NavList:

   

Reply

> It seems to me that Nautical Almanac sales would be more
> germaine to
> understanding current usage than new sextant sales.

>> That's what I suggested from the beginning.

1.  Having experienced the Almanac, way too late in life, as a boater,
photographer, or landlubber I would now have one on hand whether I was using
it for cel nav or not.  A great source of information on sunrise, sunset,
declination of the Sun, Julian dates, holidays, moon rise, moonset, moon
phases etc.  No computer needed.  Just plain cool.  So maybe not all are
being used for cel nav.  But the overriding question on how many are being
sold (not printed) to civilians globally is a good starting point for
non-military usage.

2. Honoring the "Notices about electronic navigation are acceptable, but
prolonged discussions should be taken off line" rules of our host, I would
quickly query as to how many currently practicing cel nav folks are
replacing a hard copy with a dedicated hand held, a programmable calculator,
or a program for their computer(s)?

3.  Of course, since its main advantage at sea is non-electronic backup
these days, due diligence requires we ask about the overlap between 1 &
2--who has both?

4.  Perhaps then we have a reasonable indicator of the number of people
practicing cel nav, for whatever reason(s).

If I were a graduate student working on a tight-niche marketing project of
choice,  this topic would be primo.  But this is non-electronic navigation
list, and I promised days ago to let stop pestering the good people on the
list about whether cel nav was alive or dead, so ...

> Ken,
> Thank you for your explanation
>> The Astra numbers are good.
>> The Freiberger and Cassens & Plath
>> numbers are my informed estimate.
>
> You are talking of the estimate of worldide sales?
>
>> It seems to me that Nautical Almanac sales would be more
>> germaine to
>> understanding current usage than new sextant sales.
>
> That's what I suggested from the beginning.
>
>> I submitted this data a
>
> I found it: Thu Jun 13 2002 - 23:14:36 EDT .
> You were writing about 15000 copies per
> year of commercial edition, of which 6000 go
> for export and 9000 consumed in the US.
>
> Most of the US Gov print, you say, go to the military.
>
> So it remains to estimate how many Britain prints
> (This is a joint US-British Gov. enterprise, correct?)
> and how many are printed in other languages.
> French? Russian? Japanese? Chinese??
>
> The 9000 consumed in the US looks suprpisingly high to me.
> Alex.

   

Reply