NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

HOME

Re: Mark 15 sextants
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2018 Oct 26, 17:33 -0400

The instructions for alignment of the "prism level" can be found in Bruce Bauer's "The Sextant Handbook". I quote

"The Davis Prism is easily attached and aligned. A crosshair target is attached temporarily in place of the scope and the instrument stood on its legs flat on s table. The target is sighted through the horizon glass and the prism is adjusted with a knob until the target corosshairs are undistorted, which assures that the prism is parallel to the frame of the sextant"

End quote, image attached

I think the target is sighted when looking BACK through the horizon glass. I also think you can simulate that crosshair by laying placing a parallel (like a domino chip) on the arc.

Brad

On Fri, Oct 26, 2018, 5:05 PM Robert Pearson <NoReply_Pearson@fer3.com> wrote:

Gord, this is a Davis Instruments Prism Level which fits their Mark 12, 15, 20 and 25 sextants. I have a one I got with an old mk 20 sextant that needed some work. It's purpose is to determine when the sextant is vertical without the need to "swing the arc". When properly adjusted the horizon as seen thru the prism and the horizon glass will line up. If you find it intruding on the view when bringing bodies down you can flip it out of the way and then filp it back into view when checking the vertical.
You might find a manual for it on the internet - I didn't have any luck yet. I thought I might have one for this model but couldn't find it. I have the repair parts for the mk20 and an old mk12 (in worse shape) but no manuals stored away with them. Some cold winter's day I'll get started on them.
I did find this old ad for a Davis mk II version of the prism level - sold some time ago. It was made to use on circular horizon mirrors. An image of a page in the manual shows how it's used but not how the adjustments are made when setting it up: http://landandseacollection.com/id745.html
Robert Pearson

File:

Subject:
Author:
Start date:	(yyyymm dd)
End date:	(yyyymm dd)

NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

Compose Your Message

NavList

What is NavList?

Get a NavList ID Code

Retrieve a NavList ID Code

Email Settings

Custom Index

Add Images & Files
Name or NavList Code:	Email:

Name:
	(please, no nicknames or handles)
Email:

NavList ID Code: