NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Bubble sextants on e-bay
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2007 Jan 1, 16:13 -0500
From: Robert Eno
Date: 2007 Jan 1, 16:13 -0500
No worries Alex. I cannot comment on the AN 5851 so you will have to go on the word of the others. I do, however, suggest that if you are going to spend the $$$ on one, you are best to avoid e-bay unless the e-bay seller is also a reputable nautical instrument dealer and/or if you know someone who could take an old clunker and refurbish it. This would also mean that the repairman would have to have access to spare parts too. The reason why I am so enthusiastic about the MK IX is because I believe that it has an excellent bubble system. Geoffrey Kolbe brought up some valid and indisputable points about its shortcomings although do not believe it is any more clunky than other bubble sextants. The MK IX is complex, does not lend itself to calibration and repair by the user, however, I believe this is also true of most other bubble sextants. But it is the MK IX bubble system that, in my opinion, makes it superior to the other bubble sextants that I have used. It is best if you phone Robert E. White directly and speak to Ridge White. They often have sextants that have not yet been posted on their website. I mention Ken Gebhart simply because he appears to be very much connected to the industry. If anyone can get an oddball item, I suggest it would be Ken. The late John Luykx, who was a regular contributor to the Navigator's Newsletter and one of the Navigation Foundation's directors, ran a company called "Infocenter" and specialized in bubble sextant sales. I do not know if this firm has been carried on by John's partner but I can try to find out. I do know that he had several different types of aircraft sextants for sale, all of which were overhauled and refurbished. I will keep searching through my old files to see if I can locate other sources, although I regret to add that I suspect that most of these have disappeared long ago. GPS is king. Robert --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---