NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: sextant for use on land
From: Geoffrey Kolbe
Date: 2009 Aug 26, 19:44 +0100
Ron Barrett wrote [NavList 9635]
Some caveats from someone who has bought four A-12 sextants, two of which were won on ebay.
Certainly, there is almost always an A-12 on offer on ebay, and the usual winning bid is quite reasonable at around the $150 dollar mark. So, concerning price and availability, one could argue that indeed ebay is the 'best' place to get an A-12 sextant.
But during the 60 odd years since their manufacture, these sextants have usually endured much neglect and not a little abuse - little of which is evident from the photographs. The person selling the instrument invariably knows nothing about them and they are sold 'as seen'. The result is that you usually have to be prepared for a fair amount of quite challenging restoration work to get these sextants operational. It is not a case of just giving them a clean and a brush up.
On the other hand, a company like Celestaire will sell you fully functioning, fully reconditioned, fully guaranteed A-12 sextant, complete with calibration certificate, for 650 bucks. You can take this sextant out of the box and use it straight away. So, concerning availability and usability, I would argue that anyone looking for an A-12 to use as a navigational tool should seriously consider what Celestaire has to offer.
And Robert Swartz wrote [NavList 9634]
How interesting! I am sure I am not alone in wondering who 'trained and authorized' you to work on A-12 sextants, Robert? And when?
Geoffrey Kolbe - (who declares that he has no financial links with Celestaire :-))
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From: Geoffrey Kolbe
Date: 2009 Aug 26, 19:44 +0100
Ron Barrett wrote [NavList 9635]
NavList, the best place to buy a sextant, especially an aircraft type such as the A-12 is Ebay. Ron Barrett Historian, Air Force Navigators Observers Association (Ref.: www.afnoa.org and www.usaf-nav-history.com)
Some caveats from someone who has bought four A-12 sextants, two of which were won on ebay.
Certainly, there is almost always an A-12 on offer on ebay, and the usual winning bid is quite reasonable at around the $150 dollar mark. So, concerning price and availability, one could argue that indeed ebay is the 'best' place to get an A-12 sextant.
But during the 60 odd years since their manufacture, these sextants have usually endured much neglect and not a little abuse - little of which is evident from the photographs. The person selling the instrument invariably knows nothing about them and they are sold 'as seen'. The result is that you usually have to be prepared for a fair amount of quite challenging restoration work to get these sextants operational. It is not a case of just giving them a clean and a brush up.
On the other hand, a company like Celestaire will sell you fully functioning, fully reconditioned, fully guaranteed A-12 sextant, complete with calibration certificate, for 650 bucks. You can take this sextant out of the box and use it straight away. So, concerning availability and usability, I would argue that anyone looking for an A-12 to use as a navigational tool should seriously consider what Celestaire has to offer.
And Robert Swartz wrote [NavList 9634]
- I buy Link A-12 sextants for reconditioning to be used for navigation. I am a master instrument technician trained and authorized to work on this instrument.
- Please email me if you have sextants for sale.
- Regards,
- Robert Swartz
- jujutsu@hotmail.com
How interesting! I am sure I am not alone in wondering who 'trained and authorized' you to work on A-12 sextants, Robert? And when?
Geoffrey Kolbe - (who declares that he has no financial links with Celestaire :-))
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc
Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com
To , email NavList-@fer3.com
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