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Joel,

I should have said...I have a SNO-M, not T. Anyway, the awful olive
color and the one scope. I got it real cheap and want to bring it up to
snuff.

I also have a more recent SNO-T which has an agreable silver color and 2
scopes.

But I obviously agree that the Russian sextants are good and a great buy.

Appreciatively,
Courtney



Courtney Thomas wrote:

> Joel,
>
> I have one and hate the color, but am otherwise satisfied.
>
> What is "black wrinkle paint" ? Where do I get it and how is it applied
> for optimal esthetics ?
>
> Where can I get a proper scope for CELNAV ? How much ?
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Courtney
>
>
>
> Joel Jacobs wrote:
>
>> Fred,
>>
>> Your best bet is a Russian SNO-T sextant. They are very underrated,
>> and have
>> most all the features of the preferred brands, and even come in a smaller
>> size for convenience. However, most of them are sold with only an
>> astronomical scope which presents the image inverted, and IMO are useless
>> for CELNAV. Configured with the 7 x scope, you should be able to buy
>> one for
>> $250.00 because they are a drudge on the market with out an erect imaging
>> scope. You can read about them in detail at:
>>
>> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3712084763&category=37971
>>
>> &sspagename=STRK%3AMESSE%3AIT&rd=1
>>
>> They wont meet your standards for good looks, but you can get some black
>> wrinkle paint, and make them look as pretty as you like. They are a great
>> buy.
>>
>> Joel Jacobs
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Fred Hebard" 
>> To: 
>> Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 12:15 PM
>> Subject: Re: Sextant Comparisons
>>
>>
>>
>>> Doug,
>>>
>>> No, I don't collect older equipment.  I have been trying to acquire a
>>> sextant suitable for lunar observations, so I look for sextants with
>>> defects on Ebay that might still be serviceable.
>>>
>>> I have one British Husun that only has the "star scope."  It's a 2.5x
>>> power scope.  It's my understanding that a more powerful one would give
>>> more precise readings.  I checked this by buying an old Simex-type
>>> sextant, which subsequently was sold.  I have been looking for another
>>> Husun with the inverting telescope or another instrument.  The Cassens
>>> & Plath was the first that came up which was suitable.
>>>
>>> In comparing the Cassens and Plath to the Husun, I would say, overall,
>>> that I prefer the Husun at this time.  It's prettier, with the
>>> silver-inlayed arc; this increases my fondness for the instrument.  The
>>> black crinkle finish is nicer than the Cassens and Plath's.  All the
>>> screws are varnished or painted brass; there's no aluminum to corrode
>>> with steel screws or react with the brass or bronze (There's no
>>> corrosion on my Cassens and Plath; it doesn't appear ever to have been
>>> used for extended periods).
>>>
>>> The 2.5x scope on the Husun has a very wide field of view, wider than
>>> the 4x "star scope" on the Cassens and Plath.  I have seen no optical
>>> aberrations in the Husun, while the Cassens and Plath star scope has
>>> chromatic aberration, which rather surprised me (reddish fringe on the
>>> bottom of the image and bluish fringe on the top).  The aberration
>>> makes it more difficult to check index error by measuring the sun's
>>> semidiameter.
>>>
>>> The handle on the Husun is straight up and down.  This makes some
>>> lunars easier, whereas the tilted handle on both brands of Plaths,
>>> while it makes looking at the horizon easier on the wrist, makes lunars
>>> more difficult.  When holding the instrument between shots or while
>>> waiting, the Husun is less fatiguing to hold
>>>
>>> The star scope on the Husun is in close to the horizon mirror.  This
>>> centers weight in the instrument, making it less fatiguing to hold.
>>> Being close in to the horizon mirror, the smaller mirror does not
>>> restrict the field of view of the instrument as much as one might
>>> suppose.  I suppose the larger mirrors would be "faster" optically,
>>> however.
>>>
>>> The perceived weight of the two instruments is similar.  I have not
>>> actually weighed them.
>>>
>>> The lamp on the Husun can be swung around to illuminate my wrist band
>>> when recording data.  The lamp on the Cassens and Plath is guided to
>>> illuminate the scales only, making recording data more difficult.
>>>
>>> The box on the Husun is significantly smaller than the box on the other
>>> instruments.
>>>
>>> These are my impressions after two days.
>>>
>>> Fred
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Frederick V. Hebard, PhD                      Email: mailto:Fred@acf.org
>>> Staff Pathologist, Meadowview Research Farms  Web: http://www.acf.org
>>> American Chestnut Foundation                  Phone: (276) 944-4631
>>> 14005 Glenbrook Ave.                          Fax: (276) 944-0934
>>> Meadowview, VA 24361
>>>
>>> On Mar 19, 2004, at 5:44 PM, Royer, Doug wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> By the way,do you collect older sextants?Don't you also have some older
>>>> British equipment you wrote about in the past?Just curious.
>>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Courtney Thomas
> s/v Mutiny
> lying Oriental, NC
> WDB5619
>


--
Courtney Thomas
s/v Mutiny
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

   

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