NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Carly Butler
Date: 2015 Mar 25, 20:04 +0000
Thanks Tom - that makes sense - you just correct for it right? I just was wondering why it would zero once but not again.
Thinking out loud though, it's quite possible that I probably didn't even have it at zero but just thought I did, and am now looking at it again and realizing that it's 5' 'off' (or however you refer to it - my goodness there's a lot of lingo to learn to even have a coherent conversation about this!)
Alan, thanks! My dad was quite horrified by my Davis, pronouncing it a piece of crap (amongst other things) - though I think the frustration might have stemmed, just a little bit…(cue throat clear), from him having forgotten a lot of the sextant use he once knew. But you didn't hear that from me ; )
I will look into a telescope for shots - I'm just using what it came with. I'm really interested in finding a nice old sextant to both use and then incorporate into my work as an art piece - though I don't know how exactly at this point (I modified an antique compass to just spin continually, so it would be along those lines, or maybe projecting video through the telescope somehow…not sure yet). I have seen some lovely octants for sale (I do some work for an auction house occasionally), but that seems even more complicated, though they are extremely beautiful objects.
On 25 Mar 2015, at 18:37, "Tom Sult" <NoReply_TomSult@fer3.com> wrote
Tom Sult, MD
Carly:
I'm no expert, nor do I make any claims to expertese. That being said, the Davis sextant you mentioned, plastic frame, will work, I've used one, shooting the sun while standing on the beach in North Carolina, I don't have a boat and tend toward seasickness, so I "navigate" standing on the beach, or using an artificial horizon in the parking area at home. Due to materials of construction, these instruments will sometimes give "odd" readings, but they do work. By the way, have you tried the telescope for shots, youmentioned using a sight tube.
Eventually, while feeling flush, I bought an Astra sextant, metal frame, a much better instrument, though a lot more costly. Depends on how foolish one wants to be re spending their money. Your father could likely make some good suggestiis re a quality instrument, as could any number of people at NavList, it boils down to how much you want to or are willing to spend, thougth finding a "bargain" is always possible, perhaps but not likely, but possible. Good luck.
Alan
