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    Re: Longhand Sight Reduction
    From: Gary LaPook
    Date: 2014 Jun 12, 00:13 -0700

    Nice diagrams. I noticed the insensitivity at the low end of the cosine scale 
    and it gives you a feeling about what is going on in the computation. The 
    sensitivity when the azimuth angle is near 90 degrees is well known and that 
    is why there was the special procedure for cases within 5 degrees of 90. I 
    wrote:
    
    " If the computed azimuth angle is greater than 85º the computed altitude will 
    lose accuracy even though the azimuth is accurate because, with azimuth 
    angles in this range, even rounding the azimuth angle up or down one half 
    minute can change the Hc by ten minutes. So you use the azimuth you have 
    calculated but you compute altitude by interchanging declination and latitude 
    and then doing the normal computation a second time. You discard the azimuth 
    derived during this second computation of altitude and use the original 
    azimuth."
    
    see:
    
    https://sites.google.com/site/fredienoonan/other-flight-navigation-information/modern-bygrave-slide-rule
    
    The accuracy of the Bygrave has been confirmed and is due to the choice of formulas. 
    
    See:
    
    http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx/Bygrave-formula-accuracy-on-10-inch-slide-rule-Hirose-jul-2009-g8985
    
    
    gl
    
    
    --------------------------------------------
    On Wed, 6/11/14, Hanno Ix  wrote:
    
     Subject: [NavList] Re: Longhand Sight Reduction
     To: garylapook@pacbell.net
     Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 9:11 PM
     
     Gentlemen, 
     
     here are the results of a study re:
     Bygrave error, scale length, etc.
     
     I was wondering why Bygrave chose
     his particular sight reduction 
     formula and
     his design. Since nobody on the list answered
     
     
     I decided to look into it myself.
     
     I
     started out by calculating the lengths of a 
     log10(sin(x)) - scale and the length of a
     log10(tan(x)) - scale 
     both with
     a "1 mm per 1 arcmin"  resolution.
     
     
     
     This resolution was chosen
     because I assumed it being close to what I need for
     a comfortable reading. However, I will not
     argue against "2mm per arcmin"or
     thereabouts.
      
     The lengths
     came out as: 
     
     
     log10(sin(x))  64 meters   log10(tan(x)) 28 meters.
     
     The reason for this
     large difference is the simple fact that the
     step size of the first varies
     much more than the one of the second.
     
     
     
     G. LaPook's Flat
     Bygrave's (FB)  tan() - scale stretch over only ~
     380" or ~ 10 meters.,
     with the cos() -
     scale about half as far or less. Why, then, can the FB yield
     - occasionally at least - a result with an error of  2 arc
     min or less as G. LaPook reports? 
     
     
     BTW: If the FB were twice as
     long this error would be, I assume, half of that.
     That chimes roughly with my
     assumption of "1mm per 1 arcmin" of a readable
     scale. 
     In fact, on the copy of the FB in my
     possession, at ~45 deg on  the tan() scale you can at
     discern 1 arcmin with ease - outside much less.
     
     
     Getting closer to the real
     question: In the FB, the cos() scale has been shrunk far
     below that "1mm per 1 arcmin" threshold. Look at
     the 5 deg area! Why is the result still as good as Gary et
     al. claim? In other words, why does that very rough cos()
     scale not prevent the overall results to be so close to the
     correct one? That is odd!
     
     
     Two components to the answer:
     
     -  H is read on
     the scale with the highest resolution, the tan() - scale. (
     Actually, that is the case for the azimuth as well.)
     
     -  In
     Bygrave's formula, the cos() and its errors have a
     limited control, so to speak.
     
     
     The 2 attached graphs
     demonstrate this. I will not bother you with the details of
     the calculations. The first shows the error dH of H given a
     correct Y and a grossly wrong azimuth A. Its offset dA  is
     assumed to be as much as 10 arc min. Same for the second
     graph with dA only 100 arc min. ( Both are interesting cases
     in their own right.)
     
     
     We conclude for
     
     dA = 10
     arcmin: Unless the pair (Y, A)  falls in to red zone dH
     will never exceed 1 arcmin.
     The
     good area (white) is a very wide area. Most sight reduction
     cases will fall into it.
     
     
     dA = 100 arcmin: Despite this
     large error of the azimuth the Bygrave will produce good
     results for all values of Y if the azimuth itself is below
     20 deg. If we however limit the range of admissible
     Y's  to ~ 20 deg the azimuth may be as large as 50 or
     60 deg and the Bygrave will still deliver good results. And
     for the application of this case: there are often other,
     perhaps simpler, means to determine the azimuth with an
     error of  up to 100 arcmin. In those cases, one can take
     the value found with those and proceed to finding H on the
     Bygrave.
     
     
     I hope this has found your
     interest.  I admire the insights of Bygrave that he put to
     use in his great little slide rule!
     
