NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Advice on Sextant
From: Greg Rudzinski
Date: 2009 Aug 3, 12:32 -0700
From: Greg Rudzinski
Date: 2009 Aug 3, 12:32 -0700
Peter, Try ebay if you are on a tight budget. The best deal I have seen recently is $300 for a Freiberger in very good condition. If you plan on only observing the sun then plastic will probably be good enough although I wouldn't expect more than two minutes of precision. The optics on plastic sextants are disappointing for star observations during early twilight. If money isn't an object then get a new whole horizon Cassens & Plath with adjustable polarizing filters. Used Russian sextants in good condition are worthy instruments as well but use caution when bidding on one outside of the U.S.. I have seen some used Tamaya deals on ebay too. Chinese sextants are the best way to go if a good value new sextant is desired. For practice on land there are several options besides bubble attachments. I prefer working from the shore of a body of water then applying dip short of the horizon while getting as low as possible. If the sextant is going to be primarily used aboard small craft then I recommend the whole horizon option because of the expanded field of view. Greg On Aug 3, 9:21�am, "Peter Hollings"wrote: > I am looking for some advice on choosing a sextant for present use (within a > city) refreshing my skills and later for navigation aboard a yacht. Cost is > a factor and, given that I would be using it for navigation offshore only, > an accuracy within a minute or so should be sufficient. An artificial > horizon (bubble) would be necessary for me to practice in the city. I think > it would also be valuable at sea because it would enable sights when the > horizon was obscured and, if the bubble were illuminated, at night. I've > looked at WW II aviation sextants. Also, I have seen artificial horizon > attachments for marine sextants for sale on eBay. (Unfortunately, the ad for > the attachment did not specify which make/model of sextant it was designed > for.) > > What sextant would you recommend and what further factors should I consider? > Also, are there any issues when buying this sextant that I should be looking > out for? > > Thanks, > > Peter Hollings > > Atlanta, GA USA --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---