Re: Some useful resource material

[Mike Shaw]

Andrew,

In the article at:  http://plus.maths.org/issue53/features/mee/index.html
it states: 

<>

But this is only true if you live on the standard meridian appropriate to your 
time zone.
It's only 2 (different) days where I live at 3º West, and none at all if you 
live more than 16 minutes (4º) away.

I have seen several sundials set incorrectly because of this misconception.

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials

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Re: Some useful resource material

[Mike Shaw]

Frank,

Quite right, of course, though I was commenting on "you can relax after your 
Christmas dinner in the knowledge that your new watch will be telling the same 
time as your sundial."

As ever, a pleasure to read your comments.

Best wishes,

Mike---
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Re: A missing sundial Sundial Digest

[Mike Shaw]

<>

A curious assertion :-)

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
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Tony Moss off line

[Mike Shaw]

Tony Moss has asked me to let you all know that his computer is not working 
at the moment.

As a result, he can neither send nor receive emails.
He apogogises for any inconvenience this may cause to list members.

No doubt he will let us know us when he is back on line again.

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials


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Re: Glass on Glass Mosaic Indoor Sundial Windows

[Mike Shaw]

John

Nobody has mentioned double glazing yet.
I assume that you don't bother with that in Arizona.
Will the magnets still be OK to use through two thicknesses of glass with an 
air space between?


Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials 


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Re: 360 degree/Fabian

[Mike Shaw]

<>

I guess that, if you are an astronomer, you don't want the date changing 
half way through your viewing session.


Mike Shaw
53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials


PS   By the way, we seem to have gone away from our previous convention of 
adding our latitude and longitude in our signatures.

It is sometimes helpful to know where in the world a contributor is located.


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Re: upside down world

[Mike Shaw]

Perhaps if the cradles of civilisation had been in the southern hemisphere, 
our clocks would all go round the other way.


Incidentally, I am surprised by how many television adverts in the UK show 
the sun rising or setting the wrong way.

Do you suppose a lot of the filming is done in Australia?

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials 


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Re: bad sundials

[Mike Shaw]

John Carmichael wrote:
<>

==

Hi John and everyone.
Yes, I'm still alive and watching the list with interest.

You're right (as usual), but I think you are remembering a short 
presentation that I did at a sundial society conference (NASS I think) some 
time ago.
I give quite a lot of talks about sundials, and I often finish with a short 
section illustrating "what to look for when buying an 'off-the-shelf' 
sundial".

Bear in mind that these talks are for the uninitiated.

Things to look for are:
a) Is the gnomon perpendicular to the dial face and pointing in the right 
direction?

b) Are both shadow casting edges straight?
c) Is the angle of the gnomon equal to your latitude?
d) Is there a noon gap?
e) Is the dial origin on a line joining the 6am to 6pm marks?
f) Do the numbers go round the right way for your location?

These points are illustrated, using one of Tony Moss' excellent horizontal 
dials, on my web page (see below), which, I'm afraid, is sadly in need of 
some maintenance - follow the link to "Buyer's Guide".


That all said, I do have a collection of photos of about 15 or so "horribly 
wrong" dials which display all these errors which I will happily post, 
off-list, to anyone interested.

I see that I have them in a folder entitled "Crap".
These were all on sale to the public in garden centres, ebay etc..

BTW, do we still need the maximum attachment size restriction on the list?

Mike Shaw
53'22"N 03'02"W
www.wiz.to/sundials


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Re: AW: Year-round day saving time

[Mike Shaw]

If we ignore refraction effects, everywhere gets an average of 12 hours per day 
with the sun above the horizon, doesn’t it?
So how can we get 17% more by changing the clocks.
Want more time in the sun?  Get up earlier!

I’m losing a lot of my potential time in the sun today sitting indoors changing 
all my clocks.

Mike Shaw
53'22"N 03'02"W
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Sundial house

[Mike Shaw]

Those of us who were fortunate enough to visit the home of Mark and Arabella 
Lennox-Boyd when we went on the BSS safari to Italy will remember how his 
house (Meridiana) was built as a sundial.

Have a look at:
http://www.bolkovonschweinichen.it/inglese/meridiana/index.html


Mike Shaw
53'22"N 03'02"W
www.wiz.to/sundials

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Re: Are there any commercially-available 'Teaching Sundials', for schools ?

