[bolger] Re: The Sextant: Another great way to waste time!
<snip>
"Skymap" I have an older version I used when I did sights a few years
back. You can set it to only show start above a certain magnitude and
it then selects for the "navigation" stars. It displays a map of the
sky as you see it, complete with planets. This way, since you already
know the elevation of a star before hand, you have a much easier time
"bringing it to the horizon" by setting the approximate angle into the
sextant.
Just for fun, go out 7-8 days before a full moon. You will have the sun
one way, the moon the other and have all day to sight them. When both
are plotted you should get just about a 90 degree cut in the LOP's and
a very nice fix.
can beat it. Wonderful machinery. Too bad it was just a loaner.
Enjoy!
> Doing the computation and having it come up as "you are in JerseyWere you sighting out at Montauk, right? <g>
> City, New Jersey," was every bit as satisfying as pulling the bow and
> stern in on my teal, but can be done far more often!
> Twilight sightings on stars/planets still have us baffled, but a noonSince you're a computer guy, go seek out a shareware program called
> sighting is pretty darned easy, and the satisfaction of doing it once
> was well worth the price of the instrument (a $32 Davis student
> model.) From here on out, the rest is sauce for the goose.
"Skymap" I have an older version I used when I did sights a few years
back. You can set it to only show start above a certain magnitude and
it then selects for the "navigation" stars. It displays a map of the
sky as you see it, complete with planets. This way, since you already
know the elevation of a star before hand, you have a much easier time
"bringing it to the horizon" by setting the approximate angle into the
sextant.
Just for fun, go out 7-8 days before a full moon. You will have the sun
one way, the moon the other and have all day to sight them. When both
are plotted you should get just about a 90 degree cut in the LOP's and
a very nice fix.
> If you've ever been curious about it, don't be curious any more. YouHaving used a fully Y2K compliant $2K sextant I can tell you nothing
> don't need a $2000 Plath to get p.d.c. to where you are by looking at
> the stars!
>
can beat it. Wonderful machinery. Too bad it was just a loaner.
Enjoy!
FBBB --
I recently purchased a sextant, site reduction tables and a
how-to-text as a gift for a friend. The total price was slightly more
than a hand-held GPS.
However, after working together and achieving our first successful
noon sighting, I feel that it is as unlikely that I will be using a
GPS for navigation, as sailing a boat of some else's construction.
Doing the computation and having it come up as "you are in Jersey
City, New Jersey," was every bit as satisfying as pulling the bow and
stern in on my teal, but can be done far more often!
Twilight sightings on stars/planets still have us baffled, but a noon
sighting is pretty darned easy, and the satisfaction of doing it once
was well worth the price of the instrument (a $32 Davis student
model.) From here on out, the rest is sauce for the goose.
If you've ever been curious about it, don't be curious any more. You
don't need a $2000 Plath to get p.d.c. to where you are by looking at
the stars!
YIBB,
David Ryan
Minister of Information and Culture
Crumbling Empire Productions
(212) 247-0296
I recently purchased a sextant, site reduction tables and a
how-to-text as a gift for a friend. The total price was slightly more
than a hand-held GPS.
However, after working together and achieving our first successful
noon sighting, I feel that it is as unlikely that I will be using a
GPS for navigation, as sailing a boat of some else's construction.
Doing the computation and having it come up as "you are in Jersey
City, New Jersey," was every bit as satisfying as pulling the bow and
stern in on my teal, but can be done far more often!
Twilight sightings on stars/planets still have us baffled, but a noon
sighting is pretty darned easy, and the satisfaction of doing it once
was well worth the price of the instrument (a $32 Davis student
model.) From here on out, the rest is sauce for the goose.
If you've ever been curious about it, don't be curious any more. You
don't need a $2000 Plath to get p.d.c. to where you are by looking at
the stars!
YIBB,
David Ryan
Minister of Information and Culture
Crumbling Empire Productions
(212) 247-0296