NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: The Noon Fix
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Apr 8, 18:31 -0700
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Apr 8, 18:31 -0700
Last year (early June, 2008), when I mentioned getting a position fix by lunar distances, George wrote: "I had no notion that he was bringing his old hobby-horse out of its stable for another parade." And today, George wrote: "Oh, dear. I seem to have trodden on Frank Reed's favourite hobby-horse. Again." George...? Would you feel comfortable if someone referred to your knowledge and ideas as "hobby-horses"? Is that polite? And you added: "And it's brought on another attack of personal sneering, without which this mailing list would be a more pleasant place." I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, George. I tried to make my post seem somewhat light-hearted by throwing in one of those smilies --> :-) You do understand that symbol, right? Also in this recent post, you wrote: "I didn't say that it did, did I, Frank?" Yes, it still appears to me that you were trying to diminish the significance of the concept with your comment. But by the way, thank you for addressing me directly (as opposed to using the third person). Much appreciated! :-) And George, you added: "The example I asked Frank to consider, last year, was an approach to the Clyde, at 56? lat, in Winter; a question that was repeatedly evaded, as readers may recall." I did answer your query about that Clyde-bound "steamer" (as you put it). But you were expecting a much more intense discussion, and I did not feel that your example merited any further discussion. I felt that you were "making a mountain out of a mole hill," as they say. So I moved on... That's not "evasion" --it's lack of interest. And you wrote: "But it's satisfying to note that at last, Frank seems to be accepting that a lengthened time-span is appropriate to those circumstances." Well don't get too satisfied :-). I would agree with that statement only to a rather small extent. The case in high latitudes requires much longer time intervals to achieve the same accuracy in minutes of longitude, but not in miles. We normally judge the effectiveness of a method of navigation by its accuracy in miles. You ended your latest post with: "Frank ended with this piece of complete nonsense-" It wasn't nonsense. It was perfect sense in fact. :-) -FER --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---