Where is the compass on my 2017 RDX

 

Welcome to the forums.

This thread has been moved from the 3G MDX Discussion (2014+) Forum to the car specific forum applicable to your vehicle.

 

It's on the multi-information display between the speedometer and tachometer. Press the up or down information button located on the right side of the steering wheel hub to slew to this indication.

 

The 2016 owners manual makes a statement that the compass may not be available on all models.

I have the Elite model, and I can confirm that I have the compass display. I originally thought that maybe the compass was only available for models with navigation since the compass display on the MID mirrors the compass display on the navigation screen, I don't think that is the case, since another section of the owners manual explains how to calibrate the compass, and that procedure is not applicable on my Elite. Perhaps other members can confirm if they have the compass display, and which trim level of RDX they own..

 

If you have nav the compass runs off the GPS. Mine reads "N" going down a certain stretch of road and "SSE" going the opposite direction on the same stretch. Go figure.

 

It's really not very accurate. Mine is usually off by one increment when traveling N-S or E-W roads. With the Nav system, the compass can't be calibrated. Magnetic variation runs off of a lookup table.

 

I'm not denying what people have reported (GPS reads "N" going one way and "SSE" going the other). I can't really explain that except for the possibility that the "nav compass" is limited in the angles it can display on the screen. For example it my be limited to displaying the nearest 30 degree reference, so it snaps to the closest angle when going opposite directions. I haven't found that problem my self, but I have only tested it on a road that I know is true East-West.

Theoretically, a GPS can show direction much more accurately than a compass could. The GPS calculates where on the face of the earth you are located, and compares that location to where you where just a second earlier. It uses these consecutive readings to determine which direction you are heading.

Of course this technique has a limitation. If you are not moving the GPS has no idea which way you are heading, and of course it doesn't know which direction your eyes are looking, so when not moving it can't accurately show direction. This can be a real problem when hiking in thick bush. If you can't walk fast enough for the GPS to know that your moving, the compass function will not work. That is why I always carry a traditional compass, along with a GPS, when in the forrest. I can't tell you how many times I have had to explain that limitation to a new GPS user, they just keep cursing at their GPS because they are facing West and the GPS says they are going North (which is what some GPS's default to when they cant calculate the true direction).

The only reason magnetic variation tables exist is so that people using traditional compasses can locate true north, which is what most people want to see when they are trying to navigate using a map. An automobile navigation system has no reason to know where magnetic north is, (since it is not basing it's direction on magnetic north) and therefore doesn't need any deviation lookup tables.

To be honest I rarely look at the compass when travelling, I trust the GPS to tell me where to turn. For those drivers without a navigation system, a compass would be useful, but I doubt that a magnetic based compass would eliminate the type of complaint that dirleton described, in fact I expect the differences would be even greater.

 

Indeed. You would, however, think the system would be smart enough to know what the opposite of "N" is.

 

Without Nav, it's sometimes handy to know what general direction you're going when you get all turned around in a city or whatever. You may know your destination is north of you, but you're on an east-west street making no progress towards it, for example. I bought the Nav system basically to have something to put on that big display up front. The fact that it cost twice as much as my phone and is twice as hard to use but does half as much is rather sad.

 

I have been using GPS systems since the mid 90's when Selective Availability was turned on by the US military. This "SA" reduced the accuracy of civilian GPS units to only 100 meters. The apparent reason was so that the military units would have an advantage over the general population. It was only when SA was turned off in May 2000, that automotive navigation units were even feasible.

During that time I have used many GPSR's (GPS receivers). I have found handy features with many models, but I have never found every useful feature in a single unit. It is for that reason I hate seeing these threads about how useless the Acura navigation system is compared to Ford or Subaru, etc. etc.. No matter what unit you happen to own, there will be features found on the competition that you wish you had.

I actually don't mind the Acura system. Sure it is missing some features, but it has the features that are most needed for day to day navigation. It makes the features easy to access, and it displays them nicely on the large sun-shaded screen. I especially enjoy the ability to zoom in/out with the large rotary knob. If I had to name my most wanted missing feature it would be the availability to input a destination completely by voice, which is not an option in the Canadian models. In Canada we can only speak one letter at a time and then wait until we are prompted for the next letter. It's honestly quicker to just pull of the road and enter the destination via the keyboard.

 

While I'm at it, another feature that would be nice is the ability to store routes rather than just waypoints (i.e destinations). For example if I want to travel from Toronto to Montreal the GPS will automatically tell me to take Hwy #401 because it is the fastest route. But I don't like taking the 401 because traffic is very heavy and there is not much to see during the 5 hour trip. The routing feature allows me to choose the route I want to take by entering one or more waypoints I want to pass through on my way to the destination. The GPS will guide me to each waypoint one after another until I arrive at the final destination.

I'm happy to say that the Acura navigation system does allow me to create routes by entering multiple waypoints into the "destination list". If even lets me change the order of the waypoints if I happened to enter them out of order, or it lets me add additional waypoints if I decide I want to stop at a certain restaurant on my way to Montreal. The only disappointment with the Acura system is that it will not let me save the route for use on a future trip. It requires that I re-enter each of the 6 waypoints I use over and over each time I make the same trip.

I might add that I have not seen this feature on more than a few systems. This feature should not be confused with the more commonly available feature where the GPS allows you two choose one of possibly 3-6 "recommended" routes.So I give the Acura system some credit for at least having the basic routing ability.

I have to admit that the 2 screen system was a little confusing for the first week of use. I couldn't figure out when I should be using one screen or the other. After learning the system properly, which involved a lot of experimentation, I love the two screens and I wouldn't want to see it any other way.

This will probably offend some people, but I consider the Acura system to be similar to an Android phone. I have seen 2 year old's master the IPhone because it is very simple, and that is why people love it. On the other hand, Android phones can be a little more difficult to learn, but with that difficulty comes greater flexibility for the owner.