NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Wanted: Small Craft Precision Sextant from Francis Barker
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2007 Jan 21, 01:32 -0500
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2007 Jan 21, 01:32 -0500
I have one of these units, purchased from our friend Ken. I own it more for the sake of having one in my collection than actually using it. Having said that, I have used it on occasion and with mixed results. Mine appears to be well-made but I just don't like using it. I find the whole thing tedious, especially trying to read that vernier scale, but then again, I need reading glasses these days: the old eyes ain't what they used to be. Anyway, I noted Ken's comment about the shade glasses. Fortunately, mine are half-shaded so you can see the horizon. In the final analysis and in fairness to the manufacturer, I do not believe these Lliliputian devices were ever intended for precision navigation. The best "box" sextant I come across was manufactured by Ilon Industries out of New York. My late friend John Luykx owned one, and for years, I tried, without success to get him to sell it to me. I have not since seen an another example of this item, but you can find a photo of one in Ifland's "Taking the Stars", on page 49, Fig 55. I have been scanning e-bay every once in a while in search of an Ilon, but always come up with zilch. Could be that very few were manufactured in the first place. I would dearly love to get my hands on one of these sextants. By the way, Alexandre: if you can do lunars with a box sextant....I am not even in the same league as you. I have a hard enough time nailing them down with my C.Plath. I take my hat off to you Sir. Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alexandre E Eremenko"To: Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 11:42 AM Subject: [NavList 2116] Re: Wanted: Small Craft Precision Sextant from Francis Barker > > > These seem to be really rare. > I follow e-bay systematically, > and I have never seen one of those > on e-bay. > In the photo it looks very similar > to the box sextants of XIX century. > These can be found on e-bay quite frequently. > (I was lucky to buy one, by Troughton and Simms, > a year ago for > a very moderate price, and I find it really > excellent. I mean the average of 4-5 observatiopns > almost always gives me the result within 1'. > Usually even much better than that. > I think it is an outstanding performance for a > "sextant" that fits in your T-shirt pocket. > I can also cite historical evidence: > Alexander von Humboldt writes: > "I also have a two-inch sextant by Troughton, > which I call my snuff-box sextant: it is really incredible > what you can do with this little instrument. > A single set of observations taken by it > of the altitude of the Sun when passing the prime vertical > will give the correct time within two or three seconds. > Even if this accuracy is purely accidental, I must admit > it happens very frequently." > > This is confirmed by my experience: I even managed > to take some Lunars with it from a small boat:-) > With accidentally very good results. > > Alex > > P.S. One problem with these sextants on e-bay is > that there are many fakes, which look VERY much > like the real thing. You need really good photos to tell > the difference. > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---