[Mike Shaw]

If I ever find a child who shows any interest in sundials, I give them a 
copy of "Sundials and Timedials" from Tarquin publications.

See:
http://www.tarquingroup.com/product.php?SKU_Code=438

Only £5.95 a copy and there are loads of paper dials to make of all 
different types.


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N  03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials


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Re: New Monumental Sundial in Oro Valley

[Mike Shaw]

Thanks to John for sharing and to Frank for asking those relevant questions.

For those who weren’t at the recent conference and are not yet aware, it is 
perhaps worth mentioning that Frank King has just taken over as Chairman of the 
British Sundial Society from Chris Daniel.
We are in safe hands.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: The Photographers Ephemeris software - maybe useful to dialists?

[Mike Shaw]

There’s a similar iPad App called LightTrac which isn’t as sophisticated.
I see it is a “pay” one at the moment, but appears as freeware every now and 
then.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials

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Re: Multignomon Sundial

[Mike Shaw]

<>

... and you will need gnomons on both the upper and lower sides of the dial 
face if you want it to work all year.



Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials 


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Re: EoT diagram

[Mike Shaw]

I’m pretty sure there was one of these in an early version of Jane Walker’s 
“Make a Sundial” British Sundial Society publication.
There is also one on the rear of Jim Morrison’s astrolabe.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
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Re: Sundial Beer Glass

[Mike Shaw]

Larry Bohlayr showed a similar design at the NASS Hartford conference a few 
years ago, see:

http://sundials.org/attachments/article/91/1999_NASSConference_Hartford.pdf 

... though his was in a straight sided glass which must make the calculations 
easier.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
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Re: mock stained glass sundial

[Mike Shaw]

If you are going to allow your shadow to pass through two panes of glass, will 
refraction start to become important?

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
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Re: mock stained glass sundial

[Mike Shaw]

I wrote:
<>

Fer replied:
<>

I suspected as much, but my maths is not good enough to do the calculations.

I had an idea some time ago to use double glazing as a sundial.
I made a model with two panes of glass mounted in a frame with the marker (two 
opposed triangles) and lines both on the INSIDES of both panes of glass.
That one worked OK, but when I put the marker on the outside of the outer glass 
and the lines on the inside of the inner glass It didn’t work at all well.

I put the problem down to:
a) the two panes of glass were too close together and
b) refraction shifted the shadow.
BTW, I marked the glass with a spray can of Plasti-Kote 180 Glass Frosting 
Spray Paint. You could use this on the outside as it is weatherproof.
I masked off the area and lines with Scotch magic tape cut very thinly with a 
craft knife and used Letraset as masks for the numbers. It worked very well.
Photo available on request. 
Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
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Re: Falling Tree

[Mike Shaw]

If a married man says something in the middle of a forest where nobody can hear 
him – is he still wrong?

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
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Re: sundial Digest, Vol 72, Issue 11

[Mike Shaw]

<>

Well, there's a controversial statement.

Relative to what?
The sun does move relative to me.
I move relative to the sun.
The sun moves relative to our galaxy.
Our galaxy moves relative to ...   etc..

The earth is moving at 67,000 mph relative to the sun.
The sun (with the earth in tow) is travelling at 486,000 mph around the 
milky way
The galaxies are moving away from each other at increasing speed the more 
distant they are.
So it only really makes sense to talk about motion relative to something 
else.


Is there such a thing as absolute motion?


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials




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Re: Proceedings for Future of UTC meeting

[Mike Shaw]

Mac,

<>

You are correct.
The Romans had no zero as it had not yet been invented, hence "the first 
hour", "on the third day", etc..



Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials



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No zero

[Mike Shaw]

Mac,

<>

Another thought.
We use both "with zero" and "without zero" systems in our time measurement.

I have a radio controlled digital clock and calendar on the wall.
At the change of the year, it changes from:  23:59 - 31/12 to 00:00 (with 
zero system) -  1/1 (without zero system).


And most of us don't notice.

Merry Christmas!

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials




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Re: Sundial and the Leap Second

[Mike Shaw]

I spotted the photo yesterday.
It looks remarkably like a Tony Moss dial plate, but not like a Tony Moss 
gnomon.

No doubt he will tell us.


