The dealer recently replaced the dash pod becasue is was leaking fluid. Now I notice that the compass "arrow" does not point to the exact center of the marks, whether it is N, S, E or W or any of the dash marks. Sometimes it is slightly to the left of a mark, other times it is to the right. (And some times it is dead on center.)
Anyone else notice this? If this is common. I won't worry about it. If I'm the only one with this "problem" the I will take it back to the dealer.
The dealer recently replaced the dash pod becasue is was leaking fluid. Now I notice that the compass "arrow" does not point to the exact center of the marks, whether it is N, S, E or W or any of the dash marks. Sometimes it is slightly to the left of a mark, other times it is to the right. (And some times it is dead on center.)
Anyone else notice this? If this is common. I won't worry about it. If I'm the only one with this "problem" the I will take it back to the dealer.
Thanks in advance for your input.
If I understand correctly you are saying the direction pointer varies as to exactly where it lines up to in relation to the N,S,E,W and all tick marks between???
If that is the case I am gonna have a hard time answering without sounding like a smart a$$.
Maybe you should only travel in the direction of the tick marks.....no matter where the road or trail takes you, lol.
Its a magnetic compass and determines what direction you are traveling in relation to magnetic north. The tick marks may not be accurate enough for you, most good compasses have 360 of them. One for each dergree in a complete circle. The FJ has one for every 22.5 degrees of a circle. So it is possible to travel at intervals between 0-22.5, 22.5-45, 45-77.5, 75.5-90 and so on and so on from north.
__________________ Dave J.A.K.A. Da Gunny
"Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there."
- Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, USMC, April 1965
"I Dont Want Your Love and I Dont Need Your Respect..........I Got No Tears or Regrets."
- Blood for Blood, Outlaw Anthems, Aint Like You
If I understand correctly you are saying the direction pointer varies as to exactly where it lines up to in relation to the N,S,E,W and all tick marks between???
If that is the case I am gonna have a hard time answering without sounding like a smart a$$.
Maybe you should only travel in the direction of the tick marks.....no matter where the road or trail takes you, lol.
Its a magnetic compass and determines what direction you are traveling in relation to magnetic north. The tick marks may not be accurate enough for you, most good compasses have 360 of them. One for each dergree in a complete circle. The FJ has one for every 22.5 degrees of a circle. So it is possible to travel at intervals between 0-22.5, 22.5-45, 45-77.5, 75.5-90 and so on and so on from north.
You either don't have the compass or are incredibly unobservant. The compass displays only discrete directions, the ones that are marked on the face of the dial. And note the gauge is vertical - it's not just a magnetic compass in there.
I wouldn't be so quick to jump on him, I know exactly what he means. Mine does the same thing - not quiiiite on the marks, but sort of near them... doesn't really bother me, and to within those discrete values the unit is still accurate.
I always wondered why it would swing to a certain direction!!! Thanks tibaal I understand now, I just never said anything for the fear of getting jumped on.
You either don't have the compass or are incredibly non-observant. The compass displays only discrete directions, the ones that are marked on the face of the dial. And note the gauge is vertical - it's not just a magnetic compass in there.
I wouldn't be so quick to jump on him, I know exactly what he means. Mine does the same thing - not quiiiite on the marks, but sort of near them... doesn't really bother me, and to within those discrete values the unit is still accurate.
Well I guess I am incredibly unobservant (since I do go to church bud). And maybe I was wrong about the operation of the compass in the FJ. However, I was not jumping on him.
__________________ Dave J.A.K.A. Da Gunny
"Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there."
- Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, USMC, April 1965
"I Dont Want Your Love and I Dont Need Your Respect..........I Got No Tears or Regrets."
- Blood for Blood, Outlaw Anthems, Aint Like You
I have had the same problems. The FJ compass is not very accurate even for general directions. I am a land surveyor so my expectations are sort of high. I also have a Delorme hand held GPS that I use. It has a nice compass screen, but you need to be moving for it to be accurate.
OK people...you're ALL wrong!!!! while doing the set up...there is a series of numbers you have to pick before you do the drive in circle thingy....that number coincides with your location in the world....In Az.. it's #6...for you it may be different...it's all listed in the manual.....that number will correct for the error you are all talking about....damn I'm smart.... http://www.fjccentral.com/tech/Compass_Calibration.pdf
Not only does it only 'increment' from one mark to another, but it can 'stick', and then decide to swing all at once. Sometimes, it jumps from West to North. Well, it's just to let you know if you are going the wrong way on a highway, or something like that -- not for precise navigation.
OK people...you're ALL wrong!!!! while doing the set up...there is a series of numbers you have to pick before you do the drive in circle thingy....that number coincides with your location in the world....In Az.. it's #6...for you it may be different...it's all listed in the manual.....that number will correct for the error you are all talking about....damn I'm smart.... http://www.fjccentral.com/tech/Compass_Calibration.pdf
Hey, you wanna fight?
I know mine is still set to Indiana where my FJ is really from. Doesn't seem to make that much of a difference, it did the off-center thing in IN, MI, IL, MO, KC, TX, NM, and AZ and probably more that I don't remember.
FJ_ Marine, thanks Captin Obvious for the 6th grade lesson on how a true magnetic compass works. Please maintain the quaility of this forum and save your flames for topics that u know something about.
homedad, the adjustment u are referring too corrects the compass pointer for errors caused by the earth's magnetic field. It does not correct for the compass not pointing directly on to one of the tick marks shown on its face.
Thanks for everyone's input. Sounds like this is normal for the compass so I won't worry about it
Linear Mode
