Compass problem

[ppc]

I tried to reinstall the compass I had on my BikeE onto my Condor today, and of course it's all wrong since the frame is steel. I had hoped it might not be affected too much, but it's just not pointing anywhere near north.

Long ago, someone told me about special compasses for bikes and cars that can be adjusted for magnetic disturbances, with small magnets glued underneath at precise locations or something similar. Does anybody know what these are, or where to find them?

[LRtrike]

Why don't you try making a large rubber gasket to put between the bike and the compass? Anything's worth a try before you have to buy something else. :o)

[jeff-o]

Upgrade to GPS.

[ppc]

Upgrade to GPS.

Well, I thought about that before. The main problem I have with GPS is that it requires a battery. The other thing is, if I got a low-end GPS just to have a compass, I'd kick myself in the butt for spending that much money, and high-end GPS units that have color screens, maps and guide you vocally don't know anything about bike paths and cycle routes, assuming they would power for more than 30 minutes on battery alone.

[Dahon.Steve]

Well, I thought about that before. The main problem I have with GPS is that it requires a battery. The other thing is, if I got a low-end GPS just to have a compass, I'd kick myself in the butt for spending that much money, and high-end GPS units that have color screens, maps and guide you vocally don't know anything about bike paths and cycle routes, assuming they would power for more than 30 minutes on battery alone.

I've seen used Garmin units sell rather inexpensively on Ebay (under 50 dollars). These were the non-maps but were still very good overall. The new color units have even longer battery life then older units which extend the battery over 12 hours.

I use a battery recharger so there's no need to buy fresh batteries.

[LRtrike]

I have a eTrex Legend, it is a little expensive, but it's saved me hours (literally) in stand still traffic. Took an exit and did back roads to where we were going. :o)

[ppc]

I have a eTrex Legend, it is a little expensive, but it's saved me hours (literally) in stand still traffic. Took an exit and did back roads to where we were going. :o)

It does look nice. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize I just don't want anymore batteries on the bike than necessary. One in the odometer is okay, given how long it lasts, but otherwise I like the idea of being totally independent from batteries or battery chargers, and not having to mess around with changing/charging them.

I did some googling and found this, the Moto Compass: http://www.formotionproducts.com/compasses.htm. Apparently it's a small cheapo version of a marine compass with compensators. It looks unobstructive and "hackable" enough to be mounted somewhere on the pedal boom, but it's not cheap. That'd do the trick though, if only I could find one in Europe...