I installed a compass app on my phone, but now I'm confused, or better put: the compass gets confused, haha.
I never thought it'd make a difference how you hold a compass, it would always point N or whatever direction you need.

But if I hold the phone flat the front of the house is East, if I hold it up like you would a book it is SE, which I know to be correct.
Then if I hold it vertical it goes noodle doodle? East, turning around completely etc.

Now is this normal? And how do you hold a compass / compass app?

Do they even work properly? I think, that needle yoke in a real compass is magnetic ... or isn't it?

Yes, it is. And a phone compass works with your location so you have to switch it on in order for it to work.

That would be to complicated for me. I guess, I would throw my phone against the wall after 5 minutes

actually a real compass only only points north and only when you hold it flat.
that is the real needle points to magnetic north all the time that's why the direction ring turns, to align the direction with the go this way mark.

the phone is using it's antenna and gps link to provide direction. prolly using the accelerometers as well. so hold it the way the instructions say

Thank you!
I didn't know you had to hold a real compass flat, but it makes sense. Come to think of the compass I once had, the needle couldn't even move when not flat as it'd touch the bottom.

It seems the phone compass doesn't work when flat, hihi.
I didn't RTFM either, lol. But since holding it up like a book gives the correct reading I'm guestimating that should be okay.

Skyview also does weird stuff at times. Maybe I should find another App for that.

Thanks for helping out, Eric!

the better the compass the more tilt i can handle but none work when up like a book.
you will prolly get the same results with a different app for the same reason

Yes, I'm just going to stick with this one.
And I hope that one day soon I'll find my real compass. It's some 40+ yrs old hihi. Nostalgia :)

well hang your loadstone on a ribbon and go searching

Lodestone? Now you mention it... I should have that somewhere. I sold them in my shop a few times cos some people asked for it, lord knows why.
I believe I had a few left over. Weird things.

But how could they help find a compass? Would a lodestone pull the compass in its direction?? But then it'd have to be rather close by?

it would need to be a ginormous loadstone to actually move the compass