NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: GPS shortcomings.
From: Lu Abel
Date: 2005 Jun 9, 08:11 -0700
From: Lu Abel
Date: 2005 Jun 9, 08:11 -0700
Dan: The Davis Mk 3 was a toy. I, too, once purchased one and found it completely useless. (I notice that Davis no longer manufactures it) Please do not judge the Mk 15 or Mk 25 by the Mk 3; the Mk 15/20/25 are real micrometer drum sextants whose only "fault" is being made out of an engineered plastic. Lu Abel Dan Allen wrote: > On Jun 8, 2005, at 11:05 PM, Lu Abel wrote: > >>> Metal is more reliable. Won't warp and is less liable to temperature >>> effects. Nothing new or controversial here. >> >> >> Do you speak from experience or just theory about "plastic?" > > > I have not used a Davis Mk 15 or Mk 25, but I do own a Davis Mk 3, > the $34 Davis. > It is terrible: 20-50 mi accuracy. Maybe it warped and is atypical, > but the whole experience of using it is so bad that I just ignore it > now. > > Buy a new Astra IIIb, or a used metal sextant if you have to. > It will improve your accuracy just from the pride of ownership! ;-) > > Dan > >
