NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Sextant Repairs
From: Joel Jacobs
Date: 2004 Aug 1, 07:32 -0400
From: Joel Jacobs
Date: 2004 Aug 1, 07:32 -0400
I haven't got the time to spend on making sextant repairs, but if anyone has the need for Tamaya or C. Plath parts they are welcome to check with me. I might be able to come up with something. Some of these parts such as a filter housing, with filters, may be drilled and tapped to fit other makes. The same for legs. Unless you're a purist, $75.00 U.S. plus shipping is a bit steep for each filter for most of us. SEXTANT DAMAGE: I made a very fancy "rope work" lanyard like those used with a bo'sun pipe, which I wore around my neck attached to my sextant. In all the years at sea on small craft where the forces can be extreme , I never had any damage. I suggest others might find this useful. I can send a picture of one attached to a bo'sun pipe to those interested. ATB, Joel Jacobs ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Gainer"To: Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 6:52 PM Subject: Re: Soviet Sextants! > In the time that I have been cruising, I have had to resilver the mirrors > once. Replace a leg on both the Freiberger and the Cassens & Plath, once on > each. I had a friend make a mirror adjusting screw and the mirror-locating > pin for a Heath that I have. I just sent the horizon filter assembly back to > Cassens & Plath to have a filter replaced (60 euro per glass). The only > sextant that I own that has not had some work done on it is my Brandis. If > you sail long enough or far enough in a small boat you will need to replace > the light assembles or a leg on your sextant, it will happen. The price of > the parts is not the issue. I don't think that if the cost of the leg were > double it would make any difference. You only buy the part once in 30 years. > Add to this the leg only cost 25 dollars, if it were twice as much so what. > But if you can't get the part when you need it, now that's a problem. I > would hate to throw away the Plath because the filter was not available. > Before I bought any thing like a sextant you can be sure that I would find > out who is going to service it and if they can they give me some assurance > on the availability of parts. If the sextant is damaged so much that you > need the help of a repair shop, then I think its time to shop for a > replacement. If the frame were bent, I would not have it repaired. My office > is in need of some decorations anyway. > All the best, > Robert Gainer > > > > > >From: Joel Jacobs > >Reply-To: Navigation Mailing List > >To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM > >Subject: Re: Soviet Sextants! > >Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 16:58:23 -0400 > > > >Courtney, > > > >Sextants that are in use, barring being dropped, shouldn't require much, if > >any service. The most that needs be done would be to replace mirrors or > >maybe fix the illumination on C. Plaths which is a weak point. You can > >always have a Plath or Tamaya mirror notched, using a grinding wheel to > >replace a SNO-T horizon mirror. > > > >Joel Jacobs > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Courtney Thomas" > >To: > >Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 1:19 PM > >Subject: Re: Soviet Sextants! > > > > > > > Joel, > > > > > > What is the situation regarding service/repair of the CHO sextants ? > > > > > > If unavailable, I'd guess the Freiberger, though real high, is at least > > > available. > > > > > > Cordially, > > > > > > Courtney > > > > > > > > > > > > Joel Jacobs wrote: > > > > > > > Good call Renee, > > > > > > > > The Alexey I was speaking of is at this site. www.antiques-marine.com > > > > > > > > Yuri as below, as you've read has a reputation of faithful dealing, > >but > >I > > > > 've no personal experience with him. > > > > > > > > Rene, the parts of the Freiberger and SNO-T are not interchangeable. > >The > > > > cost of Freiberger parts in this country is quite high. Check with > >Claussen > > > > Instruments. The owner, Wayne handles sextants personally. > > > > > > > > IMO, a good clean SNO-T should sell for close to $375-$400.00 with a 4 > >x > >40 > > > > or 3.5 x 40 scope in the U.S. They're worth less than half that with > >a > >7 x > > > > scope. If it has two scopes don't add much for the high powered one. > >So, > >you > > > > really need to know the scope situation before you can evaluate the > > > > attractiveness of a Russian sextant. And then don't forget the > >mirrors. > > > > Sextant mirrors are horrendously expensive. > > > > > > > > BTW, Mauri had a NEW SNO-T on his site for close to $400.00 which is > >quite > > > > high considering the shipping. Everyone knows that in the Cyrillic > >alphabet > > > > that S and T are the same? > > > > > > > > A good clean Freiberger should bring from $375-$450, so I personally > >don't > > > > see much difference between them price wise. > > > > > > > > Sextants that are in use, barring being dropped, shouldn't require > >much > >if > > > > any service. The most that needs be done would be to replace mirrors > >or > > > > maybe fix the illumination on C. Plaths which is a weak point. You can > > > > always have a Plath or Tamaya mirror notched to replace a SNO-T > >horizon > > > > mirror. > > > > > > > > Joel Jacobs > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Renee Mattie" > > > > To: > > > > Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 11:57 AM > > > > Subject: Re: Soviet Sextants! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >>From: Renee Mattie [mailto:reneemattie@hotmail.com] > > > >>Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 9:59 AM > > > >>To: 'Navigation Mailing List' > > > >>Subject: RE: [NAV-L] Soviet Sextants! > > > >> > > > >>Joel Jacobs said: > > > >> > > > >>>I am pasting a representative copy of one of my Russian ebay sextant > > > >>> > > > >>listings which > > > >> > > > >>>discusses the advantages of the Russian SNO-T sextant in particular, > > > >>>and > > > >>> > > > >>in general. If > > > >> > > > >>>the seller is "ALEXEY" and I think it is, I have dealt with him a > > > >>>couple > > > >>> > > > >>of times, and > > > >> > > > >>>he is totally trustworthy. > > > >>> > > > >>The seller gives contact information of: > > > >>Yuri Margorsky: maur@online.kharkiv.com > > > >> > > > >>I don't know if he has any relation to the Alexey you speak of. > > > >> > > > >>I have a question though: > > > >> > > > >>Robert Gainer said: > > > >> > > > >>>Because you can buy the Freiberger for within a few dollars of the > > > >>>Soviet > > > >>> > > > >>one, what are > > > >> > > > >>>you gaining? It's easier to get parts or have the Freiberger serviced > > > >>>and > > > >>> > > > >>I would feel > more comfortable with it, if for that reason and > >nothing > > > >>else. > > > >> > > > >>I know the SNO-T is based closely on the Freiberger. Can it not use > >the > > > >>same parts? > > > >>Would it be more difficult to get parts and services for the SNO-T? > > > >>In general, the Freiberger price of a Freiberger on Ebay is at least > >20% > > > >>higher than that for a SNO-T. I am surprised to see maurnavy selling > >one > > > >>for LESS than the SNO-T. The pictured Freibuger looks perfect (though > > > >> > > > > there > > > > > > > >>are no closeups of any of the parts). The only visible difference is > >that > > > >>it has only one scope. > > > >> > > > >>Renee > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > s/v Mutiny > > > Rhodes Bounty II > > > lying Oriental, NC > > > WDB5619 > > _________________________________________________________________ > Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! > http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/