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials 




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Re: "Sundial" reference in Super Bowl commercial

[Mike Shaw]

Isn’t that a vertical direct south dial designed for use during Summer Time?

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials


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Re: Equinoctial vs. Equatorial

[Mike Shaw]

Tony’s explanation is also my understanding of the definitions – but then Tony 
and I do talk to each other quite a lot!

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials


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Re: Ante diem bis sextum Kalendas Martii

[Mike Shaw]

Just in case you are wondering why the 6th day before the 1st March isn't 
February 23rd.
The Romans had no zero, so their counting system was different from the way 
we do it.


Now  Then
Mar  1 = 0   1st
Feb 28 = 1   2nd
Feb 27 = 2   3rd
Feb 26 = 3   4th
Feb 25 = 4   5th
Feb 24 = 5   6th
Feb 23 = 6


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W



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Re: Does anyone have contact details, for Brian Main ?

[Mike Shaw]

Linda,

The installation of the analemmatic sundial was the initiative of the 
"Friends of Port Sunlight Village".

I suspect Brian Main may be part of that group.
It was designed by Douglas Hunt of "Modern Sunclocks".
I understand, from the Port Sunlight Chief Executive (Lionel Bolland) that 
there are plans to add an explanatory plaque.


I felt slightly aggrieved with him, as he turned down my local Rotary Club's 
plans to install a sundial at that very location for the millennium.


The are two other sundials in Port Sunlight:
A gnomonless vertical dial on the Dell bridge and
A cross dial supported on the back of a sphinx in Bath Street which was 
erected to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking in 1899.

(The current cross is a replacement that I delineated  in 2000)
This dial does have an explanatory plaque in place.

Contact me if you want any further information about the dial, sundials in 
general or if you wish to know the whereabouts of other dials in the area.


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials 




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Re: Tony Moss Email

[Mike Shaw]

To the best of my knowledge and belief, Tony Moss' new email address is:

tonylindi...@talktalk.net


Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials 




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Re: a way to determine the period of insolation of a wall, using an analemmatic sundial

[Mike Shaw]

Willy,

<>



A very useful fact for me to know, as I live at 53º 22’ North, quite close.
In fact, 5.9 miles from the junction of the A41 and M53.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N 03º02'W
www.wiz.to/sundials




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Re: Using analemmatic sundials for determining sun exposure times

[Mike Shaw]

What am I talking about, I mean 6 months on a vertical cylindrical wall at the 
north (or south) pole, not a mere 24 hours.

Mike Shaw
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Re: Sombrero as a sundial

[Mike Shaw]

Oops, I seem to have inadvertently upgraded Sir George White to a Lord.
My apologies.
Put it down to my recent dealings with the (now late) Duke of Westminster.

Thanks to those who have kindly pointed out my error.

Mike

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Re: The duration of the year

[Mike Shaw]

Doug,

I didn’t answer your second question: 
"Assuming that in 1850s I had access to a good transit telescope, and a 
reasonable clock (daily errors about 1 second a day), how would I refine the 
quarter of a day into several decimal places?”

The formula is:
Year = (1 day – transit time difference) / transit time difference



Mike Shaw
53º22’N  3º02’W

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Re: [BSS]

[Mike Shaw]

I've just received the email below from one 
Benbow Bullock.
You might like to have a browse round his web site, 
it's certainly worth a visit.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundilas
 
==
 
my web site www.artnut.com/tournesol.html tells 
about the evolution of my series of abstract sundial endless column 
series of sculptures. the tallest is "Ode to the Snark" fifty 
feet high and mounted on the roof of the Oakland Museum. Others are at the 
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey; Parco Sculptura del Chianti, SIENA; 
The Chicago Athenaeum Sculpture Park; and St Supery Winery, 
Napa Valley.
 
I currently in the process of fabricating 2 prototype endless 
column sculptures that will incorporate dichroic glass panels. The dichroic 
glass
interference filters I use will transmit yellow light energy and 
reflect blue light. These filters are 99% efficient in transmitting and 
reflecting light at selected frequencies.
Benbow Bullock, Sculptor
Vallejo, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

Pilkington & Gibbs Heliochronometers

[Mike Shaw]

In case it is of any help to anyone, I've put some 
diagrams of the various types of Pilkington & Gibbs Heliochronometers on my 
web page.
Follow the link on the home page to "Pilkington 
Gibbs".
There's also some photos of a dismantled Type 1 
showing how they work.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
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Re: Exact Time and date conventions

[Mike Shaw]

<>
 
I have always admired the poem that Andrew James wrote 
- see it on my web page - follow the link to "Poem"
If memory serves me correctly, it was written by 
Andrew in response to a competition run on this sundial list by Tony Moss a few 
years ago.  How appropriate that Andrew has 
also been contributing to the current thread.
 
