NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2010 Feb 22, 09:10 -0500
Hi Bill
Setting the optical path of any instrument takes care and patience. When we combine that optical path with rotary motion, many factors apply, including as you note, stick slip, vernier interpretation
and prismatic effects.
Perhaps I theorize, the oft told instability of the index error is nothing more than the user’s ability to make the measurement! So we chase what we think are instrument errors but really, at
least in my case, are mark 1 eyeball errors. Perhaps, should I have had thousands of observations under my belt, like Chief Franklin or Henry, I could do a bit better.
I will withhold congratulations, as I believe the stated terms were 30 measurements with the IE known and the standard deviation zero. None the less, I do know which instrument I would use,
should I have access to your storehouse of sextants! J
Best Regards
Brad
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