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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Why is a sextant like it is?
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2004 Nov 17, 15:33 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2004 Nov 17, 15:33 -0500
Dear George, You are not alone in "complaining" about the traditional sextant construction. (See Bruce Bauer's book, for example. He discusses why the handle is on the right side, he thinks it is better if it were on the left side, and even mentions one sextant he encountered with the handle on the left side). I also find it very inconvenient that the legs are on the same side as the handle: it seems more natural to me to make the legs on the opposite side to the handle. Then you could use only one hand to take a sextant from the box. I think I've seen such sextants on e-bay, but they are definitely very rare. Together with Bruce Bauer I just think that this is the force of tradition. Some reflecting circles, the instruments specially made for Lunars, had handles on both sides. Personally I find no inconvenience holding my sextant upside down, in my left hand. The screw is indeed in somewhat inconvenient position, too high, but I don't see a simple remedy for this. If there is only one screw it has to be eiher on the upper side or on the lower side:-) So I do not understand your sentence: > The trouble is that no sextant that I know of has been designed to be > used > that way, so the handles and knobs are all in completely the wrong > place. > That in itself is enough to discourage the use of a sextant > "upside-down". What is really inconvenient for me is to hold the sextant horizontally or almost horizontally with its handle on the upper side and screw on the right. Sometimes in these situations I hold it by the frame in my left hand, if the measured angle permits me to avoid touching the sextant arm. But I think this only happens when taking lunars. Handles on both sides would be indeed very convenient with lunars. Alex. On Wed, 17 Nov 2004, George Huxtable wrote: > Every sextant I have seen, or seen described or pictured, has a similar > form.