NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Herman Dekker
Date: 2021 Oct 18, 04:10 -0700
Why I place the Index Arm in the 0° position.
1. If you take the sextant out of the case the 0° position reminds me first to check the IndexError
(I know now always neccessary for a metal sextant, but for a lunar it is wise to do that)
2. The freiberger Yacht Sextant is smaller then a "standard" sextant, so less space to grab it.
With the Index Arm in 0° position, the middele vertikal frame bar is easier to grab without
putting force on the Index Arm.
3.With the Index Arm in 0° position, the worm mechanism is a counterweight for the horizonmirror.
It is then in balance. If the Index Arm is in the middle position you feel that the sextant whants
to tilt to the left. In the 108° position the tilting force is unpleasant.
Perhaps Greg is right with the 0° position is not preferable for corrosion reasons, I wait if Bill Morris
reacts on this, otherwise I ask him directly. He gave me before a good explanation how to use the
screws of the mirrors
Regards
HermanD
