Iphone 3gS - luopan

[myfs_40495]

I recently bought the Iphone 3GS and also bought the Loupon compass for testing.

I have been taking compass direction at the exact same spot a few time interval and always got a different readings.... haha

Is digital compass can be used for reading or still need to use the conventional compass?

If i have few different reading at the same spot, what can be done. I am leaving in HDB. so taking reading in the flat and outside the common walkways..

[Cecil Lee]

These are some of the considerations:-

1. Majority of buildings use reinforced steel rods to strength the buidling especially at columns and almost every where. Such metal can and or will always affect compass readings.

2. Thus, the Luopan will always become very inacurate as it's "lousy" needle can get very excited when it is near to just any steel rods embedded in the building structure and even at the floor where one stands on.

3. Thus nearly all floors also have metal rods. And depending on where the concentrations are, it will certainly affect the compass reading.

4. Frankly, I am not too family with how the Iphone compass works nor how the watch compass e.g. the Casio watches with compass or even those Suunto, Timex and so many other compass .

5. Perhaps, the most recent is the use of GPS movement to track say a specific line of sight - but GPS is as good as the adjustments made to each staellites circulating around the earth. In fact, the US satellites are adjusted for density of clouds, the weather etc... by the US authorities incharge of it. Frankly I don't care two hoots about this... unless I am using the GPS in a car.

6. I have a few Suunto high end compass. And in Singapore, we are considered under Region 3. And even for compass, there is such thing as region 1, 2, equator 3, 4 and lastly 5. On high end Suunto compasses; No. 3 is stamped on it .. if you want to buy the correct one in Singapore.

7. However, even high tech ones like Suunto... will also have the same problem you mentioned. These compasses are highly sensitive to magnetic fields coming especially from building steel support rods.

8. Sometimes when we are on solid ground e.g a grass patch, but if there are some metal debris or some other metal embeded in the grass or concrete or walkway; or even a lampost close-by will also attract the needle towards them = inaccurate readings...

9. OK? You are asking me know.. why say so many negatives about the compass. Why you complain about it, here and there?

10. Look out for my PART II on this subject matter!

Yang Ming T. wrote:
I recently bought the Iphone 3GS and also bought the Loupon compass for testing.

I have been taking compass direction at the exact same spot a few time interval and always got a different readings.... haha

Is digital compass can be used for reading or still need to use the conventional compass?

If i have few different reading at the same spot, what can be done. I am leaving in HDB. so taking reading in the flat and outside the common walkways..

[Cecil Lee]

1. In my quest for finding an accurate measuring system; I had discovered long time ago that surprisingly; a solid brass compass like the one I have in the picture has one of the highest accuracy!

2. Whenever, I need to do a Feng Shui in a building or a location with lots of steel / metal structure e.g. in a large area like bomb shelters, mrt stations and business in such a similar location; I would bring along this "low tech" but very accurate compass.

3. To improvise, I mounted a 360 good quality "SAINTOGRAPH" protractor below it so that I can accurately read down to 1 degree accuracy.

4. It is a blessing in disguise!

5. Not to worry, there is even a better method, slightly "high tech" in one sense but very accurate and has been with us for quite some time. One older method still applies....

6. Go read my PART 3 on this subject matter!

[Cecil Lee]

1. The objective of getting accurate compass readings (besides finding the facing direction) is very important to the Compass School of Feng Shui or Flying Star Feng Shui.

2. In Singapore, we are very fortunate as the Geographic north is = to the Magnetic north.

3. As such, I had being using just these two tools all my Feng Shui life!

4. What the heck are these tools?

4.1. In the past = Any regular streetdirectory
4.2. A good protractor

5. The standard convention of all STREETDIRECTORYs are that the top of each page is usually NORTH or 360 / 0 degrees. And right at the bottom is 180 degrees.

6. Nowadays, with online (website) streetdirectorys and even google maps, we can even see an outline of the flat or apartment or visualise where is the balcony or living room.

7. For example see this attachment. Without even going down to this HDB 5 room "point block" I can even find the facing direction accurately.

8. In this attachment: 20 Bedok South Road. (S)460020.

9. Especially for landed properties; use SLA maps thru sites like rednano.sg is better as one can even see an outline of the home. And from there, using the protractor easily find the facing of the landed property. The only thing is to try to understand what should be the facing direction.

10. Therefore, so what with a high tech gadget like an Iphone compass. Simply low-tech solutions like a protractor and some "high-tech tools like google maps and even a street directory is good enough!"

11. In life, there are so many other alternatives if we try enough to use them.

[Cecil Lee]

1. Further to what I had mentioned; especially for landed properties; the best map to use to find out exactly the facing direction is the Singapore Land Authority SLA licenced maps.

2. For example, http://rednano.sg uses the SLA licenced maps.

3. Let's say we are searching for an address " Tu Fu Avenue ".

3.1 The Rednano.sg site will yield the street together with the outline of all houses within the vicinity of the street:-

http://www.rednano.sg/sfe/allsearch.action?allsearch=true&view=map&querystring=tu+fu+avenue

3.2 With such a detailed information; just apply the protractor to find the facing direction of the home or landed property.

