The compass magnetometer on this phone is appallingly bad. No matter how many times I calibrate it, it is always significantly of compared to a real compass. The compass on my iPhone 5 for comparison nearly always matches the actual compass accurately.
Any tips for getting the compass to work properly on this device. I need headings often enough that I end up carrying my iPhone 5 with me to be sure.
May we know if you're using a case with a magnetic lock for your L1520? This has been a known source of interference to the magnetometer.
I've got the same concern for my L1020, especially during the first week of owning it when I had to calibrate the compass each time I opened any app that uses the magnetometer. But after a week or so I was no longer being prompted as often, but still more than what I think is convenient for most people.
Here's a
"shortcut" method for calibrating your compass. Instead of making a figure 8 in the air with a specific wrist twisting action,
simply rotate your phone perpendicular to the ground similar to taking a panorama shot. It doesn't matter if your phone is facing up, down, side ways, obliquely; what matters is that you just rotate it along a vertical axis. Most of the time
you won't even need to make a full rotation. This allows the magnetometer to adapt to the interference present in your area, effectively calibrating it...
minus the attention from the people around you.

Let us know if that works for you.