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Post by Black Hand on Oct 10, 2019 10:34:33 GMT -7
Anyone else know how to use a watch to determine north, in addition to knowing which hands Mickie is pointing to? Yes  |
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Post by hawkeyes on Oct 11, 2019 5:45:40 GMT -7
You know it's interesting... just like a ruler that 90% of people can't read correctly I wonder how many people can actually use a compass/ sun dial? I love land nav and do carry a modern Suunto compass and proper map when backpacking. I'd venture to say if you arm the vast majority of modernists with a map and compass they'd end up in a deeper predicament.
Neat post, is there anyone who makes a good quality reproduction? Never came across one that was of a good quality.
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Oct 11, 2019 9:27:50 GMT -7
You know it's interesting... just like a ruler that 90% of people can't read correctly I wonder how many people can actually use a compass/ sun dial? I love land nav and do carry a modern Suunto compass and proper map when backpacking. I'd venture to say if you arm the vast majority of modernists with a map and compass they'd end up in a deeper predicament. Neat post, is there anyone who makes a good quality reproduction? Never came across one that was of a good quality. Hawk, I can’t vouch for the accuracy just yet as I haven’t used mine afield but the overall quality seems pretty good. It’s a little heavy for its size. Personally, I don’t expect it to be super accurate |
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Post by hawkeyes on Oct 11, 2019 9:34:31 GMT -7
You know it's interesting... just like a ruler that 90% of people can't read correctly I wonder how many people can actually use a compass/ sun dial? I love land nav and do carry a modern Suunto compass and proper map when backpacking. I'd venture to say if you arm the vast majority of modernists with a map and compass they'd end up in a deeper predicament. Neat post, is there anyone who makes a good quality reproduction? Never came across one that was of a good quality. Hawk, I can’t vouch for the accuracy just yet as I haven’t used mine afield but the overall quality seems pretty good. It’s a little heavy for its size. Personally, I don’t expect it to be super accurate Were did you aquire yours? |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Oct 11, 2019 12:17:28 GMT -7
Hawk, I can’t vouch for the accuracy just yet as I haven’t used mine afield but the overall quality seems pretty good. It’s a little heavy for its size. Personally, I don’t expect it to be super accurate Were did you aquire yours? If I recall correctly, Crazy Crow Trading had them on sale. Also I recently saw a period surveyor’s compass for sale that was pretty affordable |
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Post by spence on Oct 12, 2019 19:57:23 GMT -7
I got mine at Townsend many years ago. They still have the same one, and I think it's identical to the one Crazy Crow sells. Took a picture of mine in action. You can see the dark shadow crossing the Roman numeral dial between the X and XI, a little less than half way, say 10:20. We are on eastern daylight saving time, which means I have to make a correction to sun time by adding 1 hour to the reading on the sundial, so 11:20. My watch showed 11:40, so it read within 20 minutes of official time. Good enough. After early November it will read directly, no correction required.  Spence |
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Post by hawkeyes on Oct 13, 2019 4:05:54 GMT -7
I got mine at Townsend many years ago. They still have the same one, and I think it's identical to the one Crazy Crow sells. Took a picture of mine in action. You can see the dark shadow crossing the Roman numeral dial between the X and XI, a little less than half way, say 10:20. We are on eastern daylight saving time, which means I have to make a correction to sun time by adding 1 hour to the reading on the sundial, so 11:20. My watch showed 11:40, so it read within 20 minutes of official time. Good enough. After early November it will read directly, no correction required. Spence Very neat! That's one gadget I wouldn't mind getting. From a compass standpoint seem rather accurate? |
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Post by spence on Oct 13, 2019 8:19:03 GMT -7
