NavList:

As Frank has correctly guessed about me being a technophobe (to some extent) - I'm trying to avoid everything electric/electronic/modern. More so - in the field of Emergency Navigation.

I'm modelling a replacement handle - a grip rather - for my sextant. This grip is thought to be a thick roundish plastic board (approx the size of ping-pong bat) with holes for all five fingers separated around the central area, where a split-system stop-watch (mechanical, of course!) will sit - face to the palm. An index finger will be aligned at the split/resume button.

I intend to do it like this:

• with some reference watch I am to start the stop-watch at a full minute of UTC;
• to write down that time in a log-book;
• to shoot a sight and press the split/resume button freesing one of the stop-watch arms - to be able to write down the stop-watch readings without any hurry - along with the sextant's reading;
• having the angle and time interval readings properly recorded - to press the split/resume button again (preparing the stop-watch for the next sight) and proceed with the sighting as described in the previous step;
• when finished with all the sights - to use the reference watch to stop the stop-watch on some full minute of UTC;
• to write down that reference watch readings;
• to use the recorded stop-watch intervals to place the sextant readings on the UTC time-scale accordingly.

I guess this is how it is/was done by serious navigators.

The only question remains - where a techophobe gets a reliable mechanical "reference watch" (for little money, I mean)?

:)

Regards,

Tony