NavList:

Dear Celestial Navigators,

I have a Tamaya sextant model MS-833 dated 19 June, 1981.  I’ve owned it for eight years.

I have used it over the past 5 years and have routinely obtained fixes within 3nm from a GPS position.  This evening, as I was driving around our local city lake looking for a good position(s) in order to obtain a (running) fix with the moon and Deneb. I slowed down quickly and turned abruptly thus causing my sextant to slide from the seat onto the floorboard. Sorry, an amateurish, disrespectful mistake I know. I knew when I did it that I should not have leave it unattended like I did.

I apologize for not being able to properly converse with you about the various possible mechanical adjustments and other technical aspects of this instrument.  I will proceed nevertheless in an attempt to describe what I notice to be an effect of the accident. 

As I checked the instrument for index error, I notice that the when I attempt to superimpose the image of a star upon itself, there appears to be some type of misalignment in that the image of the star can only be brought alongside the star as I obtain the measure the index error.  My history with regard to index error has been 0.5’ on the arc.  Now, the first several attempts at determining index error gave 2.5’ on the arc as I tried to imagine when the star and its image were in alignment with one another. 

I don’t know what else may have been affected in the accident.  The instrument came with a little square headed wrench that fits the mirrors.  I am reluctant to try to make any adjustments by myself.

Could you provide information for reputable sextant service centers that I may contact for repair, please?

Thank you,

Steve