NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2016 Nov 29, 09:19 -0700
I have one of these in my collection. I have never attempted to employ it; rather I have viewed is as a curious addition to my collection of nautical instruments. I agree with Robert’s take on this and wonder why on earth anyone would believe that dropping steel shot on a piece of inked paper would yield accurate results at sea.
From: NavList@fer3.com [mailto:NavList@fer3.com] On Behalf Of Robert Swartz
Sent: November-29-16 12:09 AM
To: enoid@northwestel.net
Subject: [NavList] USN Ball Recording Sextant
After spending an evening reconditioning a Merganthaler Navy Ball Recording Sextant for a customer, I was able to occasionally get faint ball marks on the recording targets. I recoated the marking pad with black stamp pad ink mixed with ethylene glycol to thin it out. I'm not sure what was used for ink 72 years ago.
What an abomination of a navigation instrument--no wonder the Navy dropped it.
