Sextant Servicing

[BillyD]

Have searched the forum but can't find anything on this, but apologies if the topic has been covered elsewhere. Can anyone recommend a good sextant servicing company, ideally on the Uk South Coast? I've just purchased a beautiful antique Plath and it needs some correcting. Also, while I'm on - does anyone have any experience of tracking down the history of something like this? I've been doing a lot of googling but haven't come up with anything yet.

 

[pvb]

I've read that Robinsons in Hamble can service sextants.

 

[richardandtracy]

Sorry can't help with servicing, but 'The American Practical Navigator' at http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/...ec24fd73927a759 will tell you how to do all the usual corrections yourself - it's chapter 16.
If you want a snigger, take a look at my website (http://www.geocities.com/richardandtracy/SextantPage1.htm) on how to build a sextant . The sextant design is fairly simple, but it should give you an idea of what to expect if you dismantle yours to clean it up & restore it.

Regards

Richard.

 

[michael_w]

I got mine overhauled by Kelvin Hughes about eight years ago. Took ages, I think they sent it off somwhere to be done.

Just dug it out from under the bed. The work was done by:

Vega Instruments
3 The Almonds
Whitecroft
St Albans
AL1 1UZ

0727 812285

Dunno if they are still trading.

 

[BillyD]

Many thanks for your help, everyone - much obliged!!

 

[Talbot]

After considerable research and phoning around. http://www.bpsc-marine.co.uk/ will be servicing my sextant and re-silvering one of the mirrors.

 

[BillyD]

Wow, that's perfect. Authorised PLATH agents too - fantastic. Very many thanks!

 

[AOWYN]

Be careful! A couple of years ago I left some sextant mirrors at this firm for re-silvering.

Still not got them back, nor response to last e-mails, despite spending a lot of money on other items at the shop.

I regret the time spent driving there, but pretty soon I think I will make the effort to visit again.

 

[BrendanS]

Why haven't you got them back?

 

[johnwest]

Barry Phillips of BPSC serviced my Plath sextant a couple of years ago. He cleaned it, resilvered the mirrors and replaced a couple of small parts. I think the bill was in the region of £120.00 which I was very pleased with. He's got my steering compass at the moment. Ring him on 02380 230045.

j