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Re: Oaklet Japanese sextant brand
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2023 Nov 12, 13:44 -0500
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2023 Nov 12, 13:44 -0500
Yes, based on the photos, that's a typical Tamaya-like sextant. Yet another brand! A few little details of interest:
- The scope is backwards. :) This is harmless, of course. The person who
attached the telescope for photos presumably didn't know any better or
just didn't notice. When the scope is turned around, you would discover
that it could use a little rubber eye cap. I find these small scopes
rather annoying in their normal state.
- Second,
it's interesting to note that there's no vernier scale on the
micrometer. This is actually a good thing, in my opinion. The vernier
scale on most modern sextants is a pointless complication that confuses
new navigators. The lack of the vernier may, however, provide a more
specific date on the instrument, if there's no other reliable date
available.
- This sextant also has a metal
overhanging shade, like an umbrella, above the horizon mirror. I've
never quite understood the supposed advantage of this "umbrella shade",
and in some Tamayas that I have looked it, it tends to partially block
the view through the sextant. If you decide to buy this instrument, you
may want to remove the umbrella shade. This should be easy.
Frank Reed
