
NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Can someone identify this
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2008 Nov 14, 20:49 -0400
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2008 Nov 14, 20:49 -0400
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 LaPookwrote: > > 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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To unsubscribe, email NavList-unsubscribe@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---