Sext'ing

[zoidberg]

No, not that. Every so often there's a question about astronav, and every so often I'm asked to 'tweak' someone's sextant and/or inspect it for condition and accuracy.

I do my best, but it's not my trade.

It is, however, this guy's trade and he's the best around. Probably.....

b cooke sexti'ng

 

[LittleSister]

No, not that. Every so often there's a question

So many questions in this life.

And so few answers.

 

[Prasutigus]

Greetings Zoidberg, a fine suggestion, and their website has some fascinating links. Who knew there's an official Admiralty form to download, H634 Ornithogical Report, for officially logging the antics of shytehawks?
" General behaviour: Swooping, soaring, mating, feeding or alighting" etc.

Also to be observed outside Cooke's premises in Market Square, Hull on a Saturday night

 

[Neeves]

One of those threads with the number of views inversely proportional to the number of posts.

Reflecting what?

They are a bit far away for me.

Interesting dying skill, another is finding those who can refill mercury barometers.

Jonathan

 

[john_morris_uk]

I wonder what the charges are for checking a sextant. Can’t see a link to the website.

 

[Angele]

Interesting dying skill, another is finding those who can refill mercury barometers.

.... and fixing/refurbishing "proper" clocks.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

One of those threads with the number of views inversely proportional to the number of posts.

Reflecting what?

They are a bit far away for me.

Interesting dying skill, another is finding those who can refill mercury barometers.

Jonathan

Refilling them is easy - doing it without breathing more mercury than you should is the hard bit!

When 19 -20 years old, I worked at the Coal Tar Research Association's laboratories in Gomersal. One of my duties was running a mercury still, a device for recovering mercury for re-use by vacuum distilling it. It wouldn't have been approved under COSSH regulations these days, and I hate to think how badly contaminated the area round it was! The CTRA is long gone, and it's site has (I think) been redeveloped.

 

[zoidberg]

I wonder what the charges are for checking a sextant. Can’t see a link to the website.

That's not a Royal Naval Officer's job. That's what a Navigator's Yeoman is for.... besides making the officer's tea on the hour ( and stirring it ), and putting his toothpaste on his toothbrush.

 

[Angele]

Refilling them is easy - doing it without breathing more mercury than you should is the hard bit!

My dad recounted to me that in his day, to demonstrate evaporation at school, the science teacher would pour mercury into a saucer and put it on the window cill in full sun. Apparently the vapour was very obvious.

 

[capnsensible]

That's not a Royal Naval Officer's job. That's what a Navigator's Yeoman is for.... besides making the officer's tea on the hour ( and stirring it ), and putting his toothpaste on his toothbrush.

Consider carefully the matter of trust. The trust required to accept a toothbrush laden with toothpaste that may recently have been temporarily lodged somewhere unsavoury....

 

[alant]

Refilling them is easy - doing it without breathing more mercury than you should is the hard bit!

When 19 -20 years old, I worked at the Coal Tar Research Association's laboratories in Gomersal. One of my duties was running a mercury still, a device for recovering mercury for re-use by vacuum distilling it. It wouldn't have been approved under COSSH regulations these days, and I hate to think how badly contaminated the area round it was! The CTRA is long gone, and it's site has (I think) been redeveloped.

I used to work in an industrial plant running a mercury arc rectifier, are they still allowed?

 

[Seajet]

I remember a Newman cartoon of a yottie furtively reaching for ' The Joy Of Sex ' - when he got it from behind the fiddle rail it was ' The Joy Of Sextants '

 

[mjcoon]

My dad recounted to me that in his day, to demonstrate evaporation at school, the science teacher would pour mercury into a saucer and put it on the window cill in full sun. Apparently the vapour was very obvious.

My copy of Kaye and Laby (purchased when I was a research student ~50 years ago) gives the vapour pressure of mercury at 25 centigrade as 1.68x10-3 mmHg. And at 50 C 0.012 mm. A rather recursive measure! If it was much higher, mercury would not be much good for barometers...

Mike.

 

[penberth3]

I used to work in an industrial plant running a mercury arc rectifier, are they still allowed?

Superseded by silicon rectifiers but still a few around. The mercury is contained and shouldn't be a hazard unless the glass breaks.

 

[Daydream believer]

I remember a Newman cartoon of a yottie furtively reaching for ' The Joy Of Sex ' - when he got it from behind the fiddle rail it was ' The Joy Of Sextants '

At my age it would probably be more useful. At least it would help me find my way home:encouragement:

 

[zoidberg]

Consider carefully the matter of trust. The trust required to accept a toothbrush laden with toothpaste that may recently have been temporarily lodged somewhere unsavoury....

Not a problem associated with MY Service.

Most of the pilots I knew didn't bother with effete behaviour such as as tooth-brushing. Those aspiring to 'single-seater fighter' status were wont to practice their growls and scowls at their shaving mirrors of a morning. One could always tell when Annual Assessments time was about due - they took to wearing sox with their proper officers' shoes, and practicing firm handshakes.

 

[capnsensible]

Not a problem associated with MY Service.

Most of the pilots I knew didn't bother with effete behaviour such as as tooth-brushing. Those aspiring to 'single-seater fighter' status were wont to practice their growls and scowls at their shaving mirrors of a morning. One could always tell when Annual Assessments time was about due - they took to wearing sox with their proper officers' shoes, and practicing firm handshakes.

They could do all that whilst walking sideways? BZ.

 

[zoidberg]

Remind me to tell you sometime of our delivery of about 2 weeks' worth of RAF Gibraltar O'Mess newspapers to HMS Penelope in the Western Med, about the time of the Yom Kippur War - by Canberra.

Upon request, a 'parcel' was made up and taped inside the bomb-bay doors. The ship obligingly put a ship's launch over the side and we did a very low, slow run at close to stalling speed.... circa 95 knots, AIR. A guess was made, and the bomb-door OPEN switch was toggled.

We climbed away. The 'parcel' hit the launch square on.

After a couple of minutes, the ship's 'Jimmy' came on the air. "The captain has asked me to convey his compliments. Sincerely."

 

[Seajet]

My ex - RAF boss recounted taping the end of a loo roll to the front of Shackleton bomb bays then releasing over warships so it wrapped all around the antennae

 

[DownWest]

The old man commanded a squadron in N Africa. Got a blistering complaint from the RN when one of his Spitfires removed some antennas from a ship when buzzed a bit low... He presented himself to the Skipper to make peace and found out he was his room mate from college and the complaint was a set up. Some beers were raised while they caught up.