Fluxgate Compass The basic fluxgate compass is a simple electromagnetic device that employs two small coils of wire to directly sense the horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field. To avoid inaccuracies created by the vertical component of the field, the fluxgate array must be kept as flat as possible by mounting it on gimbals or using a fluid suspension system. All the same, inertial errors are inevitable when the vessel is turning sharply or being tossed about by rough seas. To ensure directional readings that are adequately stable, marine fluxgate compasses always incorporate either fluid or electronic damping.
Fluxgate compasses and rate gyros complement one another nicely. The fluxgate provides a directional reference that's stable over the long term, and the gyro adds accurate short-term corrections for acceleration and heeling effects. At high latitudes, where the earth's magnetic field dips downward toward the magnetic poles, the rate gyro data can be used to correct for roll-induced heading errors in the fluxgate output. It can also be used to correct for the roll and heel-induced errors that often plague fluxgate compasses installed on steel vessels.
--202.88.242.18 04:05, 28 May 2005 (UTC)srinivas maddula--202.88.242.18 04:05, 28 May 2005 (UTC)
Other features common on modern handheld compasses are a baseplate with rulings for measuring distances on maps, a rotating bezel for measuring bearings of distant objects, and a sighting mirror that lets the user see both the compass needle and a distant object at the same time.
Compasses are available marked in mils - a unit of measurement commonly used by the military.
Fluxgatecompasses can be calibrated automatically, and can also be programmed with the correct local compass variation so as to indicate the true heading.
Other features common on modern handheld compasses are a baseplate with rulings for measuring distances on maps, a rotating bezel for measuring bearings of distant objects, and a sighting mirror that lets the user see both the compass needle and a distant object at the same time.
Compasses are available marked in mils - a unit of measurement commonly used by the military.
Fluxgatecompasses can be calibrated automatically, and can also be programmed with the correct local compass variation so as to indicate the true heading.
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