3.3 In Singapore, many landed properties are "back-to-back" with each other and often the facing direction is simply standing inside theproperty and taking a reading out of the main gate.

4. If we are using some other maps. For example, the streetdirectory.com maps.

5. You will find that for the same search " Tu Fu Avenue "; it only yields or showing the road and "greenery":-

http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/travel/travel_id_21984/travel_site_1/

5.6 When using the streedirctory.com map, try to supplement it with the satellite view to view an outline of the home for purposes of using a protractor to take a compass reading of the facing direction:-

http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/gps/gps.php?travel_id=21984&travel_site=1&x=369861.93561089463&y=152476.79310198128&level=13

6. For apartments, often I would do a search especially from these two sites and then determine which has a better outline of the apartment.

7. Sometimes the rednano.sg outline seems better; while at other times, the streetdirectory.com maps seems better plus if the satellite map is not covered by clouds and if it is clear.

[Cecil Lee]

1. In many of the attached examples; especially for new or (newer) condominiums; use their sitemap in-conjunction with their interior layout plans.

2. In fact, this is nothing really new. This is how many of us in Singapore purchase a condominium unit or even a new HDB unit from the Sales Brochure.

3. In common is the compass NORTH marking on each of the sitemap.

4. For older condominums, there is hope. For example, I have the sitemap of Castle Green condomium.

4.1 And surprisingly, if one does not have such a sitemap; just look at the quality of the streetdirectory map of this condominum using the SLA licensed maps:-

4.2 http://www.rednano.sg/sfe/allsearch.action?allsearch=true&view=map&querystring=castle+green

For example: this is the "ultimate confirmation" using the Castle green's actual sitemap with interior plan with Rednano.sg's streetdirectory map"-http://forum.geomancy.net/upload/Confirm%20Castle%20Green.pdf

4.3 If you scroll on this map, lower down the map one can find the Nuovo condo. The details of each block is equally clear.

4.4 From this same link (from above) Scroll to the left is the Seasons Park condo.

5. There is only example in this attachment: confirm-stack-unit-with-site.jpg

6. In conclusion:

6.1. So long as we can determine where is the NORTH compass marking in relation to the Block then the stack (unit).. this is the first step.

6.2. Always check whether the layout plan is: actual or a mirror image of the layout plan. Some sales brochures don't list all units as actual. Some units need to be "mirrored" to be correct.

7. As you can see in all the attachments except for under Para 5 confirm-stack-unit-with-site.jpg; the key success factor is a match of the siteplan with the interior layout plan.

8. With a proper match of the interior layout plan and if possible additional confirmation with the street directory (view) especially for existing flats or homes; this is a plus or added advantage.

9. Level of Difficulty of this asignment? A US fifth grade or British standard Primary 5 and above child should be able to use a protractor and simple guidelines in most situations except to ask them to determine the facing direction.

[Cecil Lee]

1. To be frank, I have the latest Suunto solid aluminium compass set for Region 3 (Singapore and the equator).

2. But still; one major flaw is that whenever I am in a building with lots of steel rods for support (look at it this way: all modern high-rise uses re-inforced steel for building support!)

3. Surprisingly, such a low technology or LOW TECH brass compass is my saviour ... when I am deep in a large building that has odd shaped floor space and entrances much like those mega or hype buildings.

4. Many industrial buidlings have even more steel in their structures to support the higher Per Newton Kilo load.

5. This attached brass compass which I bought at a cheap sale for only Singapore $20 dollars (roughly US $16 dollars) can do a better job than my latest solid aluminium Suunto compass that I had bought for around Singapore $260 or roughly US $190 odd plus)...

6. I suspect that the key to this low tech but highly accurate compass has to do with the around 10 mm or more thickness of the diameter rim and the base. Thus it is pretty heavy on all accounts. What a great discovery!

7.1 What happens if we stand in the middle of a lift lobby e.g. equally between four sets of lifts (two in-front two at the back).

7.2 Take a compass reading and check it out! How about standing in a building with two lifts only. And again stand in the middle of the two lifts to take a compass reading.

7.3 Is the compass reading accurate? Match the findings from the protractor + streetdirectory maps? Go experiment and find out yourself...

[Cecil Lee]

Includes an e-book on the proper techniques in finding the direction of a home/apartment:-

 

[Cecil Lee]

Case Study: Does the Feng Shui Master use only a Luopan in their work?

1. This is indeed bad news because majority or rather all the compass that comes with any commercially purchased luopan is highly sensitive to magnetic interference.

2. In the past, one could rely on a Luopan compass needle. 

3. This was because many of the buildings were constructed in wood or held by wooden inter-locks. NO NAILS or steel rods/steel mesh were used anywhere.

4. Modern Feng Shui Masters must also try to use "higher quality" compasses. Such as the brass shielded ones etc...

5. Many hired Feng Shui Masters are getting their readings wrong, today! 

6. Imagine, this: "Garbage In, Garbage Out" = G.I.G.O. Ouch!  

P.S. It does not matter the size of their Luopan!

For such commercial Luopan often, placing one's Handphone close to one's body and using the Luopan can also affect the readings.