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Thank you, Gary.

When I sold my house three years ago, I donated what I could of my nav
library and (sigh) had to just pitch a lot of it - including my
collection of every NA from 1965. I have in my mind that a picture of
the device was in one of my Bowditch's - as I recall it was an edition
with a dark blue cover, whereas I think the 1977 was medium  green?
The description in the pages you sent sure fits, though.

Thanks again,  Hewitt

On 11/14/08, Gary LaPook  wrote:
>
> Here are the pages from the 1977 Bowditch that concern this device.
>
> gl
>
> --- On Fri, 11/14/08, Hewitt Schlereth  wrote:
>
> From: Hewitt Schlereth 
> Subject: [NavList 6547] Re: Can someone identify this
> To: NavList@fer3.com
> Date: Friday, November 14, 2008, 9:55 AM
>
>
> I see by the brass plate in one of the photos the instrument was made
> in Belfontaine Ohio a place near to my heart: I learned to swim at a
> YMCA there in 1946. So let me add $25 to the fund to purchase this
> fascinating device.
>
> BTW and FWIW, the general look of the thing reminds me of a device
> that appeared in earlier editions of Bowditch (c. 1982?) in their
> listing of sight reduction methods. As I recall the Bowditch
> description had a picture of the device which appeared to be made of
> three white plastic plates that could be set to make a miniature
> navigational triangle. It looked like you set the two vertical plates
> to LHA and then aligned a third lateral plate with declination on one
> of the vertical plates and latitude on the other and read Hc from the
> lateral plate.
>
> Hewitt Schlereth
>
> On 11/14/08, George Huxtable  wrote:
> >
> > Bill Morris, as "Engineer", wrote, about the instrument we have
> been
> > discussing-
> >
> > =================
> >
> > From: "engineer" 
> > To: "NavList" 
> > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 2:19 AM
> > Subject: [NavList 6542] Re: Can someone identify this
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm interested in this item too and planned to bid on it. If I won
> the
> > bidding, I would take it apart, service it and put it together again
> > in a restored state. Then I would post detailed labelled photographs
> > for others to see. When tired of it, I would offer it to a museum for
> > what it cost me. I agree it would be a pity for it to rest in private
> > hands, undescribed and gathering dust. On the other hand, why should
> > North America have all the luck? People in out-of-the way places love
> > instruments too.
> >
> > Bill.
> >
> >
> > ====================
> >
> > Comment from George-
> >
> > Well, if Bill Morris were to succeed in a bid, that would meet most of my
> > own wishes, and I suspect those of several other listmembers, for the
> future
> > of this special instrument.
> >
> > It would be rescued from locking away in a hidden private collection; in
> the
> > end it would end up in a public museum; and in the interim it would be
> > examined for us by a real expert. The only snag is that of Bill's
> location,
> > in a particularly isolated corner of New Zealand, which would,
> > unfortunately, require long-distance transporting of the item, and put it
> > out of range of personal inspection of anyone other than Bill.
> >
> > Perhaps it would help if I pass on some details about Bill Morris, who
> I've
> > got to know quite well, by email, over recent months. Originally from
> > Britain, for many years he has been a doctor in rural New Zealand, having
> > retired now to an even more isolated spot, where he indulges in precision
> > engineering, from a well-equipped workshop. Although not a navigator
> > himself, he has a particular interest is in sextants, and he claims to
> have
> > restored altogether 28 such instruments of a wide range of types,
> modern.and
> > less-modern, not on a profit-making basis but as a hobby.
> >
> > He is presently finishing-off a book (intended for distribution by CD
> rather
> > than print) on the "intimate anatomy of the sextant". I've
> come in because
> > he has asked me to scan it for any obvious errors, so I have been
> privileged
> > to see a preview. Looking at the care he devotes to detailed explanation
> and
> > description, illustrated by well-angled and notated colour photos and
> > diagrams, I would have no hesitation in entrusting to him this Fix Finder
> > for a careful analysis, and hope that he would share his findings with us
> as
> > he proceeds, before eventually passing it to a museum.
> >
> > So, if Bill is prepared to act on our behalf, as well as his own, in
> > bidding, I restate my offer of sharing (to a maximum of $100) in the
> total
> > cost, if his bid succeeds, to give him some encouragement. Other members
> > have expressed similar sentiments. The more that join in, the higher the
> > chance of his success, and the less the burden will become on each of us.
> >
> > One or two things need to be kept in mind here.
> >
> > There may well be a flurry of last-minute bids and the price may go well
> > above its present $102.50. Indeed, the seller has set a reserve price,
> which
> > we have no way of knowing, that has not yet been met.
> >
> > Although list members may contribute a "share" in the total
> cost, that would
> > not be expected to result in any shared ownership of the item, which
> would
> > become the sole property of the bidder. The whole operation would have to
> > work on the basis of gentlemanly trust between all involved.
> >
> > If Bill Morris confirms his intention to bid on that basis, I would hope
> > that other list members might show restraint in any bidding of their own.
> > However, if any list member gets overcome by the lust to possess, perhaps
> he
> > might inform Bill beforehand, and share his technical findings with us
> > afterwards.
> >
> > George.
> >
> > For those that have yet to look up this item on ebay, it's at-
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ASTRONOMIC-CALCULATOR-SEXTANT-theodolite_W0QQitemZ190265697439QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190265697439&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
> >
> >
> > and to see the original 1950 patent, look up Google Patents 2,519,532.
> >
> > contact George Huxtable, now at george@hux.me.uk
> >
> > or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
> > or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>  >
>
>

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