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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Incomplete Instrument-- WWII German Soldsextant
From: Wolfgang Hasper
Date: 2020 Dec 1, 13:38 +0100
From: Wolfgang Hasper
Date: 2020 Dec 1, 13:38 +0100
Bill,
I agree to L as in "Libelle" (level) and suspect O for "Oktant" (octant) as on the device's label, can be seen here, for example:
https://www.dg-chrono.de/uhrenwissen/russische-uhren/schiffe-und-uhren/1945-2000/sextanten/
The label also describes the device with "Mittelungseinrichtung" (averager) although it technically is in fact an integrator.
The letter D appears in "De-Te-We" the Deutsche Telefon Werke, one of the manufacturers next to Plath.
Will have a look in my 1940's Navigation textbook. I think at least the device was referred to. Not sure if the designation was explained.
The Plath archives in the Deutsches Museum in Munich should hold some information.
Wolfgang
Gesendet: Montag, 30. November 2020 um 23:45 Uhr
Von: "Bill Morris" <NoReply_Morris@fer3.com>
An: wolfgang.hasper@web.de
Betreff: [NavList] Re: Incomplete Instrument-- WWII German Soldsextant
Von: "Bill Morris" <NoReply_Morris@fer3.com>
An: wolfgang.hasper@web.de
Betreff: [NavList] Re: Incomplete Instrument-- WWII German Soldsextant
Bob, Just like any sextant, the SOLD can be used without a telescope, sighting tube or peep sight. The telescope allows fainter objects like Polaris to be seen more brightly with bubble sextants and the coincidence with the horizon more clearly in nautical sextants. Captain Cook did not use a telescope until his second voyage and, while noting its advantages, found the motion of his ship usually too lively to be of much practical use. Of course, early Galilean telescopes, with their apertures of about 15 mm, had rather restricted fileds of view.
"SOLD" seems to be an acronym. Can anyone tell me what it is? I suspect it contains "sextant" and "libelle"(level).
Bill Morris
Pukenui
New Zealand
