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A friend and listmember has mailed me recently, off-list, referring to the
heading-sensor discussion, and crediting me with some authority as being a
specialist on such matters. That is an impression that it would be wise to
dispel. It is useful to know from what level of authority opinions on this
list are coming. So may I quote, on-list, from my reply to him?

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"It seems that my pose as a gyro guru has taken you in! But in reality, I
have only an amateur's knowledge about such matters.

I am really an ex-physicist of many years ago, diverted into electronic
instrumentation related to research in nuclear science (now long retired).
This has led me in all sorts of interesting directions, one of which has
been that of control systems, where they have been subject to external
disturbances. So I admit to having a bit of experience in that field.

My contributions to the discussion about magnetic course sensing, such as
they have been, are really based on arguments from first-principles,
however, and not on any grounding in steering-technology itself. I have no
specialist knowledge about the matter, none at all. I'm just a fellow who
likes to understand how things work, in some detail. I have observed the
defects of the common steering systems, using a magnetic reference and a
gravity reference, in rough weather, over many years. Thought about it a
lot, and about how it could be improved. It's that which has led me to
counter some of the woolly-thinking that the list has shown up, about that
topic.

I'm glad it sounded convincing, but my views should not be given too much
respect. I can be just as wrong as the next man!"

Hope that helps.

George Huxtable.

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george@huxtable.u-net.com
George Huxtable, 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
Tel. 01865 820222 or (int.) +44 1865 820222.
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