Just before the network of GPS satellites came online, back about 1980, there were two companies that I recall working on these exact same principles. Adding "electronics" to a Sextant to record the body sighted, the exact (corrected) angle, and exact time of the sight. I'm certain that an instrument such as this would find a ready market.

I LIKE CUBA ❤ GREAT MAPS ❤ SALUDOS ❤

Amazing...I want to see it in person...

Well said Istvan

It is still sextant. You get precision only when you are good at sighting stellar objects and you become good only if you have long practice. So it is basically useless as backup for people who do not want to spent hundreds of hours excersising. Also getting good sighting on small ships in higher sea state without any optical stabilization is almost impossible. Better thing will be astronavigation which is usually used on spacecrafts, because it is fully automatic. But I never met such thing for civilian purchase. For any price.

Now this is cool 😎

Wonderful

ummm... it's $5,500.00 (USD).

Even if it's a standalone equipment , a built-in gps wouldn't cost so much and it's a must have when you can't see any celestial bodies on a foggy/cloudy day.

Why?

Why is a sextant still used? Because it works when electric equipment has failed. Batteries depleted, lighting strike, you name it . This approach just makes no sense . Spend $50 on a backup GPS and $1000 on a decent sextant and you are better prepped than relying on this battery driven device for over$5000 BTW in case of emergency even a rudimentary sextant helps you to get to the next harbour and it cost only $100

@doglao1236

12 күн бұрын

When the sun shoot massive magnetic waves and damage the satellites the sextant will be the second option but not have people able to use it

This brings to mind the old joke about Paul Fisher spending a million dollars to develop his Space Pen while the Russians used an HB pencil . . . . (In fact the Russians used, and still use, Space Pens too but nowadays also take Sharpies into space)

@ericlotze7724

Жыл бұрын

This, although decent as an saying, is a bit misleading. *Conductive* Graphite Pencils in Space aren’t a good idea. I’d have to read up for specifics, but if I remember correctly the USSR/Russia did switch over too.

@ericlotze7724

Жыл бұрын

That bit on sharpies is neat though, I’ll have to read up on that. Makes sense though, iirc they even use stuff like that for fuel tanks to make fuel not slosh away from the intake!