Yeah, it's a fully functional small compass, knows where north is.  It doesn't have a brake on the needle, it's free to swing all the time. I've found a few reference to the use of compasses in the day, type not specified. When George Washington and Christopher Gist were returning to Virginia from Washington’s historic visit to St. Pierre, commandant of the French forts, Le Boeuf (Waterford) and Venango (Franklin) as agent of Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia in delivering to St. Pierre the protest of Governor Dinwiddie against the encroachment of the French on territory claimed by the English, Gist recorded: "...we made a fire, set our compass, and fixed our course..." THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE 3 June 30, 1775 FINCASTLE RUN away....a shot-bag and powder-horn, a canister with 2 lbs. of powder, a falling axe, a pocket compass, &c. &c. AN HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGNS IN NORTH AMERICA, 1757-1760 by Captain John Knox. [discussing Rogers rangers, 1757] ".... and their officers usually carry a small compass fixed in the bottoms of their powder horns, by which to direct them, when they happen to lose themselves in the woods." The Pennsylvania Gazette July 28, 1737 TO BE SOLD, BY John Brientnall in Chesnut Street, Pocket Compasses of several Sorts, some of them with Dials; The Pennsylvania Gazette May 16, 1765 Just imported in the Ship Britannia,....Spying and burning Glasses, with some Ox eye Glasses, for taking Landscapes, Pocket Compasses, &c. In describing his method of following bees to locate their honey in Letters From an American Farmer, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur said, "I take with me my dog, as a companion, for he is useless as to the game; my gun, for no man you know ought to enter the woods without one; my blanket; some provisions; some wax; vermillion; honey; and a small pocket compass." and "I next fix my compass, to find out their course, which they keep invariably straight when they are returning home loaded." The Pennsylvania Gazette June 16, 1737 Just Imported, and to be SOLD, By REESE MEREDITH,.... brass pocket Compasses, Snuff and Tobacco Boxes, Spence |
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Post by spence on Oct 13, 2019 12:57:00 GMT -7
One of the items above caught my attention:
The Pennsylvania Gazette
July 28, 1737
TO BE SOLD, BY John Brientnall in Chesnut Street, Pocket Compasses of several Sorts, some of them with Dials;
Are they talking about compasses with sundials? Maybe so.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
September 29, 1768
Just imported in the last vessels from London and Bristol,.... single and double wormed gun screws, gun mounting, pocket and compass dials, fire steels
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
May 8, 1779
TAKEN from three men that were found in the woods asleep.... …. an old pistol, two fured hats, a pocket dial,
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
August 8, 1751
DAVID and William Geddy Smith at Williamsburg , near the Church, having all Manner of Utensils requisite,….House Bells of all Sizes, Dials, calculated to any Latitude;
"Dials, calculated to any Latitude" In order for a sundial to be as accurate as possible it's necessary to adjust the angle of the gnomon for the latitude it will be used at. I'm thinking they were selling sundial compasses and free-standing, pocket sundials.
Spence
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Post by brokennock on Oct 13, 2019 18:38:01 GMT -7
Great morsels of research as always Spence. This quote has always caught my attention as I've seen it before,
".... and their officers usually carry a small compass fixed in the bottoms of their powder horns, by which to direct them, when they happen to lose themselves in the woods."
So, they only use the compass when they lose themselves? Instead of using it to prevent losing themselves?
Do we have a furrowed brow, chin scratching icon (or emoji,or, whatever you call them)?
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Post by hawkeyes on Oct 14, 2019 4:18:16 GMT -7
Great morsels of research as always Spence. This quote has always caught my attention as I've seen it before, ".... and their officers usually carry a small compass fixed in the bottoms of their powder horns, by which to direct them, when they happen to lose themselves in the woods. That also caught my eye as well... I'm curious as to if they actually had a hollow cavity for storage of the compass or was it permanently fixed as if inlet into the base. |
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Post by Black Hand on Oct 14, 2019 5:21:24 GMT -7
For the one I have, the compass is held in place by the dial/gnomon assembly and would be difficult to remove without damaging.
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Oct 14, 2019 6:55:26 GMT -7
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Post by Black Hand on Oct 14, 2019 7:03:49 GMT -7
Inlet into the base was my understanding.
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Oct 15, 2019 6:21:10 GMT -7
seems likely to be destroyed without a cover
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