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Don’t be so sensitive ultra!
- Thread starter Vref
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Yeahhhhhhh
But it’s odd it’s so much more sensitive compared to the 13pro and the X, and even the 6S back in the day, never noticed that much of a deviation before
On the plane the flux gate is in the wing, but even then, the panel mounted whiskey compass doesn’t go as crazy as the ultra
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I used to work on compass systems on air force aircraft, such as adjusting that flux valve to compensate for magnetic materials in the wing. I also remember the similar trim adjustment that you could make to the whiskey compass to compensate for its location in the cockpit.
I would suggest that the watch is NOT affected very much by magnetic materials, as far as I know, it does not measure local magnetic fields, but is more likely affected by electronics of some kind in the cockpit.
Maybe... test the Ultra while sitting in the cockpit before you turn on any power, then switch on for your preflight, get your avionics cranked up, then take a look at your Ultra. I wonder if you see a change then?
If it is always 80˚(more or less) out in the cockpit, regardless of power, you might contact AppleCare support, telling them that other devices definitely aren't that far out. Maybe there is a problem with the Ultra.
I would suggest that the watch is NOT affected very much by magnetic materials, as far as I know, it does not measure local magnetic fields, but is more likely affected by electronics of some kind in the cockpit.
Maybe... test the Ultra while sitting in the cockpit before you turn on any power, then switch on for your preflight, get your avionics cranked up, then take a look at your Ultra. I wonder if you see a change then?
If it is always 80˚(more or less) out in the cockpit, regardless of power, you might contact AppleCare support, telling them that other devices definitely aren't that far out. Maybe there is a problem with the Ultra.
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I was doing a bus commute a couple times a week some months ago and noticed the same thing.
What really puzzles me … this thing has both GPS and inertial sensors. How on Earth can it be that Apple doesn’t automagically calibrate the compass accordingly? If GPS says I’m tracking due West, and the inertial sensor knows the orientation of the watch, apply whatever correction is necessary to the compass to make it agree.
There should then be three options: the compass north points to the North Pole; the compass points to what the standard published maps say is magnetic north; or the compass points to the local right-here right-now magnetic north (and so would, for example, follow a magnet that you waved around the watch).
It seems to me that, with something like that, you should be able to mount the watch to a plane’s dashboard with some sort of app that would give you backups for all the essential instruments — a miniature glass cockpit. Certainly not something that the FAA would approve of, but possibly quite nice to have if you lose everything else.
(For what it’s worth … I’m not a pilot, but Dad was a CFII / MEI / AGI, so it’s not an entirely foreign language to me.)
b&
What really puzzles me … this thing has both GPS and inertial sensors. How on Earth can it be that Apple doesn’t automagically calibrate the compass accordingly? If GPS says I’m tracking due West, and the inertial sensor knows the orientation of the watch, apply whatever correction is necessary to the compass to make it agree.
There should then be three options: the compass north points to the North Pole; the compass points to what the standard published maps say is magnetic north; or the compass points to the local right-here right-now magnetic north (and so would, for example, follow a magnet that you waved around the watch).
It seems to me that, with something like that, you should be able to mount the watch to a plane’s dashboard with some sort of app that would give you backups for all the essential instruments — a miniature glass cockpit. Certainly not something that the FAA would approve of, but possibly quite nice to have if you lose everything else.
(For what it’s worth … I’m not a pilot, but Dad was a CFII / MEI / AGI, so it’s not an entirely foreign language to me.)
b&
My question would be:
Does the Ultra watch sense the earth's magnetic field - or, is the Ultra affected in any way by magnets?
I don't have an Ultra, but should be an easy test for someone with an Ultra, just to see if a magnet affects the reading when the compass is displayed...
Does the Ultra watch sense the earth's magnetic field - or, is the Ultra affected in any way by magnets?
I don't have an Ultra, but should be an easy test for someone with an Ultra, just to see if a magnet affects the reading when the compass is displayed...
Yup, just like any mag compass will
You can even see it with the mag clip charger it comes with, put the bezel into compass mode and take the charger and move it towards and away from the watch and you can see the heading change
Is there any kind of calibration - such as the built-in compass calibration on an iPhone? (That can be toggled in Settings/Privacy&Security/Location Services/SystemServices/Compass Calibration ?
Toggle that Off, then restart your watch, and toggle Compass Calibration on again.
Might work to try the same tricks that supposedly work on an iPhone, where you hold the watch vertically (Compass app in view), face toward you. Turn it 90˚(like you are steering), hold for a few seconds, then turn another 90˚, hold again, continue to turn until you have gone 360˚. Hold it face down for a few seconds, then return to normal position.
Toggle that Off, then restart your watch, and toggle Compass Calibration on again.
Might work to try the same tricks that supposedly work on an iPhone, where you hold the watch vertically (Compass app in view), face toward you. Turn it 90˚(like you are steering), hold for a few seconds, then turn another 90˚, hold again, continue to turn until you have gone 360˚. Hold it face down for a few seconds, then return to normal position.