hi guys.

The compass is really messed up. When the top of the watch faces north, the double-bar cardinal arrow points vaguely north-ish. It's about 15 degrees off from my iPhone and from north on a map.

mmm... an iPhone, mmm yes, I think I see the problem LOL

biogon · Apr 26, 2015

StephenWatch said:
mmm... an iPhone, mmm yes, I think I see the problem LOL

Yes, yes, very funny.

Is my G-Shock Triple Sensor v3 Compass very broken?

biogon

Watch_Geekmaster

Rocat

biogon

Lost Cosmonaut

biogon

hiker

Rocat

biogon

Promethius

cal..45

StephenWatch

biogon

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