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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: What is this on this sextant
From: David Pike
Date: 2016 Feb 20, 12:45 -0800
From: David Pike
Date: 2016 Feb 20, 12:45 -0800
Bill Lionheart wrote: There is a Japanese sextant on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Japanese-Tamaya-Sextant-serial-number-715-/291687942883?hash=item43e9f4cae3:g:TdsAAOSwe7BWt6Kh. I am intregued about the large triangualr box like structure near the horizon mirror. I wondered if it was some kind of artificial horizon?
Bill. The triangular attachment looks exactly like the “System Gago Coutinho” system. You can read all about its history, advantages, and disadvantages on pages 161-163 and Figures 171 and 172 of Peter Iflands “Taking the Stars”. The fact that Peter placed this particular device in the “Aircraft Celestial Navigational Instruments” section suggests the sextant on eBay might possibly have an aviation connection. DaveP
