Magnetic Sensor (Compass) is erratic

nick2k · Nov 10, 2012

I think my Magnetic Sensor is off. Try downloading a program called "Marine Compass" onto your Note 2. On my device, it doesn't stay on one heading. It bounces back and forth by 1 unit. I installed the same program on my SGSIII. On the SGSIII it is stable.

I entered the debug/test mode on both the Note 2 and the SGSIII. I ran the sensor test on both units. The Note 2 seems to be more sensitive than the other. Whats also weird is the "Lux" meter. It's in the hundreds on the SGSIII, while it's barely 10 on the Note 2.

Anyone else notice this on their Note 2 unit?

Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

jetsilver2002 · Nov 10, 2012

I too have the note II and GSIII, and the compass is jumpy on the note II while on the GSIII it's stable.

sunglint · Nov 10, 2012

yep, posted this in Q&A, compass is useless.

boodies · Nov 11, 2012

odd, my compass seems to be fine. doesn't the gps nav need compass to work correctly? i use gps all the time and it's a real blessing lol

koyanishi · Nov 11, 2012

boodies said:
odd, my compass seems to be fine. doesn't the gps nav need compass to work correctly? i use gps all the time and it's a real blessing lol

when in motion the gps device does not use compass to tell the direction of travel. if the device is accurate then the direction or motion will be very accurate as well as the speed.

when motionless the gps device cannot tell what direction the device is facing and so some gps devices will use a compass sensor for this purpose.

that being said - I too have both SGS iii and the Note ii and noticed the same thing - that the Note ii north pointing needle is jumpy and it is not accurate.

there is a low wall in my back yard that is aligned almost exactly north south and using the Google sky map with SGS III the north star is perfectly aligned with the Google sky map. With the Note II, the north star and sky map not so much.

V@no · Dec 3, 2012

A picture worth thousand words:
http://youtu.be/1AuYX2zXa1A

nick2k · Dec 3, 2012

that video...LOL. but seriously a problem. i hope this is fixable with a software update. this issue makes me wish i didn't give up my Galaxy S III. this is almost as annoying as 'drifting' on an XBOX 360 controller due to an analog stick.

V@no · Dec 4, 2012

nick2k said:
that video...LOL. but seriously a problem. i hope this is fixable with a software update. this issue makes me wish i didn't give up my Galaxy S III. this is almost as annoying as 'drifting' on an XBOX 360 controller due to an analog stick.

Actually GS3 has the same issue, but it's not as bad though. And in my test's it would be little erratic only every other time, on N2 it's constant.

Coug76 · Dec 5, 2012

My compass is twitchy as well. Phone was built last month.

Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

achusaysblessyou · Dec 6, 2012

I noticed this when I open up google maps and I'm not moving, the arrow for me is always pointing about 30-45 degrees off

koyanishi · Dec 6, 2012

achusaysblessyou said:
I noticed this when I open up google maps and I'm not moving, the arrow for me is always pointing about 30-45 degrees off

really?

I doubt that google maps uses the compass to tell direction while you are standing still. On my devices the arrow point is completely off whilst the device is at rest.

As I pointed out in post #5, a gps receiver cannot tell direction whilst it is not in motion and the fact that the direction while the device is not moving is inaccurate indicates that google maps does not use the compass, at all, to tell direction.

sunglint · Dec 6, 2012

I hate how useless the compass is. I haven't tried any of the satellite or skymap apps, but ingress jumps around erratically. A friend with an AT&T phone has the same issue. Really sucks that such a great phone has such a glaring failure.

V@no · Dec 7, 2012

At least it's not like LG Nitro HD:
http://youtu.be/xxxS_HZsRLU

So it's not that bad

V@no · Dec 7, 2012

Hmmm (if you freeze stuff with TiB, make sure lcdtest is not frozen), open phone and dial:
*#0*#
It should show bunch of different buttons, go to sensor, and start rotating phone in x, y and z axis until circle on the bottom start showing 3 with blue line (it was 0 with red line first time I entered there).
After that it seems compass become much more stable and accurate, at least for a while.

elouisyoung · Jan 19, 2013

my compass is off by about 15degrees. this is my third note2. my first two were exchanged because the roll axis was off by about 6degrees, making racing games really annoying.
I have another 2 days in my 30 day return window. I think I'm going to exchange again.

koyanishi · Jan 19, 2013

elouisyoung said:
my compass is off by about 15degrees. this is my third note2. my first two were exchanged because the roll axis was off by about 6degrees, making racing games really annoying.
I have another 2 days in my 30 day return window. I think I'm going to exchange again.

did you try the fix shown in post previous to yours?

if you do try it - you get out of that screen by pushing the back button

Onemoa · Jan 24, 2013

Mine seems to be working fine. I turn off gps and set the compass to use magnetic only and it seems to be ok.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

Lodd · Mar 8, 2013

I had the same problem for weeks.
I think I've finally found a fix for this. You have to be rooted.

1. Go to /data/misc/akmd_set.txt
2. Change permissions to -rw-rw-rw (or chmod 666)

Apparently the compass saves calibration values here. Because "system" doesn't have write access, every time you calibrate, it wont get saved.
Giving these permissions allows the compass to calibrate properly.

Results so far:
1. Compass finally works perfectly after calibrating.
2. Effects stay after a reboot.

(please hit thanks if this helped you!)

langas · Apr 23, 2014

Lodd said:
I had the same problem for weeks.
I think I've finally found a fix for this. You have to be rooted.

1. Go to /data/misc/akmd_set.txt
2. Change permissions to -rw-rw-rw (or chmod 666)

Apparently the compass saves calibration values here. Because "system" doesn't have write access, every time you calibrate, it wont get saved.
Giving these permissions allows the compass to calibrate properly.

Results so far:
1. Compass finally works perfectly after calibrating.
2. Effects stay after a reboot.

(please hit thanks if this helped you!)

Please, could you clarify?

I can not find this file with root explorer. The folders are present, but not the .txt file.
Thanks!

bbbobbbo · Sep 27, 2014

V@no said:
Hmmm (if you freeze stuff with TiB, make sure lcdtest is not frozen), open phone and dial:
*#0*#
It should show bunch of different buttons, go to sensor, and start rotating phone in x, y and z axis until circle on the bottom start showing 3 with blue line (it was 0 with red line first time I entered there).
After that it seems compass become much more stable and accurate, at least for a while.

I don't know how to thank you enough for this, and it's working even on a note 3 I thought it had a faulty magnetic sensor. Did what you suggested and now it really is stable and accurate. :good::good::good:

Magnetic Sensor (Compass) is erratic

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