NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Current Sextant Manufacturers
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2012 Mar 30, 12:31 -0400
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2012 Mar 30, 12:31 -0400
Zvi, Bill Morris blog is http://sextantbook.com/category/how-flat-are-sextant-mirrors/ Look on the right for the contents: SNO-T, Chasing the fractions of minute, and there is much other scattered info, where he describes comparative frame tests of several sextants, and where we speaks on calibration with collimators, and where he speaks on comparison of backlash and drum excentricity for various sextants. But most of the information on comparisons are in his books that are for sale: "The nautical sextant" and "SNO-T book". Yes, he has a whole book completely devoted to SNO-T. How much does it cost in London, do you remember BTW? There are several potential problems with Russsian (I mean former Soviet Union) sellers. They usually do not accept Paypal. Their English can be poor. Transportation is expensive and non-realiable. Some of them can even be fradus, but these go out of business quickly. Look at the reputation ratings in e-bay. All Russian dealers I dealt with were extremely helpful, friendly and honest. If you don't like all this, you can use Western sellers, in London, or this Dutch guy: http://www.santik.eu/sextant_divers_en.htm or elsewhere. Of course you pay more if you buy from a Western seller: there is no free lunch:-) Alex. On Fri, 30 Mar 2012, Zvi Doron wrote: > > You got me interested now... That shop on the Hamble still has them - I just > checked their website. There is also a Latvian eBay source which has many of > them. How can I find Bill Morris' blog? I would like to read his findings. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Alexandre Eremenko > Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 4:05 PM > To: zvidoron---com > Subject: [NavList] Re: Current Sextant Manufacturers > > > Zvi, You asked: > >> So are they really the best sextants ever made? Better than the C. Plath >> Navistar Classic and the Tamaya M-733 Spica? > > 1. Bill Morris, who overhauled more than 30 sextants of various makes, > and has testing equipment says so repeatedly in his books and blogs. > > 2. My own experience is this. I owned two C. Plaths, > one of the beginning of XX century, with vernier; another of 1950-s, > their most common model, in excellent condition. Both were from e-bay, > of course. I bought them to play with them, and I am obsessed with accuracy > (Lunar sights etc.) After two months trials I sold both of them. > I had on loan Frank's Tamaya (clone, something "International Nautical"). > And I used Bill's new Astra many times. > I also tried several Astras when Celestaire visited Chicago boat show. > I tried also several Cassens Plath's (one in their factory) and > a Husun once. > (I think this lists completely my experience, not counting pocket sextant > and air sextant). > Of all of these SNO is the best. > > Cannot say anything definite about Navistar Classic or Tamaya Spica. > Alex. > > > > > > : http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=118584 > > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2114/4903 - Release Date: 03/29/12 > > > > > > : http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=118586 > > >