The convention yearmonthdayhourminutesecond has the 
advantage of allowing computers to sort lists into chronological 
order.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
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Re: Sundial 'poetry'

[Mike Shaw]

Andrew James is also a great "clock 
man".
A limerick which I have used as a memory 
aid for many years, concerns the required length of a 
pendulum.
 
It's always a mystery to me
and I've never been able to see
Why each tick and each tock
Of a grandfather clock
is 2 pi root L over g
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
 
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Re: Shakespeare/Sundials

[Mike Shaw]

<<"Shakespeare was the inspiration for my business name. 
"Walking Shadow Designs">>
 
I worked for a some 
time as a detergent powder formulator.
I like to think that 
"Persil Washes Whiter" as a result of my inspiration, also from 
Macbeth:
 
"Out, damned spot! 
out, I say!" 
Macbeth (V, i, 38)
Mike Shaw
53.37N3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Mal assoniac!

[Mike Shaw]

With all your former teaching experience, haven't 
you got a friendly Chemistry teacher who can get some for you?
Otherwise there is always a chemical supplier eg www.sci-chem.co.uk 
They have an enquiry line 0845 165 
0845.
For school supplies another problem may be the 
cost, as they tend to be analytical grade.
 
You can buy it on eBay, but I notice that all the 
suppliers are in the USA.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
 
 
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Re: Mal assoniac!

[Mike Shaw]

Ammonium Chloride toxicity:
 
Harmful if swallowed. May be harmful by inhalation. Skin, 
eye and respiratory irritant.
 
Mike
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Buyer's Guide

[Mike Shaw]

Fellow enthusiasts,
 
I get really annoyed about the sundials that I 
see on sale in garden centres here in the UK.
The people who make them seem to have no conception 
about how they work.
As they are invariably horizontal dials, I thought 
I would put a "Buyer's Guide" to such dials on my web site.
I think there are 5 golden rules - have I missed 
any?
 
Check it out - follow the link from my home 
page.
Helpful comments welcomed.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Buyer's Guide

[Mike Shaw]

Thanks to all who have sent me helpful advice 
and comments on the "Buyer's Guide" I put on my web page.
Some I have incorporated, and some 
not.
I was trying to give very simple advice to 
non-sundial enthusiasts, who just would like one in their garden, and are 
thinking of buying one "off-the-shelf", just so that they don't get a hopeless 
one.  I thought some of the suggestions were a bit too complex for the 
downright novice to follow.
 
To the doubters, I really have seen one with a 
twisted gnomon - it has a Welsh Dragon motif, with a twisted tail as the 
gnomon.  It's in my local garden centre.  I'll try to get a photo of 
it.
 
Thanks to all on this wonderful list.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Buyer's Guide

[Mike Shaw]

Frans,
 
<<how to 
instruct setting the correctorientation? That aspect is missing from your 
'golden five'>>
 
Omitted deliberately.  There seem to be plenty 
of instructions about how to set up a sundial, so I was just trying to help 
people chose one.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: The Gnomonic Cipher - An Italian Job

[Mike Shaw]

I have heard a little whisper that Frank is 
speaking at the next BSS conference, so I wonder if we can anticipate an 
update.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Bitter at Twisted

[Mike Shaw]

There were one or two members of the list who were 
a bit sceptical of my claim to have seen a horizontal sundial with a twisted 
gnomon.
I went down to my local garden 
centre yesterday and took a photo of one as proof - you have to look 
carefully to see the twist.
I've posted a picture of it, with a couple of other examples of their 
dials, on my web page at: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jmikeshaw/page21.html
 
There  is a whole stand of rubbish made by a 
Company called "Black Country Metal Works". The really worrying thing is that 
their leaflet has the BSS logo on it, with the proud boast, "We are members of 
the British Sundial Society".  
Just the sort of thing to bring the BSS into 
disrepute.
 
