NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Joel Jacobs
Date: 2009 Jan 06, 17:47 +0000
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-------------- Original message from "Trevor J. Kenchington" <Gadus@istar.ca>: --------------
__._,_.___Thank you, Joel. That was helpful.
You wrote:
> In the archives, there should be the history of much of what has
> been discussed lately on this site about sextants. On the earlier
> NAVLIST, I recall detailed threads that covered these subjects in
> detail. Those discussions covered:
>
> the founder of Coast Navigation, Captain Simonsen, and the Simex
> brand.
> The problems with small scale (7/8) sextants, ie the law of similitude
> when the micrometer drum was invented and by whom
> when the endless tangent screw was introduced
> Private label sextants such as NAUTECH, SIMEX and MAC
> and so on and so forth.
> Perhaps some one can dig out those old threads.
>
Unfortunately, the Yahoo archiving system doesn't seem to be working
well. Searching on "Simonsen", "Simex" or even "micrometer" doesn't
bring up any messages save those posted in the last few days. I tried
searching for messages that I had posted and it would not admit to
any before June 2008, whereas I have been contributing occasionally
to this list for a number of years.
The NavList archives do have far more information (and more than
Google found for me when I tried a general search, rather than a
search of those archives). But I still don't have answers to my
questions!
A quick look at the archived messages produces firm statements both
that Simex sextants were made by Tamaya and that they were not. Those
who posted on the old Navigation-L were closer to unanimity that your
Nautech instruments were all made by Tamaya and that the MAC ones
were not -- even though they look identical in every detail save the
brand name. Current auction prices for used sextants are
significantly higher for an old Tamaya than for a Simex or MAC of the
same vintage. I'm still trying to figure out if there is actually any
difference in the instruments themselves (beyond the obvious options,
such as a choice of telescopes).
> A couple of comments off the top of my head. The Tamaya MS 1, MS 2,
> MS 3, were the Tamaya model designations which were the same as the
> catalog numbers, 635, 636, 637 so that the same sextant had two
> designators. The differences between the models were NO lighting w
> 7 x 35 scope, lighting w 7 x 35 scope, lighting w 7 x 50 scope.
>
In that case, Tamaya are doing what the auto industry does: They are
re-using old model designators for new models. At least, their
Japanese web site uses MS-1L, MS-2L and MS-3L for what seems to be
the same sextant that sells as the 733 Spica in North America.
> The MS series was a top of the line sextant using the same frame,
> as the 733 which succeeded it. The difference was that the mirror
> sizes were smaller. For example, the horizon. mirror was 50mm vs
> 54mm in the Spica which replaced it. It has a round handle which
> carried two "C" type batteries compared to the two "AA" in the 733.
> There was a version of the MS 2 that did not have batteries which
> was designated a 635 and one that was fitted with a bigger scope
> that was the 637. Basically, they were all the same and so close in
> appearance that they could be confused with a MS 733 Spica.
>
That explains the 635, 636 and 637 but not the 633, which shows up
regularly on e-bay. The 633 had/has a noticeably different frame from
the 733, with the MAC and Simex Mariner resembling the 633.
Trevor Kenchington
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