[GuilhermeSantos]

The compass is inverted in Brazil in all Lumias I tested. North/South are switched in all apps. Could you fix it please? I guess it happens in the southern hemisphere for most Windows Phones.

[michaels]

Could you give more infromation about what you observered?

How did you test the compass? With which apps? Had the calibration been done correctly at first use? In order for our R&D teams to look into the issue that you observed, it is important to know exactly the circumstances in which it was observed in order to reproduce it and determine a cause.

Any extra details that you can provide would be appreciated.

[GuilhermeAmorim]

I'm facing the same issue, tested three nokia lumia 710 and all of them showed the same behaviour on City Lens Beta and third party compass based apps.

The callibration was done as said in the screen, ∞ shaped movements.

GPS Based Apps are ok, since (I guess) they use another method to find where I'm facing to.

EDIT:

Oh, by the way, it mirrored North and South only, both East and West are fine.

It seems like north is wrong and I'm seeing the compass up-side down... 

---

michaels wrote:

Could you give more infromation about what you observered?

How did you test the compass? With which apps? Had the calibration been done correctly at first use? In order for our R&D teams to look into the issue that you observed, it is important to know exactly the circumstances in which it was observed in order to reproduce it and determine a cause.

Any extra details that you can provide would be appreciated.

---

[GuilhermeSantos]

Gmaps Pro and Nokia City Lens both exhibit the same behaviour.
Inverted north/south.
Calibrated correctly the same way I used to calibrate my old phones, in the 8 shaped movement, every time I open City Lens.

[fortysix21]

Same issue in Australia. North/South inverted with Nokia lense. Calibrated compass but stayed the same.

[GuilhermeSantos]

So... any word on fixing this, Nokia? ):

[elismas]

Hi! I have the same problem in Uruguay. I am not sure if compass is completely inverted, but is definitely wrong.
Calibrating doesn't fix it.
I've been checking another forums and apparently the magnetic north is detected ok but there is something wrong with the WP algorithm to determine the true north for the southern hemisphere.
I just checked with an android phone and a compass app and it seems to support this. Magnetic north is almost the same for both, but true north is completely off!!
Nokia, could you please provide an update on this? Should not be a complicated fix if it's just an algorithm!!! Thank you!

[GuilhermeSantos]

Yes, as City Lens is becoming more and more of a main feature of the Lumia series, we NEED to have a working compass. Or else it's completely useless and giving wrong directions.

[Leots]

It's true, the compass doesn't work in the lumias on the south emisphere. The north south poles are inverted. All the apps that uses the compass not work too.

Verdade, a bússola não funciona nos lumias no emisfério sul. Os polos sul e norte estão invertidos. Todos os aplicativos que utilizam a bússola não funcionam. 

---

GuilhermeAmorim wrote:

I'm facing the same issue, tested three nokia lumia 710 and all of them showed the same behaviour on City Lens Beta and third party compass based apps.

The callibration was done as said in the screen, ∞ shaped movements.

GPS Based Apps are ok, since (I guess) they use another method to find where I'm facing to.

EDIT:

Oh, by the way, it mirrored North and South only, both East and West are fine.

It seems like north is wrong and I'm seeing the compass up-side down... 

---

michaels wrote:

Could you give more infromation about what you observered?

How did you test the compass? With which apps? Had the calibration been done correctly at first use? In order for our R&D teams to look into the issue that you observed, it is important to know exactly the circumstances in which it was observed in order to reproduce it and determine a cause.

Any extra details that you can provide would be appreciated.

---

---

[GuilhermeSantos]

I sure hope it's fixed before or when 7.8 arrives. City Lens is awesome but I can't use it at all.

[dutchiedave]

The problem is the the magnetic declination is calculated wrong.

A good app to test is compass vo, a free app.

It shows that the magnetic heading is calculated correctly, ie the compass is working correctly.

However the magnetic declination is wrong, often by a massive amount (it often changes wildly from day to day). In Sydney where I live it should be 12 degrees but yesterday reported 36 degrees, today it reports 44degrees.

Since the magnetic declination is used to calculate the true north (the measurement used by most apps), most apps are out by the amount of error in the magnetic declination.

Please fix the magnetic declination calculation. I assume this is downloaded from Microsoft, and should be a very easy fix.

[Craig_Mitchell]

Hi dutchiedave and others,

Thanks for your posts.

I am located in the northern hemisphere, so whilst we are finding people in the 'south', I could ask you to check the following links and please let us know if you feel this is the same issue that's reported there. I currently suspect it's a platform issue if anything, so we need to ensure our Microsoft friends are aware of the issue.

http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/738909/wp-7-5-compass-magnetic-reading-er...

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp7-wpfeatures/faulty-compass-on-windows-phones-wi...

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp7-wpapps/compass-after-mango-update-works-invert...

http://www.fishofprey.com/2012/08/wp7-magnetometer-data-from-360-rotation.html

http://www.fishofprey.com/2012/02/htc-trophy-7-compass-magnetic.html

thank, Craig

[GuilhermeSantos]

Yes, I believe this is the issue.
I have a friend with a Samsung Omnia W (in the US you guys call it the "Focus Flash" ) with the same issue. North and South inverted.

I really don't think Microsoft will fix it for 7.5 or 7.8. If at all, it will fix for WP8.
I'm counting on Nokia to deliver this fix via firmware or even internally with a switch on City Lens settings to invert North / South

[elismas]

Craig, I think most of the posts you link are right. It is important to note that the compass is NOT simply inverted. The true north is not correctly calculated, even though the magnetic north seems right. Some programmers in those posts point to a variable type issue.
In any case, it is a serious issue affecting literally half the world. It seems an easy fix also. So it is a really poor showing from the WP team to keep having this bug, specially after releasing the popular Nokia lens app which can really misguide lots of users.
So please could you confirm of this will be fixed at least for WP 7.8 ? It would be really nice to receive some kind of official confirmation. And also show some caring for users. Thanks!

[Craig_Mitchell]

Hi, I am checking with Microsoft what they know about this issue, and will take it from there.

/Craig

[Jalexisonfire]

Hi, I'm from Chile. I have a lot of friends on the south hemisphere facing the same problem with their Lumia's, North\South are inverted.

I have tested compass with many apps, (SkyMap,Stellar Map, Compass, City Lens), and all are facing the same issue.

If I can help in something I will be glad to.

@TheNokiaFanatic here hoping that Microsoft is aware of the problem.

Rewards,

Javier Sandoval.

[GuilhermeAmorim]

Hi Craig,

any position about the issue so far?

[MZapata]

Hi I have a Lumia 710 in Chile and after calibrating the compass on NOKIA VISTA URBANA, the compass North is facing South.

Nokia Maps behavies the same way, on North South relation.