(Would you like a copy of the leaflet 
Doug?)
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Door Knocker Gnomon?

[Mike Shaw]

<http://www.wiz.to/sundials/  and 
click on "more favorites" I think that the Sir Isaac Newton dial shown there us 
using the index finger as a gnomon with the "book" as the 
dial.>>
 
Not quite.  
John Davis' dial shows Isaac Newton holding a 
triangle (representing a prism) with a hole in the centre which projects a spot 
of light onto the dial face.
 
By coincidence, just above the picture is a "John 
Carmichael", and just below it is an "Aten"
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Google at the Equator

[Mike Shaw]

Bill G. said:
<>
 
I have also noticed that, according the Google 
Earth, the meridian line at the Greenwich Observatory (surely correct) is 
at 5.26 minutes West.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Google Earth accuracy

[Mike Shaw]

Bill G. said:
<>
 
I have also noticed that, according the Google 
Earth, the meridian line at the Greenwich Observatory (surely correct) is 
at 5.26 minutes West.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
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Re: Google Earth accuracy

[Mike Shaw]

<>
 
Oops!  Quite right.
 
Mike
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Pilkington & Gibbs

[Mike Shaw]

Fellow dialists,
 
You occasionally see Pilkington & Gibbs 
Heliochronometers for sale on eBay.
Recently, a southern hemisphere model was offered 
for sale.
The seller did not know it was designed 
for the southern hemisphere. 
It could have been disappointing for the buyer as 
well.
 
If anyone is interested, I have put a  couple 
of photographs on my web site, illustrating the differences at:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jmikeshaw/page19.html
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
 
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Re: Paris: Sundial working with Fiberglass

[Mike Shaw]

I made a fibre optic sundial once, a long time 
ago.
Follow the link on my web site.
 
Mike Shaw
 
53.37N3.02W
 
www.wiz.to/sundials
 
 
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Ballistics - way, way off topic

[Mike Shaw]

I am trying to solve a ballistics question for a friend.
If there's anyone out there who thinks they can help, could you please contact 
me off list.

If you're not interested, stop reading now.

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials

===
If you're still with me 

The Problem.

Two vehicles are perpendicular to each other, about 100 meters apart on 
parallel roads.
There is a rifle on vehicle A, and a target on vehicle B

1) Vehicle A is stationary, B is moving.  Where do you aim? (in front of the 
target, easy)
2) Vehicle A and Vehicle B are both travelling at the same speed. Where do you 
aim?
3) Vehicle A is moving, B is stationary. Where do you aim?

Let's ignore air resistance and the effect of the earth's rotation.
Any help appreciated.---
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Ballistics, way, way off topic.

[Mike Shaw]

Thanks to all who replied to my query earlier today.
Everyone gives me the same answer, so I'll take it that I now know the answer.

If not interested, stop reading here.

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials

=

Two vehicles are both travelling in the same direction on parallel roads, rifle 
on A, target on B.

1) Vehicle A is stationary, B is moving.  Where do you aim?
2) Vehicle A and Vehicle B are both travelling at the same speed. Where do you 
aim?
3) Vehicle A is moving, B is stationary. Where do you aim?

Assuming the vehicles travel at 100 ft/sec and the bullet takes 0.1 sec to 
reach the target then

1) 10 ft in front of the target
2) At the target
3) 10 ft behind the target.

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Re: Article in March BSS bulletin

[Mike Shaw]

I have a Kate Pond Skywatch.

Photo at: 
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jmikeshaw/Pond.jpg

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: New Burghley House Sundial

[Mike Shaw]

<< It has been designed by a former curator at Harvard USA.>>

Wasn't Will Andrewes the curator of scientific instruments at Harvard?
He designs sundials.  
He is now in business selling them.
Could it be one of his?

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: Equation of Time

[Mike Shaw]

Duane,

The easiest way, I think, is to combine the longitude correction and the 
Equation of Time graph.
You can then just apply one correction without the need to calculate in the 
longitude correction into the dial.

See: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jmikeshaw/page13.html for an adjustable one.

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials

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Unavailable

[Mike Shaw]

Should anyone be trying to contact Tony Moss by email - he has asked me to let 
you know that his computer system is down, and is likely to remain so for a few 
days.

