Welcome to the NavList Message Boards.

NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

Compose Your Message

Message:αβγ
Message:abc
Add Images & Files
    Name or NavList Code:
    Email:
       
    Reply
    Re: MS-733,Simex,Astra IIIB + sextant calibration
    From: Joel Jacobs
    Date: 2004 Feb 2, 15:36 -0500

     Hi Doug,
    
    I went back to sea in NOV of 1978, and only stayed in touch with the
    Hattori's by snail mail. I don't have any idea what changes were made in
    standard and accessories after 1978. When the 733 was introduced it was
    fitted with a 4 x 40, and optional 7 x 35 prismatic.
    
    Rather than bore the group, those that want can read about the "No Markings
    733" I sold to the retired Navy CAPT. Our ebay store is Land And Sea
    Collection. That 733 had all the standard features which included the
    Polaroid lens caps. These caps were also offered on Tamaya's previous
    premium sextant the MS 636. BTW, we also have a web site of the same name
    plus .com.
    
    Mike Burkes contacted me some weeks back, and I wrote him all I knew about
    Coast Navigation, Capt. Simonsen, Simex and Jim Tindall who took over the
    helm from the Capt..
    
    By Navy types I meant rather than USCG or USMM. The latter are big users of
    the Astra in our maritime academies. You're correct. The difference is the
    Deluxe has a larger rectangular index mirror as compared to the round one on
    the standard. The horizon mirror size is the same on both. The Whole View
    mirror is a no cost option.
    
    In regard to measuring sextant error, there should be many firms that use a
    collimator. Any lens manufacturer should have one, and some large size lens
    repair shops. It is not an inexpensive process, and IMO not worth the money.
    All sextants produced after around 1975 were made to a standard of error <
    11" of arc. Furthermore, I doubt that there is anyone among us who is more
    accurate in taking sights than his sextant. The USN found years ago that it
    took approximately 5000 sights before a navigator became proficient. How
    many of us have done that many? If you took 6 sights per day, that would be
    833 sights or 2 1/4 years.
    
    Someone like George Huxtable or Frank Reed should be able to tell you which
    stars to use that are so many degrees apart so that you could check
    non-adjustable instrument error by the lunar distance method. I also read
    somewhere how to do it by setting up a grid on a wall, but I've never been
    able to locate that source again.
    
    Joel Jacobs
    
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Royer, Doug" 
    To: 
    Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 2:37 PM
    Subject: MS-733,Simex,Astra IIIB + sextant calibration
    
    
    > Joel,
    > Wow,working for the Tamaya Group!That must have been a great experiance.
    > I looked in the archives also and came up dry.I know I posted the info but
    > can't remember under what title.So,I'll give you a quick rundown of  the
    > sextant.I ordered and paid for the 733 in 1983 while in Japan.I picked it
    up
    > while in Japan in 1984.The polarizing filters you wrote about that one
    > places on the scopes are the type that I got with mine.I got one for each
    > scope.I ordered the standard sextant,sight tube,3x scope,shades and
    mirrors
    > and opted for a 6x scope to be supplied by a Japanese optics firm and
    fitted
    > for the 733.I have to check the paperwork to get the name of the optics
    > company as I can't remember it.I do know the firm makes high end
    astromomic
    > telescopes for the Japanese market.The 6x scope has a very fine internal
    > cross hair.The optics are 1st quality.The Germans don't have a corner on
    the
    > optics market by any means.The Index error is a constant 0.1 off the
    arc.It
    > hasn't changed in many years under many differant weather conditions.
    > I've seen and used a few of the Simex sextants.Good quality instruments
    > also.Do you know the history of these?Mike Burkes,a fellow listmember,has
    > one and we were talking of and cxomparing them to the Tamayas in the past.
    > I remember reading(maybe on Ebay)of the sale of the Tamaya or one like it
    to
    > a retired naval officer.Was that you?
    > The Astra IIIB is an excellant sextant.Especially for the price.I don't
    know
    > what you mean by "navy types" in your last post.The men were in uniform so
    > they were navy.The sextants were purchaced off the shelf and were the
    Deluxe
    > model IIIB.They had the whole horizon mirror not the split mirror.I think
    > the differance between the Standard and Deluxe IIIBs are the size of the
    > Index Mirror.I may be wrong.
    > Fred,I made inquires in the past and posted my findings to the list about
    > calibrateing sextants and was told by more than one person in the industry
    > no one in the states renders that service anymore.Mr. Luykes may have but
    he
    > passed away last year.
    >
    
    
    

       
    Reply
    Browse Files

    Drop Files

    NavList

    What is NavList?

    Get a NavList ID Code

    Name:
    (please, no nicknames or handles)
    Email:
    Do you want to receive all group messages by email?
    Yes No

    A NavList ID Code guarantees your identity in NavList posts and allows faster posting of messages.

    Retrieve a NavList ID Code

    Enter the email address associated with your NavList messages. Your NavList code will be emailed to you immediately.
    Email:

    Email Settings

    NavList ID Code:

    Custom Index

    Subject:
    Author:
    Start date: (yyyymm dd)
    End date: (yyyymm dd)

    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site