The Sextant Handbook, 2nd Edition

Introduction

Chapter 1 A Short History

Astrolabe

Latitude Hook

Quadrant

Cross Staff

Back Staff

Sextant

Chapter 2 Elements of the Sextant and Four Vital Adjustments

Perpendicularity

Frame and Index Mirror

Frame and Horizon Glass

Parallelism

Index Mirror and Horizon Glass

Telescope and Frame

Adjustment Procedures

Chapter 3 Attachments and Accessories

Astigmatizers

Double Star Prism

Wide View Horizon Glass

Davis Prism Level

Bubble Horizon Attachment

Neck Straps

Visual Aids

Chapter 4 Care, Maintenance, and Repair

Oiling and Cleaning

Immersion Bath Procedures

How to Hold

Where to Put Down

Mounted Sextant Boxes

Emergency Silvering Techniques

Applying Paint

Resilvering Horizon Glass

Chapter 5 How to Buy a Sextant

Where to Find Them

Prices

Five Ground Rules to Avoid Problems

Taking Test Sights

Interstellar Test Table

Discovering the Dropped Sextant

Reconditioning Costs

Chapter 6 Sighting Techniques

Inversion for Location

Precalculating Azimuths

Rocking or Swinging an Arc

Sun's Upper Limb

Shades for Sun, Moon, and Venus

Correcting for False Horizon

Rough Weather Sighting Techniques

Making a Monocle

Chapter 7 Correcting the Sight

The Thirteen Errors

Correcting for Moon, Venus, and Mars

Correcting for Wave Height

Chapter 8 Timing the Sight Accurately

The Hack Watch

Using a Tape Recorder

Counting Paces and Stopwatches

Attaching Stopwatch to Sextant

Chapter 9 Searching for Stars

The Necessity for Preplanning

Finding Sunrise

Using the Rude Star Finder

Converting Local Time

Using H.O. Pub. No. 249

Making and Using a Wrist Board

Chapter 10 Sextants of Tomorrow

Is the Sextant Doomed?

Coming Developments

Appendixes

A--Sextant Check Procedures

B--Sextant Manufacturers

C--Distribution and Dealers

D--The Navigator's Basic Tool Kit

E--Making and Using an Artificial Horizon

F--Table of Interstellar Angles for Practice Sighting and Sextant Testing

G--Useful Addresses

Bibliography

Index