RaceTools Compass is a Digital Compass that can be used anywhere.

It uses the magnetometer on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS devices to determine True and Magnetic heading, and allows bearing values to be saved in a data bank for comparison with other bearings. When True Heading cannot be determined by the iPhone services, the user is invited to supply an alternate value.

This compass is perfect for any activity where using a hand bearing compass is needed. Some of the features were designed with the Yacht racing tactician in mind, while others were included to make this useful for trekking and hiking. Use it in yacht racing to find laylines or to judge relative performance to other boats. Use it while hiking or trekking to navigate to a point on the map, or to triangulate a position using visible landmarks.

RaceTools Compass is simple to use
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Use the ‘Snap’ button to take a snapshot of the current heading and save it in one of 4 selectable data banks. Each bank holds the most recent 4 snapshots, and all are preserved when the application is finished or halted. This feature is very useful for comparing bearings over time, such as the bearing of a ship on the horizon, or of a visible landmark while hiking. The data banks can be cleared easily using a button in the settings window.

Sometimes it is useful to Cage the compass, meaning to lock it so it doesn’t change. This can be done by pressing Cage/Lock button in the middle of the bar under the compass numbers. Simply press it again to return to Free Running mode. In either mode, the snap button will still save the actual direction that the compass is pointing and update the display.

Magnetic Variation and your iPhone
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True Heading is the heading relative to the Axis of the Earth, and is calculated by adding the Magnetic Variation (also called magnetic declination) to the Magnetic Heading. The iphone uses your current position to find the local variation automatically via wifi, 3G, or the local carrier signal, if any of them are available. If no such service or recent value is available, the iPhone produces a value of -1 for True Heading, rendering it unreliable or useless in many locations where a compass might be needed.

RaceTools Compass does not use the True Heading value that the iPhone computes. Instead, it monitors the conditions mentioned above that are known to make the Variation value suspect, and then you are notified and invited to enter a variation value manually that will be used in place of the suspect variation. Otherwise, the most recent valid variation value is used.

This means you will always have a True Heading value available.

For more information on magnetic variation and declination, and why it is important to navigation, we recommend searching for the term ‘Magnetic Variation’ using a search engine or Wikipedia.

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note:

This is a tactical compass that is limited to the capabilities of the iPhone device to determine magnetic heading. While it is useful for reference, it is not intended to be used as a primary navigation tool.

Price includes all future updates to this application.
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GENERAL FEATURES:

- Display True or Magnetic Heading
- run compass in Caged or Free mode
- snap bearing values and save into data banks
- override automatic variation value with manually entered value
- clear data banks

Default settings available in the iPhone settings:
- Button sounds On/Off
- Background image (Teak, Rosewood, map, metal grid)

Settings available on the app settings page
- select True/Main heading display
- select auto/manual variation mode
- set manual variation value
- select deviation include/exclude
- set deviation value
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