NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2014 Feb 14, 14:25 -0500
Hi Sean
Correct 1.19 arc minutes.
For this to work properly, the projected laser light must be at your height of eye (pupil). Errors in this will result in errors in altitude. Suppose the eye is 1/8 of an inch above the projected light. Then its similar to a dip correction of 1.19'. That's in addition to the accuracy problem.
So your problem then becomes finding a suitable area, such that the eye is at the correct height! Just referencing your eye to the ground is not sufficient. Who's to say the ground is parallel to the horizon? I think this is going to be the tricky part.
Brad
I was thinking about using a laser level as an artificial horizon. I could set the level on a tripod at the same height as my eye and have it project the beam onto my fence, garage, etc. Then, I just have to bring the celestial body down to the laser line, right?
Info on a random level on the Home Depot's website states that it has an accuracy of 1/8" at 30 feet. Am I correct in my calculation of 1.19 minutes of arc? If so, I think I could tolerate that.
Thoughts, anyone?
-Sean C.
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