NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
FW: KVH Datascope
From: Doug Royer
Date: 2004 Oct 22, 13:45 -0700
From: Doug Royer
Date: 2004 Oct 22, 13:45 -0700
> -----Original Message----- > From: Royer, Doug > Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 13:44 > To: 'navigatio-l@listserv.webkahuna.com' > Subject: KVH Datascope > > Like Herbert I've got one of these things. > Unlike Herbert I really don't like useing it all that much other than > rangefinding.And if your vessel has even rudimentory radar,useing that is > faster to aquire ranges and just as accurate if not more so.I'll keep my > 10x stabilised binoculars to use to view things. > I really don't think the 5x mag is enough.Nor am overly impressed with the > quality of its optics. > Mine, at least, has no options that has anything to do with > altitudes.Perhaps newer models do.There are 2 features on this tool that > are nice to have in 1 unit.The internal fluxgate compass and the > ratio-matrix rangefinder.I do like useing the unit as just a rangefinder. > There is a feature that allows you to store bearings etc.But then,again,it > is redundant if you have radar. > I've never used mine on a sextant and most likely never will because of > the quality of the optics.It would make useing a sextant with one of these > attached instead of a standard scope to appear to be more balky and > troublesome.Herbert can comment on that point as I've never tried it. > It's a nice tool.A rather expensive one I think but a tool none the less. > They are fairly rugged as mine has been thrashed around on occasion and it > still functions fine.Good battery life in these units also. > It would be a great tool for people to have and use who don't have other > pieces of equipement because it incorporates multiple functions into 1 > piece of equipement.