Welcome to the NavList Message Boards.

NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

Compose Your Message

Message:αβγ
Message:abc
Add Images & Files
    Name or NavList Code:
    Email:
       
    Reply
    Re: Bubble sextants on eBay
    From: LJ Dram
    Date: 2007 Jan 07, 04:49 -0000

    I bought a Kollsman periscopic sextant from a surplus dealer about a
    month ago, and have found the lamps and averager work OK with ~27 VDC
    from three 9-volt batteries in series.  Mine was about $65 from Surplus
    Shed at http://www.surplusshed.com.
    
    Their current stock seems to be fairly recent surplus -- my sextant
    arrived with a military service tag in the case indicating it was
    removed from service in 1998 (from a C-130H aircraft) because the
    silica gel in the dessicant chamber was saturated. It has the
    electronic averager, not the older clockwork mechanism.  The sextant is
    in good working condition and came in its original fiberglass carrying
    case with several spare light bulbs, a Y-cable for the 28-volt power
    supply, and miscellaneous 8-year-old military paperwork.
    
    After some difficulty figuring out how to form a bubble and adjust its
    size, I've had little trouble using the sextant.  I agree with earlier
    comments about the bubble illumination system, and found no problem
    taking sights of Polaris and Diphda (mag 2.06) from my back yard.
    Hand-holding the Kollsman sextant is not all that easy, since it has no
    handles or grips, weighs about 7.5 pounds, and the 10-inch tall
    periscope assembly makes it a bit top-heavy.  It helps a lot if you can
    brace it against something solid.
    
    The electronic averager is a masterpiece of 70s-era technology, with
    what looks like a miniature Nixie tube for the seconds display and
    several LEDs that light up to indicate if you have the altitude set
    above, below, or right about at the average value for the sight.  In my
    experience, altitude can be read to within about +/- one minute when
    using the averager.
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    ljd
    
    
    --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
    To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
    To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
    -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
    
    

       
    Reply
    Browse Files

    Drop Files

    NavList

    What is NavList?

    Get a NavList ID Code

    Name:
    (please, no nicknames or handles)
    Email:
    Do you want to receive all group messages by email?
    Yes No

    A NavList ID Code guarantees your identity in NavList posts and allows faster posting of messages.

    Retrieve a NavList ID Code

    Enter the email address associated with your NavList messages. Your NavList code will be emailed to you immediately.
    Email:

    Email Settings

    NavList ID Code:

    Custom Index

    Subject:
    Author:
    Start date: (yyyymm dd)
    End date: (yyyymm dd)

    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site