NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Error: B45a Re: T-Plotter
From: Peter Hakel
Date: 2012 Dec 29, 12:49 -0800
From: Sean C <yhshuh@aol.com>
To: NavList@fer3.com
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 1:12 PM
Subject: [NavList] Re: T-Plotter
From: Peter Hakel
Date: 2012 Dec 29, 12:49 -0800
Sean,
I am glad you are enjoying your new plotter. I thought about having additional 5-degree markings in the protractor but I was concerned about their overlap with the linear grids. Using a different color for the protractor might help but that would also significantly raise the cost of manufacturing the device… Anyway, thanks for your suggestion, I'll keep it in mind as a possible future improvement.
Cheers,
Peter Hakel
I am glad you are enjoying your new plotter. I thought about having additional 5-degree markings in the protractor but I was concerned about their overlap with the linear grids. Using a different color for the protractor might help but that would also significantly raise the cost of manufacturing the device… Anyway, thanks for your suggestion, I'll keep it in mind as a possible future improvement.
Cheers,
Peter Hakel
From: Sean C <yhshuh@aol.com>
To: NavList@fer3.com
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 1:12 PM
Subject: [NavList] Re: T-Plotter
Well, I got my very own T-Plotter for Christmas! I like it. Using only the plotter I was able to construct a plotting sheet and plot 3 LOPs on a blank sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper with very nearly the same precision as if I had used a pre-printed sheet, protractor, ruler and dividers.
The design of the plotter makes it easy to lay out the central parallel and meridian. One method is to start with the paper in landscape orientation and align the top edge of the page with the 100 mark on one end of the plotting arm. (See linked photos.) Align the bottom edge of the page with the 70 mark on the opposite end and either the left or right edge of the page (depending on the orientation of the plotter) with the 110 mark on the azimuth arm. Now the plotting arm will be running down the center of the page and the top edge of the azimuth arm will be running across the center. Mark these and extend the parallel across the
page.
Next, all you have to do is measure an angle from the center parallel corresponding to your AP Latitude (as explained elsewhere on the list) and mark that. (In the photo below, the angle is set at 40°.) Voila! One plotting sheet!
I was even able to estimate the azimuths of the bodies fairly accurately using the built-in protractor. (But, to be honest, if it had 1° or even more 5° divisions...I would buy another!) It's fast, convenient and well designed for the task. All in all, I'd say it's just about the perfect plotting tool! Thanks Peter!
Regards,
Sean C
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Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Plots.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Printed.JPG
Sean C
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Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Step1a.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Step1b.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Step2.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Finished.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Plots.JPG
Linked File: https://www.NavList.net/imgx/Printed.JPG