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Re: Can someone identify this
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2008 Nov 15, 00:28 -0400
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2008 Nov 15, 00:28 -0400
Thanks, Gary. I must have seen it somewhere else, or imagined it up out of whole cloth. Hewitt On 11/14/08, Gary LaPookwrote: > > > I didn't find any mention of it in my blue covered 1962 edition. > > gl > --- On Fri, 11/14/08, Hewitt Schlereth wrote: > > From: Hewitt Schlereth > Subject: [NavList 6552] Re: Can someone identify this > To: NavList@fer3.com > Date: Friday, November 14, 2008, 4:49 PM > > > Thank you, Gary. > > When I sold my house three years ago, I donated what I could of my nav > library and (sigh) had to just pitch a lot of it - including my > collection of every NA from 1965. I have in my mind that a picture of > the device was in one of my Bowditch's - as I recall it was an edition > with a dark blue cover, whereas I think the 1977 was medium green? > The description in the pages you sent sure fits, though. > > Thanks again, Hewitt > > On 11/14/08, Gary LaPook wrote: > > > > Here are the pages from the 1977 Bowditch that concern this device. > > > > gl > > > > --- On Fri, 11/14/08, Hewitt Schlereth wrote: > > > > From: Hewitt Schlereth > > Subject: [NavList 6547] Re: Can someone identify this > > To: NavList@fer3.com > > Date: Friday, November 14, 2008, 9:55 AM > > > > > > I see by the brass plate in one of the photos the instrument was made > > in Belfontaine Ohio a place near to my heart: I learned to swim at a > > YMCA there in 1946. So let me add $25 to the fund to purchase this > > fascinating device. > > > > BTW and FWIW, the general look of the thing reminds me of a device > > that appeared in earlier editions of Bowditch (c. 1982?) in their > > listing of sight reduction methods. As I recall the Bowditch > > description had a picture of the device which appeared to be made of > > three white plastic plates that could be set to make a miniature > > navigational triangle. It looked like you set the two vertical plates > > to LHA and then aligned a third lateral plate with declination on one > > of the vertical plates and latitude on the other and read Hc from the > > lateral plate. > > > > Hewitt Schlereth > > > > On 11/14/08, George Huxtable wrote: > > > > > > Bill Morris, as "Engineer", wrote, about the instrument we > have > > been > > > discussing- > > > > > > ================= > > > > > > From: "engineer" > > > To: "NavList" > > > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 2:19 AM > > > Subject: [NavList 6542] Re: Can someone identify this > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm interested in this item too and planned to bid on it. If I > won > > the > > > bidding, I would take it apart, service it and put it together again > > > in a restored state. Then I would post detailed labelled photographs > > > for others to see. When tired of it, I would offer it to a museum for > > > what it cost me. I agree it would be a pity for it to rest in private > > > hands, undescribed and gathering dust. On the other hand, why should > > > North America have all the luck? People in out-of-the way places love > > > instruments too. > > > > > > Bill. > > > > > > > > > ==================== > > > > > > Comment from George- > > > > > > Well, if Bill Morris were to succeed in a bid, that would meet most > of my > > > own wishes, and I suspect those of several other listmembers, for the > > future > > > of this special instrument. > > > > > > It would be rescued from locking away in a hidden private collection; > in > > the > > > end it would end up in a public museum; and in the interim it would > be > > > examined for us by a real expert. The only snag is that of Bill's > > location, > > > in a particularly isolated corner of New Zealand, which would, > > > unfortunately, require long-distance transporting of the item, and > put it > > > out of range of personal inspection of anyone other than Bill. > > > > > > Perhaps it would help if I pass on some details about Bill Morris, > who > > I've > > > got to know quite well, by email, over recent months. Originally from > > > Britain, for many years he has been a doctor in rural New Zealand, > having > > > retired now to an even more isolated spot, where he indulges in > precision > > > engineering, from a well-equipped workshop. Although not a navigator > > > himself, he has a particular interest is in sextants, and he claims > to > > have > > > restored altogether 28 such instruments of a wide range of types, > > modern.and > > > less-modern, not on a profit-making basis but as a hobby. > > > > > > He is presently finishing-off a book (intended for distribution by CD > > rather > > > than print) on the "intimate anatomy of the sextant". > I've > > come in because > > > he has asked me to scan it for any obvious errors, so I have been > > privileged > > > to see a preview. Looking at the care he devotes to detailed > explanation > > and > > > description, illustrated by well-angled and notated colour photos and > > > diagrams, I would have no hesitation in entrusting to him this Fix > Finder > > > for a careful analysis, and hope that he would share his findings > with us > > as > > > he proceeds, before eventually passing it to a museum. > > > > > > So, if Bill is prepared to act on our behalf, as well as his own, in > > > bidding, I restate my offer of sharing (to a maximum of $100) in the > > total > > > cost, if his bid succeeds, to give him some encouragement. Other > members > > > have expressed similar sentiments. The more that join in, the higher > the > > > chance of his success, and the less the burden will become on each of > us. > > > > > > One or two things need to be kept in mind here. > > > > > > There may well be a flurry of last-minute bids and the price may go > well > > > above its present $102.50. Indeed, the seller has set a reserve > price, > > which > > > we have no way of knowing, that has not yet been met. > > > > > > Although list members may contribute a "share" in the total > > cost, that would > > > not be expected to result in any shared ownership of the item, which > > would > > > become the sole property of the bidder. The whole operation would > have to > > > work on the basis of gentlemanly trust between all involved. > > > > > > If Bill Morris confirms his intention to bid on that basis, I would > hope > > > that other list members might show restraint in any bidding of their > own. > > > However, if any list member gets overcome by the lust to possess, > perhaps > > he > > > might inform Bill beforehand, and share his technical findings with > us > > > afterwards. > > > > > > George. > > > > > > For those that have yet to look up this item on ebay, it's at- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://cgi.ebay.ca/ASTRONOMIC-CALCULATOR-SEXTANT-theodolite_W0QQitemZ190265697439QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190265697439&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 > > > > > > > > > and to see the original 1950 patent, look up Google Patents > 2,519,532. > > > > > > contact George Huxtable, now at george@hux.me.uk > > > > > > or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222) > > > or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---