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Lookin' good.

BTW - I wonder if Phil Lange by any chance did the Friday NYT
crossword?  I ask because "Roll up" was the clue for 49 Down.  Answer:
amass.  :-)

Hewitt

On 11/14/08, engineer  wrote:
>
>  To report back, we now have a consortium of five, including me, to
>  make bid of a realistic amount on
>  the Zerbee Fix Finder.
>
>  Philip Lange writes off list "I might suggest a call for many off list
>  small pledges - - no amount considered too small. " So roll up! Roll
>  up!
>
>
>  Bill
>
>
>  On Nov 15, 8:12 am, engineer  wrote:
>  > I invariably use a bidding engine for my bids on e-bay. This means I
>  > have to have a firm view of the maximum I am prepared to pay, which of
>  > course is related to what I think is the actual value of the item and
>  > how badly I want it.
>  >
>  > Now that at least three people have indicated a willingness to
>  > contribute, may I suggest that all who wish to contribute now let me
>  > know off list how much? It would be useful to know too what
>  > contributors think should be the maximum bid. At the moment, I have in
>  > mind to match it up to a certain maxiumum sum, but we must be careful
>  > to give no hint to those outside the "consortium" how much we have
>  > available.
>  >
>  > If through this consortium the item ends up in my hands, I undertake
>  > to write and publish to the list a full, illustrated description of it
>  > and eventually to donate it to a museum. I see no problem in principle
>  > with returning it to the USA and it doing the rounds of consortium
>  > members before reaching its final resting place, despite shipping
>  > costs of US$114.
>  >
>  > So, with 47 hours to go, speak now or for ever after hold your peace.
>  >
>  > Bill
>  >
>  > On Nov 15, 6:45 am, Fred Hebard  wrote:
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  > > This is all fine with me.  I'm in for up to $50, with no expectation
>  > > of having any "rights" in the instrument, because of my reluctance to
>  > > go to $100.
>  >
>  > > One comment would be to have a skilled EBay bidder do the buying,
>  > > regardless of the ship to address.  Is Bill Morris adept at buying
>  > > things on EBay?
>  >
>  > > Fred Hebard
>  >
>  > > On Nov 14, 2008, at 12:16 PM, 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 geo...@hux.me.uk
>  > > > or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
>  > > > or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.- Hide quoted text -
>  >
>
> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> >
>  > - Show quoted text -
>  >
>

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