     Regards
     
     Hanno
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     On Wed,
     Jun 11, 2014 at 12:16 PM, Francis Upchurch 
     wrote:
     
     
     Thanks
     Hanno.Good challenge. Hospital next
     week. Out of action maybe 4 weeks, then ok for go.
     !
     My slide rules cost about $5 a
     piece so far, but plenty of work!
     
     Can be
     done.Keep up the interesting work. My
     money is on Bygrave, but I’m biased!
     
     Francis 
     From: NavList@fer3.com
     [mailto:NavList@fer3.com]
     On Behalf Of Hanno Ix
     
     Sent: 11 June 2014 17:01
     To:
     francisupchurch---.com
     Subject:
     [NavList] Re: Longhand Sight
     Reduction 
     Francis,
     
     Given the choice Danioli vs Bygrave:
     What would Chichester have chosen?
     Assuming, of course, he had access
     to and enough experience with
     both.
      I celebrated Greg's RIC /
     Danioli yesterday by playing around with it. 
     
     It indeed works and is fast. Comparison with the standard
     formula is attached below.
     
     Greg seems to think one can do that single
     multiplication with a 10" slide rule. 
     I am skeptic. In praxis, ten inchers do not
     yield correct 4 digits consistently, 
     
     and that's what I need for accuracy over the useful
     ranges of L,D,t.Now, there might be a challenge
     especially for you: a Fuller < = 10" that
     can
       - do 4 digit multiplication,
     i.e. yields vwxy = ABCD * abcd;  v, w, x, y being
     correct digits. 
       - can be built with
     standard and garage tools plus a PC and
     printer.  - in not more than, say, a
     week.
       - for about $50 or less,  $100
     max. 
     It need not look like an exhibit
     in a museum, although it should be sturdy enough 
     to survive a 1-week sailing trip in the Virgin
     Islands.  ( Where and when can I sign up?
     )
     Re: formulas. One example, with
     good or flawed results, is not really sufficient
     tojudge a formula or method. You
     need to show it yields accurate 4 digit results consistently
     
     
     for the full useful ranges of L,D,t. I am unsure, though,
     what "useful" means for our CelNav
     friends.Any ideas out
     there?
     I am studying the Bygrave in this
     respect right now. Stand by please.
     
     
     Hanno
     _____________________________________________________________________________________
     For the record, Danioli
     claims:
       
        
     sin(h) = n - ( n + m ) * a ;   n:
     cos(L-D);    m: cos(L+D);   a:  [1 -  cos(t) ] / 2 or
     hav(t);   
     
     Let's see. By
     inserting:     sin(h) =  cos(L-D)  
     -  [ cos(L-D) + cos(L+D) ] *  [ 1 - cos(t) ] /
     2;
     which is in more
     detail:    sin(h)
     = 
     cos(L-D)  - cos(L-D) * [ 1 - cos(t) ] / 2  -  cos(L+D) *
     [1 - cos(t) ] / 2;
     and more detail
     yet:    sin(h) =  cos(L-D) 
     -  cos(L-D) / 2  +   cos(L-D)*cos(t) / 2   -  cos(L+D)
     / 2 + cos(L+D)*cos(t) / 2;
     Collecting:                    
                sin(h) =  cos(L-D)/2 -
     cos(L+D) / 2    +     [ cos(L-D) / 2 + cos(L+D) / 2 ]
     * cos(t);
                  
     =         sin(L) * sin(D)             
     +              cos(L) * cos(D) *
     cos(t);
     which is correct.
     
      
     On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 11:11 PM,
     Francis Upchurch 
     wrote:
     Oh dear. Is it time to put my
     beloved Bygrave away? Cant wait to here more details of the
     Bygrave maths.Chichester said he preferred the Bygrave when
     flying single handed, because he made mistakes with log
     tables. (Perhaps he did not have Haversines?)  But, could
     someone explain the main difference/advantages/disadvantages
     of the versine method (Vers ZD=Vers LHAxCos
     Latx Cos Dec+Vers(Lat+/-Dec) and the
     Haversine method? My versine method (Reeds
     Astro Nav Tables) uses tables of natural and log versines
     and log cos (total 11 pages).Does not need
     sines.
     Versine
     methodlog vers LHA  
      9.9019log cos Lat    
      9.9177
     log cos Dec    
     9.9642add            
      29.7838Nat Vers of 9.7838=      
      0.6081
     Lat-Dec=11013' Nat
     vers=0.0191. Add= 0.6272=6806'. =ZD.
     900-6806'=
     21054'Not a lot in it I would say?
     quicker for me than reduction tables and I understand what
     we are doing.
     Please correct me and
     explain the advantages of the Haversine over the versine. (I
     do not have haversines but do have versines! Where do I get
     haversines?)Bygrave.
     H=3600-LHA=78021',
     co-lat=55050', y(w)=64031',
     X=colat+y(w)=120021',
     Y=1800-X=59039', > Az
     =76024'> Hc
     21054'
     No contest! Took a
     fraction of the time and no mistakes from looking up 4
     figure logs etc. And I've got Az (OK
     done hundreds of Bygrave LOPs and only a couple of
     Versines!)
     I'll stick to my
     Bygrave!  
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