Satellite compass

The app is 3 apps in 1: it is a compass, it is a pointer to a location and it is a satellite finder or pointer. This app is ads free and is completely free.

As a compass it displays the current location and the magnetic declination of the location. With the help of a real compass you can verify that the phone's compass is pointing correctly to North-South.

The app needs to know the location which is found via GPS or entered via manual input (typed in) ad numbers in degrees or as an address.

The compass can point to a location. Examples: An address, a parking place or a radio station. Enter an address and the compass will point you in the direction. Or save the current GPS location as point, go for a walk and find your way back with the help of the saved location. Up to 25 locations are remembered.

It helps pointing your dish to a TV satellite. Depending on your location it calculates the satellite's position in the sky. It displays the horizontal or vertical position of the satellite in the sky. The horizontal position is used to align or point the LNB arm to the satellite. The vertical position is used to find obstacles that block the satellite signal.

This app does not come with a satellite list. Instead it remembers up to 25 satellites. Just enter a name and the longitude of the satellite, example: "Hot Bird 13E" is at longitude 13.0 degrees East.

The most difficult thing is calibrating the compass of the phone. This can become a real problem when it just does not align to the needle a real compass.

Maybe your phone has a case with magnetic closure ? The magnets interfere with the phone's compass. The disturbance can become so great that the compass no longer calibrates properly. The easiest thing to do is to remove that case or its magnets. Worst case you have to buy a new phone.

See also http://www.zekitez.com/satcompass/satcom.html