Eric Bergman-Terrell's Blog

EBT Compass is Now Available for Android Devices
June 2, 2021

EBT Compass is now available for Android devices! EBT Compass is a compass and GPS app.

I created EBT Compass for my friends who do archaeological surveys. During their surveys, it's important to move in a straight line along a given heading (for instance, in a strictly eastward direction). If the surveyor strays from the specified heading, EBT Compass will vibrate the device so the surveyor can course-correct.

EBT Compass can also direct you to a given point, given latitude/longitude or UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinates.

The compass heading is determined from your device's magnetometer and gyroscope. The compass points to true north, not magnetic north. It corrects for magnetic declination which is over 9° at my location.

For best results, hold your device flat, and ensure that your device is not near any significant magnetic fields (such as a magnetic clasp on a phone case). I recommend calibrating your magnetometer and gyroscope before each use, by moving your device in wide figure-8 patterns.

As you're moving along a specified heading, there is no need to keep your device flat. You can safely put it in a pocket. EBT Compass uses your GPS heading to help you course-correct. The orientation of your device has no effect on the GPS heading.

Press the "OFF" button to conserve battery life when you're not using the app.


EBT Compass
EBT Compass


Download EBT Compass from Google Play.

GitHub repo

Keywords: Compass, Android, GPS, magnetic declination, magnetometer, gyroscope, calibration, UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator

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