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Re: Polhemus computer
From: Gary LaPook
Date: 2008 Jul 24, 02:39 -0700
From: Gary LaPook
Date: 2008 Jul 24, 02:39 -0700
Look at the thread "celestial up in the air" for more infomation about the Polhemus computer. gl On Jul 15, 12:49 pm, "Gary J. LaPook"wrote: > Gary LaPook writes: > > As an addendum to my previous post, I forgot to point out that the > central meridian on both the plotting sheet and the Polhemus computer > were 119� 15' W and the central parallel was 34 � N although that should > have been clear from the context. > > I also forgot to show how the final fix coordinates were determined. The > latitude is easy, just read it off the central meridian scale and > remember, for the plotting sheet, to divide by 4 since I multiplied the > scale by 4 at the beginning. To determine the longitude you do the > reverse of the process used to plot the A.P.s, set the scale to 56� (34� > above the center parallel) and read straight down from the fix to where > it strikes the diagonal scale and that is the longitude. On the plotting > sheet do the same and place one leg of the dividers at that intersection > and measure the distance from that intersection to the center of the > plotting sheet on the vertical scale, again dividing by 4. See figure 26. > > In addition to the plotting disk we just used, the Polhemus comes with 6 > other disks on which are drawn the graticle for 0�, 25�, 35�, 45� > 55�, and 65� latitudes for a Lambert projection at a scale of > 1:5,000,000, a common scale used on the GNC series of aeronautical > charts which allows you to use it at any latitude. (You use the 0� again > for polar grid navigation.) Since the graticle is marked with latitude > and longitude you just plot the A.P. on the graticle and read out the > longitude also on the graticle, see figure 27 through 29. Figure 28 > shows the disk for 65� by itself and figure 29 shows it mounted on the > Polhemus base. > > The Polhemus was used by the Air Force but the Navy also used similar > devices such as the Mk5 and Mk6 plotting boards which are used in a > similar fashion although they do not have the computer functions on the > other side to do the in flight celnav calculation Figure 30 is a picture > of a Mk6A plotting board. The Polhemus is 8 and a half inches in > diameter while the plotting board is 12 inches across and is much > heavier since it incorporates a storage compartment inside. > > Gary J. LaPook wrote: > >Gary LaPook writes: > > >The Polhemus computer provides a convenient way to plot celnav fixes > >and this posting will show how you use it for this purpose. The other > >side of the computer is used for in flight celnav and I will leave a > >discussion of that use for later. > > >The first step in plotting a celnav fix is plotting the assumed > >positions for each body and I will use the data from the "3-Star > >Fix-'Canned Survival Problem'" thread for this example. > > >Figure 1 shows the standard way of making a plotting sheet. A line is > >drawn from the center at the same angle above above the horizontal that > >is the same as the latitude of the center of the plotting sheet, in this > >case, 34 degrees. The dividers are set to the difference in longitude > >from the center meridian (in this case 119� 15') to the longitude of the > >A.P. The first A.P. plotted is for Vega which is 119� 06.9' which is > >7.9' east of the center meridian so the dividers are set to represent > >7.9 as measured on the center meridian scale which I have multiplied > >four times to make the scale of the plotting sheet larger so the > >dividers were set to 31.6 and placed along the diagonal line. From this > >point you go straight down and place the mark for the A.P. (an inverted > >"V") on the central parallel of latitude. > > > Figure 2 shows the other two A.P.s plotted as well. > > >Figure 3 shows the base of the Polhemus computer which a vertical grid > >marked in units, an unmarked horizontal grid and a surrounding azimuth > >scale. ( On my computer I have added two scales near the center of the > >grid for calculating the "motions" for in flight use and these scales > >should be disregarded for this discussion..) > > >Figure 4 shows the transparent plotting surface that is mounted on the > >central pivot of the base which has three vertical and three horizontal > >lines lines forming a square and spaced to occupy 