# Correct orientation tempest **URL:** \ **Category:** Tempest Owners\ **Tags:** setup, tempest\ **Created:** [August 27, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958 "2020-08-27T15:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/1 "2020-08-27T15:51:37Z")
I just made this little picture to show once and for all the orientation of the unit. Perhaps this should be put into [https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049654273-AIR-SKY-Device-Siting-and-Installation](https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049654273-AIR-SKY-Device-Siting-and-Installation) (which doesn’t even mention southern hemisphere) [https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005229767](https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005229767) ![orientation](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/9/94a5f048d8f1373af18a57e1b8e7e9d2c2d24c68.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![WFstaff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/wfstaff/32/6006_2.png) [@WFstaff](https://community.tempest.earth/u/WFstaff)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/2 "2020-08-27T16:02:55Z")
Thanks @sunny! We could put this in the Tempest Siting & Installation help page > **[Siting & Installation for Tempest](https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005229767-Siting-Installation-for-Tempest)** > > Siting > The first step in siting is to survey your property and take careful consideration of where and how you will mount your Tempest. Siting and installation locations can have a major influence ... ---
**Author:** ![vinceskahan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/vinceskahan/32/2785_2.png) [@vinceskahan](https://community.tempest.earth/u/vinceskahan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/3 "2020-08-27T16:02:55Z")
Is it really so complicated for people to understand the concept that solar panels should be oriented to face as much as possible toward the sun at noon ? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/4 "2020-08-27T16:05:11Z")
please do. (20 characters) ---
**Author:** ![ICWX](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/icwx/32/8367_2.png) [@ICWX](https://community.tempest.earth/u/ICWX)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/5 "2020-08-27T16:06:30Z")
One tweak I would recommend is to use the words “True North” and “True South”. ---
**Author:** ![WFstaff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/wfstaff/32/6006_2.png) [@WFstaff](https://community.tempest.earth/u/WFstaff)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/6 "2020-08-27T16:06:46Z")
We advise to orient to true north, not magnetic north, but this graphic should help visually. ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/7 "2020-08-27T16:07:41Z")
I could add true to it, hang on… ---
**Author:** ![ICWX](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/icwx/32/8367_2.png) [@ICWX](https://community.tempest.earth/u/ICWX)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/8 "2020-08-27T16:07:50Z")
NOAA has a great website/app that helps you determine “True North”. ---
**Author:** ![gizmoev](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/gizmoev/32/941_2.png) [@gizmoev](https://community.tempest.earth/u/gizmoev)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/9 "2020-08-27T16:10:26Z")
I just tell my cell phone app to show true North. ---
**Author:** ![93ben](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/93ben/32/9381_2.png) [@93ben](https://community.tempest.earth/u/93ben)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/10 "2020-08-27T16:33:49Z")
Just wondering why don’t we face it the same way in the southern hemisphere compared to the northern hemisphere? Wouldn’t that mess up the wind direction? ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/11 "2020-08-27T17:23:35Z")
because then you would need a physically different device with solar panels on the other side. ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/12 "2020-08-27T17:25:39Z")
computer is now rendering the newer version. Takes a while. ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/13 "2020-08-27T17:39:40Z")
better? (computer generated image from a 3d model I made for this) ![orientation-M](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/5/5d64b98d93e033cf08961579eaf30cee33934ca1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![gizmoev](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/gizmoev/32/941_2.png) [@gizmoev](https://community.tempest.earth/u/gizmoev)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/14 "2020-08-27T17:48:35Z")
That is why the direction offset should automatically switch 180 degrees when set up in the southern hemisphere. ---
**Author:** ![WFstaff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/wfstaff/32/6006_2.png) [@WFstaff](https://community.tempest.earth/u/WFstaff)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/15 "2020-08-27T17:55:15Z")
Because the solar panels need to be facing the sun for optimal solar input for charging purposes. The software will automatically adjust wind direction 180 degrees when a station’s physical location is set in the southern hemisphere. @sunny Fantastic, thank you so much Help page updated: [https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005229767](https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005229767) ---
**Author:** ![mrmccla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mrmccla](https://community.tempest.earth/u/mrmccla)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/16 "2020-08-27T20:41:19Z")
My issue is keeping track when the device is over my head. Why not mark Truce North on the side of the device? Easier to calibrate. ---
**Author:** ![wx3i09](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/wx3i09/32/14944_2.png) [@wx3i09](https://community.tempest.earth/u/wx3i09)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/17 "2020-08-27T20:48:01Z")
See [Correct orientation tempest](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/13) above. On the “Southern Hemisphere” picture on the right, the arrow on the side, just below the gap, is true north for the northern hemisphere (since you want the solar panels facing south) and true south for the southern hemisphere (since you want the solar panels facing north). ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/18 "2020-08-27T21:09:27Z")
in the northern hemisphere true north _IS_ marked on the side of the device (Blue arrow) ---
**Author:** ![gizmoev](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/gizmoev/32/941_2.png) [@gizmoev](https://community.tempest.earth/u/gizmoev)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/19 "2020-08-27T21:36:09Z")
Just mark the pole base with a sharpie or similar marker. That is what I did with my mobile unit and it works just fine. I then verify with the flat sides at the base of the unit. ---
**Author:** ![93ben](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/93ben/32/9381_2.png) [@93ben](https://community.tempest.earth/u/93ben)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958/20 "2020-08-27T23:25:57Z")
> [@WFstaff](#): > > Because the solar panels need to be facing the sun for optimal solar I see. We do get the most sun from the North here in Australia. > [@WFstaff](#): > > The software will automatically adjust wind direction 180 degrees That’s good to know. I wonder how many Tempests in the southern hemisphere would be facing the wrong way lol. I wouldn’t know that if I didn’t read this forum as I have never had a Weather Flow device. I will definitely keep this in mind when I recieve it and install it. [Next page](https://community.tempest.earth/t/correct-orientation-tempest/8958.md?page=2)