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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: 1911 encyclopedia
From: Richard M Pisko
Date: 2003 Mar 26, 22:57 -0700
From: Richard M Pisko
Date: 2003 Mar 26, 22:57 -0700
Back before the dawn of time (on Wed, 26 Mar 2003 12:46:15 -0800, to be exact), "Royer, Doug"wrote: >One of the readings was 424 paces.The 2nd was >388 paces.The 3rd attempt was 409 paces.Not a very scientific experiment I >agree but a good 1st approximation.I think this will method will work.I will >have to work on the proceedure to find where I'm making my mistakes to get >consistant results over many differant ranges. > I think you are doing quite well with the pacing. On fairly even ground, you should be able to get consistency within ten percent; and you are doing better than that; around 2.5 to 6 percent including the error in sighting. Just a thought, but do the pacing and mil reading before you use the laser; and then choose a new target. That way you might be able to eliminate unconscious bias in pacing and measuring. Also, as an active marine, you probably did too much range estimation in the 200 to 800 yard bracket; so try something further away and more unknown in size ... such as a large rock out in the middle of nowhere. :-) > I beleave each step >was to be around 30 inches.Someone would be tasked with counting steps and >keeping track of time and azimuth during the march and when asked give the >sergeant the info to help with positioning.Marine Corp dead reckoning I >guess. > The Canadian army still has the "Pace Stick", looks like a longer swagger stick of varnished wood with brass fittings ... or at least they did at the last Armistice (Veteran's?) day ceremony on November 11. The stick opens out and locks at a couple of different settings as desired, and the spots for posting can be measured as with a pair of dividers on a piece of paper. Or, I have been told it can be used during a march to regulate the pace length. That doesn't seem feasible, but just because I haven't seen it, doesn't mean it can't be done. I would be interested to know if it is used in the Australian military. -- Richard ...