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From: rhaar@albert.cs.gmr.com (Robert L. Haar CS50)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Flux Gate Compass
Message-ID: <43236@rphroy.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jan 91 14:55:36 GMT
References: <541@cow.ecs.oz> <2939.279ef15b@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <1991Jan25.032656.3794@syd.dms.CSIRO.AU>
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Reply-To: rhaar@albert.cs.gmr.com (Robert L. Haar CS50)
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In article <1991Jan25.032656.3794@syd.dms.CSIRO.AU>,
steveq@syd.dms.CSIRO.AU (Stephen Quigg) writes:
|> In article <2939.279ef15b@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
gibbonsj@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com writes:
|> >In article <541@cow.ecs.oz>, bmp@cow.ecs.oz (Bruce Paterson) writes:
|> >> A friend is attempting to build (from scratch) a flux-gate compass
|> >> for use in a vehicle mounted dead-reckoning navigation system. 
|> >...
|> >Why build one from scratch? You can buy a WWII flux-gate compass from
|> >a company called JOLLYCO (or something like that) out of Chicago.  These
|> >are the real thing, minus electronics, for somewhere around $35.
|> >
|> >If you're interested, I can dig up / verify the company name & phone
number.
|> Or buy a complete compass from Tandy (Radio Shack) for $Aus 99. Don't know
|> how good they are though.
Wasn't there an article in one of the pop. press magazines (maybe Radio
Electronics) about six months ago on how to interface to the Rat Shack
flux gate compass> The RS unit is intended as a standalone automotive
compass but the main element is a reasonable flux-gate magnetic heading
sensor.

Note that in addition to sensor inaccuracies, you will have to cope with
the magnetic declination - the differnece between magnetic and
geographic north - that varies from one location to another.

	Bob Haar  InterNet : rhaar@albert.cs.gmr.com 
	Computer Science Dept., G.M. Research Laboratories
DISCLAIMER: Unless indicated otherwise, everything in this note is
personal opinion, not an official statement of General Motors Corp.