NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Patrick Goold
Date: 2011 Jan 20, 16:10 -0500
Water or oil is fine for sun shots (where wind is not too strong) but it is not reflective enough for any star or planet sights (at least in my experience so far).
But I agree: even if we blink the concerns about safety, Hg is too expensive. I am considering cutting a small piece of optical grade front surface mirror to a size that would fit without constriction into the Davis artificial horizon, backing it with a thin sheet of cork or other buoyant material, and then putting it afloat in the artifical horizon. Can anyone see a problem with this idea?
Patrick
$45/ounce for mercury, how many ounces would one need with a Davis Horizon, it's reflective properties notwithstanding, sounds to rich for my blood, sad to note.
Additionaly, in my limited experience with these devices, water, for sun shots, works just fine so far as I could tell. Couldn't get the thing to work for a moon shot I tried once or twice, possibly due to operator error. For stars, who knows, but I doubt it, corrections here if appropriate.
Alan
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--
Dr. Patrick Goold
Department of Philosophy
Virginia Wesleyan College
Norfolk, VA 23502
757 455 3357
Charles Olson: "Love the World -- and stay inside it."
