NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Exercise #11 AM star fix
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Jun 6, 21:18 +0100
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Jun 6, 21:18 +0100
GregR wrote- And..... not to nit-pick what seems to be our preferred methodology for solving these, but if we're all just going to use our favorite navigation computer programs (and I realize that computers are the norm for doing navigation these days, even I do that), what are we really exercising other than our data entry skills (and maybe a chance to see how the various celnav programs compare with each other)? I'd like to request that at least a few of these be solved by the "old school" method (i.e. only an almanac, sight reduction tables, plotting sheets (and the usual navigation drawing tools), but no computers/calculators other than maybe to check our work). I think that's more a measure of celnav skills than just plugging a bunch of numbers into a computer program and hitting "Calculate". ================ And I agree with him. It would be interesting to see a mix of results, obtained by various methods. And I would suggest another way to add interest and test us a bit harder. Jeremy bases his problems on a real-life situation (and I REALLY appreciate that!) but that means that he can start off with a precise GPS position and then we check whether the celestial observations agree with it. But what about dithering that GPS position, giving it only to the nearest degree or two, or more (and saying so), like a very bad case of "selective availability"? Then, it would become a more real test, in first having to choose an appropriate AP (assumed position), just as one might have to do at sea, from a DR position, if "all else failed". George. contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com 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 , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---