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Taking Direction Readings
You can use the Digital Compass Mode to determine the direction of north, and to check your bearing to a
destination.
•
For information about what you can do to improve digital compass reading accuracy, see "Calibrating
the Bearing Sensor" (page E-35) and "Digital Compass Precautions" (page E-39).
E-32
Note
•
The watch will return to the Timekeeping Mode about 60 seconds after the direction reading
operation is complete.
To restart a reading operation from the beginning, press C.
•
Pressing B will return to the Timekeeping Mode even is a reading operation is in progress.
•
Important!
•
If the second hand does not point exactly at 12 o'clock after you perform step 4 above, perform the
operation under "Hand Home Position Adjustment" (page E-29) to adjust it.
•
If the digital display contents start to fl ash after you perform a reading operation, it means that
abnormal magnetism has been detected. Move away from any potential source of strong magnetism
and try taking a reading again. If the problem occurs when you try again, continue to keep away from
the source of strong magnetism, perform bidirectional calibration, and then try taking a reading again.
For more information, refer to "To perform bidirectional calibration" (page E-37) and "Location" (page E-40).
Digital Compass Readings
•
After the fi rst reading is obtained, the watch will continue to take digital compass readings automatically
each second for up to 60 seconds. After that, the reading operation will stop automatically.
•
The margin of error for the angle value and the direction indicator is ±11 degrees while the watch is
horizontal (in relation to the horizon). If the indicated direction is northwest (NW) and 315 degrees, for
example, the actual direction can be anywhere from 304 to 326 degrees.
•
Note that taking a direction reading while the watch is not horizontal (in relation to the horizon) can
result in large direction reading error.
•
You can calibrate the bearing sensor if you suspect the direction reading is incorrect.
E-34
Precautions about bidirectional calibration
•
You can use any two opposing directions for bidirectional calibration. You must, however, make sure
that they are 180 degrees opposite each other. Remember that if you perform the procedure
incorrectly, you will get wrong bearing sensor readings.
•
Do not move the watch while calibration of either direction is in progress.
•
You should perform bidirectional calibration in an environment that is the same as that where you plan
to be taking direction readings. If you plan to take direction readings in an open fi eld, for example,
calibrate in an open fi eld.
E-36
To perform magnetic declination correction
1. In the Digital Compass Mode, pull out the crown.
•
This will cause 1 to appear on the digital display, with up arrow ( )
fl ashing.
2. Press B.
•
This will cause DEC and the current magnetic declination setting
to appear on the digital display.
3. Rotate the crown to change the magnetic declination direction and
angle settings as desired.
•
The following explains magnetic declination angle direction
settings.
Magnetic declination
OFF: No magnetic declination correction performed. The magnetic
angle value
declination angle with this setting is 0°.
Magnetic declination angle
E:
When magnetic north is to the east (east declination)
direction value (E, W, or OFF)
W:
When magnetic north is to the west (west declination)
•
You can select a value within the range of W 90° to E 90° with
these settings.
•
You can turn off (OFF) magnetic declination correction by pressing
A and C at the same time.
•
The illustration, for example, shows the value you should input
and the direction setting you should select when the map shows a
magnetic declination of 1° west.
4. After calibration is complete, push the crown back in.
E-38
Operation Guide 5545
To take a direction reading
1. Make sure the watch is in the Timekeeping, Digital Compass, or Altimeter Mode (page E-20).
2. Place the watch on a fl at surface. If you are wearing the watch, make sure that your wrist is horizontal
(in relation to the horizon).
3. Point the 12 o'clock position of the watch in the direction whose reading you want to take.
4. Press C to start.
•
COMP will appear in the display to indicate that a digital compass operation is in progress.
•
Starting a digital compass operation will cause the second hand to move momentarily to the 12
o'clock position. After that, it will indicate magnetic north.
Objective
Bearing to Objective:
Northwest
N: North
E: East
W: West
S: South
•
Any ongoing direction reading operation is paused temporarily while the watch is performing an alert
operation (daily alarm, Hourly Time Signal, countdown timer alarm) or while illumination is turned on (by
pressing L). The direction reading operation resumes for its remaining duration after the operation
that caused it to pause is fi nished.
Calibrating the Bearing Sensor
You should calibrate the bearing sensor whenever you feel that the direction readings being produced by
the watch are off. You can use any one of two different bearing sensor calibration methods: bidirectional
calibration or magnetic declination correction.
•
Bidirectional Calibration
Bidirectional calibration calibrates the bearing sensor in relation to magnetic north. Use bidirectional
calibration when you want to take readings within an area exposed to magnetic force. This type of
calibration should be used if the watch becomes magnetized for any reason.
Important!
•
To ensure correct direction readings by this watch, be sure to perform bidirectional calibration before
using it. The watch may produce incorrect direction readings if you do not perform bidirectional
calibration.
•
Magnetic Declination Correction
With magnetic declination correction, you input a magnetic declination angle (difference between
magnetic north and true north), which allows the watch to indicate true north. You can perform this
procedure when the magnetic declination angle is indicated on the map you are using. Note that you can
input the declination angle in whole degree units only, so you may need to round off the value specifi ed
on the map. If your map indicates the declination angle as 7.4°, you should input 7°. In the case of 7.6°
input 8°, for 7.5° you can input 7° or 8°.
To perform bidirectional calibration
1. In the Digital Compass Mode, pull out the crown.
•
This will cause 1 to appear on the digital display, with up arrow ( )
fl ashing.
2. While keeping the watch horizontal, press C.
•
WAIT will be shown on the digital display while calibration is
in progress. OK, Turn180° will appear on the digital display if
calibration is successful, and then 2 will appear.
If ERR appears on the display, press C again to restart the
•
direction reading operation.
3. Rotate the watch 180 degrees.
4. Press C again to calibrate the second direction.
•
WAIT is shown on the display while calibration is being
performed.
When calibration is successful, the display will show OK.
5. After calibration is complete, push the crown back in.
Setting a map and fi nding your current location
Having an idea of your current location is important when mountain climbing or hiking. To do this, you
need to "set the map", which means to align the map so the directions indicated on it are aligned with the
actual directions of your location. Basically what you are doing is aligning north on the map with north as
indicated by the watch.
•
Note that map reading skills and experience are required to determine your current location and
destination on a map.
Digital Compass Precautions
Magnetic North and True North
The northerly direction can be expressed either as magnetic north or true
True north
north, which are different from each other. Also, it is important to keep in
mind that magnetic north moves over time.
Magnetic north
•
Magnetic north is the north that is indicated by the needle of a
compass.
•
True north, which is the location of the North Pole of the Earth's axis, is
the north that is normally indicated on maps.
•
The difference between magnetic north and true north is called the
Earth
"declination". The closer you get to the North Pole, the greater the
declination angle.
Bearing Indication
Meaning
North
315°
0°
Bearing Angle
to Objective
E-33
E-35
E-37
E-39
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