15 units on the > >vertical scale on the base unit. (The plotting surface also has scales > >marked along the lines but we will not make use of these tic marks.) > > >Figure 5 shows the plotting disk mounted on the base with the true index > >set at 56� which lines up the numbered central line on the base 34� > >above the horizontal and this causes the computer to be set in the > >equivalent manner as the plotting sheet in figure 1. We use a similar > >procedure and go straight down from 7.9 on the scale and place the Vega > >A. P. on the horizontal line. > > >Figure 6 show the the other A.P.s plotted with the A.P. for Spica > >plotted up from 7.9 since the A.P. is 119� 22.9 which is 7.9 west of the > >center meridian; and Pollux plotted up from 24.1 representing 119� 39.1'. > > >Figures 7 through 12 show the plotting of the Spica line on the plotting > >sheet using an aircraft plotter and the '"flip-flop" method. Figure 7 > >shows the plotter's edge passing through the Spica A.P. and set to the > >azimuth of 170.5�, the azimuth of Spica. > > >Figure 8 shows the dividers set to a scaled intercept of 12.9 NM and set > >along the straight edge with one leg on the A.P.. Holding the dividers > >in place the the plotter is slid up so that the 270� mark on the plotter > >scale is against the other leg of the dividers which is shown in figure 9. > > >Now carefully holding that leg and the plotter in place you move the leg > >that had been at the A.P. so that is is on the reference line on the > >other side of the azimuth scale on the plotter so that now the dividers > >is at right angles to its previous position as shown in figure 10. > > >Carefully holding the dividers in place you slide the plotter out and > >reposition it with the straight edge against the two divider legs so now > >the straight edge is in position to draw the Spica LOP as shown in > >figure 11 and 12. > > >Figure 13 shows the complete fix after carrying out the same steps for > >the other bodies. > > >We will now go through the same process on the Polhemus computer. Figure > >14 shows the true index set to 58� which is the azimuth of Vega. Figure > >15 shows the A.P. for Vega which is at 5.5 on the base grid. Since the > >Vega intercept is .5 away we move away from 58� half of a NM and trace > >the LOP on top of the "5" grid line as shown in figures 15 and 16. > > >Figure 17 shows the true index set to 170.5� which is the azimuth of > >Spica. We then count down (away) 12.9 NM from the Spica A.P. (which is > >the "V" located on the "1" grid line, actually the "10" line which we > >are scaling as "1") and trace the Spica LOP on top of the "14" line as > >shown in figure 18. Figure 19 shows the Vega and Spica LOPs with the > >plotting disk set to show north as up. > >Figure 20 shows using the same procedure being used to plot the Pollux > >line with an intercept of 13.6 away from an azimuth of 290�. > > >Figure 21 shows the completed fix with the plotting disk set to north up. > > >After carefully plotting these two examples I decided to go for "time." > >I started over again with a fresh plotting sheet and an erased Polhemus > >plotting disk. It took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to plot the three A.P.s > >on the plotting sheet; an additional 1 minute 25 seconds to plot the > >Vega LOP; an additional 1 minute 30 seconds to to plot the spica LOP; 58 > >seconds more to plot the Pollux LOP and finally another 40 seconds to > >derive the fix for a total time of 6 minutes and 45 seconds. The fix is > >34� 13'N, 119� 16.5' W. This is shown in figures 22 and 23. > > >I then did the same exercise on the Polhemus computer. It took 22 > >seconds to plot the three A.P.s; 40 seconds to plot the first LOP; 28 > >seconds for the second LOP; 18 seconds for the third LOP; then 41 > >seconds to derive the fix for a total of just 2 minutes and 29 seconds > >which is 4 minutes and 16 seconds faster than using the traditional > >plotting sheet. The fix is 34� 12.5'N, 119� 16' W a half mile south and > >a half mile east of the fix as plotted on the traditional plotting > >sheet. This is shown in figures 24 and 25. > > >gl > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ... > > read more � > > 26.jpg > 184KViewDownload > > 27.jpg > 187KViewDownload > > 28.jpg > 187KViewDownload > > 29.jpg > 189KViewDownload > > 30.jpg > 189KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---