Next message: Courtney Thomas: "Re: suggestion for a satisfactory celnav narrative"
As another cynic, but still full of energy, I suggested the Wikipedia
approach in an e-mail a few days ago. That is one way I am prepared to
contribute. The other way would be an effort supported on a dedicated
server that this group can work with. I am not competent to set up a multi-
authored document on a server, my own or anyone else's. If someone were to
set it up, and identify to the group the ground rules and the access
mechanism, I would again contribute what I could. I think the Wiki type of
software could be used for that. Does the foregoing reduce me to half a
cycnic??
John Kabel, SN
London, Ontario
> Andrew Corl wrote-
>
> >For Courtney, I am raising my hand to help with this. Don't know what I
> >can do but here is a list of techniques I feel should be in the manual:
> >Dead Reckoning Latitude by Noon Sun Longitude using a shortwave radio and
> >the noon sun Sextant operation and how to determine the elevation above the
> >horizon of the sun, moon, star, and planet Sight reduction using H.O. 249 -
> >method I am presently learning Sight reduction doing all the math (the
> >"apex of celestial navigation" according to Frank)
>
> As a world-weary old cynic, my opinion is that any offer, saying "this is
> how I think it should be done, and I'm prepared to contribute" is worth at
> least 10 proposals of "this is how I think it should be done, but by someone
> else, not by me". So Andrew's suggestions are indeed useful.
>
> No doubt, he expected a bit of nitpicking about his choice of topics, and I
> am happy to provide it. It relates to his suggested topic- "Longitude using
> a shortwave radio and the noon sun"
>
> Although proposals for timing the moment of noon, by observing the Sun
> around noon, reappear on this list at regrettably regular intervals, the
> fact remains that noon is the worst possible moment for doing that job.
> Although it's possible to make a crude assessment of the moment-of-noon by
> making an extended set of observations, before noon and after, the only way
> to get a PRECISE value of time-by-the-Sun (and hence longitude) is to do so
> at a time WELL AWAY from noon, so that the Sun is rising and falling at a
> measurable rate. If Andrew were to rephrase his suggestion to read instead-
> "Longitude using a shortwave radio and a time-sight of the Sun", then I, for
> one, would be happy.
>
> George.
>
> ================================================================
> contact George Huxtable by email at , by phone at
> 01865 820222 (from outside UK, +44 1865 820222), or by mail at 1 Sandy Lane,
> Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
> ================================================================
>
>
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