digital compass android app?

[coffee_prince]

Has anyone on here used a compass app on their android phone?

I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner...

I have downloaded an app with an astronomy friendly "Night" compass so it is black and red, and the compass itself seems pretty accurate.

My plan is to plonk this in the middle of my dob stand, it should help me out a little better than using a normal compass, esp as I don't have a setting circle

With the wixey as well, should save me some time as I am still learning to find things

TBH how does it work on a phone? I have wifi and gps off and it still works? It doesn't have an inbuilt magnetometer either

[philhas]

I use GPS Status, built in compass/GPS etc. Seems to work okay, I have also ordered a cheap clamp off ebay to mount the HTC on the scope for sky maps etc......

[coffee_prince]

thanks for the tip, just downloaded it... I notice it also has inclinometer as well, but I've already ordered the wixey...

Maybe I could find a way to strap this to the OTA as well

[philhas]

Worth a go, I just found another app called skeye. Might be idea for you with the dob and its another free one.

[coffee_prince]

i've already got that one, but can't make out how to use it, i think you hold it face upside down so you cant use it strapped to the ota

apparently using a phone doens't work very accurately, but ill see how it goes on the next clear night

[philhas]

Right had a quick look, I think you need to go into indirect mode and select align, strap it to your ota then align it to one of the stars in the list.

[ZEbbEDY]

theres a guide for skeye

also the compass app lets you recalibrate the compass too by waving it about

[coffee_prince]

http://lavadip.com/media/SkEyeIntro.pdf

looks interesting

have a lot of apps to try out now, will compare with the wixey when I get it, as I assume that will be most accurate when it comes to altitude

[Coco]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 and my compass is rubbish

Downloaded another from the android market and they both say different readings.. have tried the figure 8 method also..

Apparently its a known bug with S2's

[philhas]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 and my compass is rubbish

Downloaded another from the android market and they both say different readings.. have tried the figure 8 method also..

Apparently its a known bug with S2's

My HTC Desire works great with GPS Status, even got the aircraft speed and height & bearing right on a recent trip:D

[coffee_prince]

I did a little test tonight on the accuracy of my phone. The altitude is accurate to 1 degree, but azimuth is shocking, maybe 5-12 degrees out each time.

In echo what I found on other forum searches.. Mobile phones as push to systems can be pretty awful, but its still useful to use to get coordinates for everything you need and a rough guide, though in all honesty it fiddly as well