Kalih pikobet utama ngacegahin aplikasi langsungne: kamanawian nentuang garis bujur ring pasih antuk akurasi sane pas lan fakta wantah arah magnetik, liyan hal arah geografis, kaanggen ring navigasi.
Two main problems prevented its immediate application: the impossibility of determining the longitude at sea with adequate accuracy and the fact that magnetic directions, instead of geographical directions, were used in navigation.