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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
1911 encyclopedia
From: Doug Royer
Date: 2003 Mar 26, 12:46 -0800
From: Doug Royer
Date: 2003 Mar 26, 12:46 -0800
Mr. Pisko, I have 1 thing to ask and 1 to report.It concerns the 1911 piece you wrote. I don't understand "one was fixed at 45* and the other read the angle".Could you expain this?I can't visualise what the 1st sextant is for. I went and tried what you suggested about the hand held compass this morning.I lased a phone pole and set up at 400 yds. distance.I then took a mil reading from the compass and keeping the compass and pole in constant sight walked,no measured distance just paces, untill there was a mil bearing change around 10 mils.I did this multiple times and came up with differant distances each time.One of the readings was 424 paces.The 2nd was 388 paces.The 3rd attempt was 409 paces.Not a very scientific experiment I agree but a good 1st approximation.I think this will method will work.I will have to work on the proceedure to find where I'm making my mistakes to get consistant results over many differant ranges.If this does work I won't have to carry a calculator when I go into the field.Thanks for the idea on this matter.When I was a grunt they taught us route step and I beleave each step was to be around 30 inches.Someone would be tasked with counting steps and keeping track of time and azimuth during the march and when asked give the sergeant the info to help with positioning.Marine Corp dead reckoning I guess.