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    Re: book - the complete on-board celestial navigator
    From: Phil Guerra
    Date: 2003 Mar 24, 19:32 -0600

    I agree, that's all I was saying.  I'm not comparing the two, just placing
    them into categories, one's for an experienced navigator the other for a
    newbie like me.  I have made use of his tables, after I gathered some of the
    prerequisite knowledge he recommends.  It is a very useful book, as is the
    Howell book.
    
    Anybody, got recommendations on a hand-bearing compass?
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Kieran Kelly" 
    To: 
    Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 5:43 PM
    Subject: Re: book - the complete on-board celestial navigator
    
    
    > Gentlemen,
    >
    > I came across the Complete On Board Celestial Navigator shortly after
    > becoming interested in celestial navigation. I knew a little but not a lot
    > about the subject when I first looked into George Bennett's book, after
    > teaching myself from Susan P Howell's book. While the latter is an
    excellent
    > primer it should not be compared to Bennett's book - they seek to do two
    > different things.
    >
    > Using Howell's book the navigator will still need to invest in and carry a
    > current nautical almanac and set of often multi-volume tables such as HO
    > 229. This is both expensive and bulky for yachting use. The great benefit
    of
    > the Bennett book is that it is all there in one compact, light and cheap
    > offering. The only sacrifices made are a slight loss in accuracy -
    > negligible - and a need for limited interpolation.
    >
    > Bennett makes clear at the front of his book that it is intended as a
    backup
    > for electronic methods of navigation and that it was prepared primarily
    with
    > an eye to convenience and cost and I think it fills those aims admirably.
    >
    > But the really outstanding feature of this book is his table of change of
    > altitude of a celestial body for any Z and lat over 5 minute intervals.
    This
    > enables easy averaging of sights without maths. This is something that I
    had
    > not seen published anywhere else in navigation textbooks and I mean
    anywhere
    > else stretching back to Raper and Norie in the nineteenth century. I use
    > Bennett's tables constantly to check sextant sights for accuracy and
    > eliminate personal error. If nothing else, the book is worth the cover
    price
    > for access to these techniques.
    >
    > So for anyone interested in the science/art/practice of celestial
    navigation
    > Howell and Bennet are both very worthwhile investments.
    >
    >
    > Kieran Kelly
    
    
    

       
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