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Fw: Mystery object

[Mike Shaw]

Campbell Stokes sunshine recorders are still available - I have one that I 
bought a few years ago.
They are made by Fairmount Weather Systems of Cambridge, UK.

Their web site is:
http://www.fairmountweather.com/

Mike Shaw

53.37N
3.02W

www.wiz.to/sundials
---
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Re: A new mosaic Analemmatic, in Australia - plus a 'suggestion', for this List

[Mike Shaw]

Linda,

Good idea, but you're supposed to put your latitude and longitude in there as 
well :-)
... And no cheating you others - recent photos only.

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials

<>---
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Re: Sundials marked in Universal Time

[Mike Shaw]

Larry,

<>

Not true for the general public.
Astronomically true though, as events were (are?) recorded using the Julian 
day, which does start at noon GMT.
This universal method avoids any historical misinterpretation of date and time.

Looking at old dials doesn't help, as the 24 hour system wasn't in general use. 
 On a dial, 12, could be either noon or midnight.

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Fontburn sundial

[Mike Shaw]

There's a nice little video about Tony Moss and the Fontburn reservoir sundial 
on the BBC web site. 

See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7701026.stm


Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: Experimental Method for Earth Radius

[Mike Shaw]

<>
==

Now, I'm no mathematician, as anyone will tell you but 

Isn't it because the earth is a sphere, but the wall isn't?
If you had two concentric spheres, the shadow cast on the outer one from the 
inner one would move at a constant speed.
When you watch the sun disappear at a constant rate, it is because you are 
standing on the inner sphere and you are not moving.

Well it makes sense to me (I think).

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: A unique occasion

[Mike Shaw]

And of course next year we will have

05:06:07 08/09/10

Then in the years after,

06:07:08 09/10/11
07:08:09 10/11/12
08:09:10 11/12/13

Then it starts to get difficult, depending upon your nomenclature. 
Here in the UK we use dd/mm/yy not mm/dd/yy.


Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: 52 YEARS OF MATH

[Mike Shaw]

Now that we are all having a rant - I'd like to raise the issue of "52 years of 
punctuation"

Please consider joining the "Apostrophe Preservation Society".
All you have to do to become a member is promise to carry around with you a 
large felt tipped pen and ostentatiously correct all errors that you see.
Great fun in the shops. 

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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Re: gnomon protection - shadow ridge dials

[Mike Shaw]

<>

I made an incremental fibre optic dial a few years ago using a much simpler 
system.
See: www.wiz.to/sundials/and follow the link to "Fibre Optic" (we spell it 
like that in the UK).

Mike Shaw
53.37N 3.02W


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Re: Dials and clocks

[Mike Shaw]

Brian,

There's Press release at: 

http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/media/press+releases/2005/Visitor/PR2334.htm

which mentions both the clock and sundial.
It also gives an email for the Heritage Manager and asks you to make contact 
for further details.
You could give it a try.

Mike Shaw

53.37N 3.02W
www.wiz.to/sundials---
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[no subject]

[Mike Shaw via sundial]

Diese Nachricht wurde eingewickelt um DMARC-kompatibel zu sein. Die
eigentliche Nachricht steht dadurch in einem Anhang.

This message was wrapped to be DMARC compliant. The actual message
text is therefore in an attachment.--- Begin Message ---
I see from today's Google Doodle that it’s the 325th anniversary of John 
Harrison’s birth.
One of my heroes.


Mike Shaw
53º 22’ N, 3º 02’ W--- End Message ---
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[no subject]

[Mike Shaw via sundial]

Diese Nachricht wurde eingewickelt um DMARC-kompatibel zu sein. Die
eigentliche Nachricht steht dadurch in einem Anhang.

This message was wrapped to be DMARC compliant. The actual message
text is therefore in an attachment.--- Begin Message ---
I have been contacted by a lady who lives in Germany who has recently inherited 
a Pilkington Gibbs heliochronometer.
She wishes to sell it.
It is an early Type 2, serial number 169.
I am assured that it is in working order.
If anyone is interested, contact me directly and I will send photos and put you 
in touch with the vendor.

Mike Shaw
53º 22'N,  3º02’W

--- End Message ---
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Re: Analemmatic sundial

[Mike Shaw via sundial]

Diese Nachricht wurde eingewickelt um DMARC-kompatibel zu sein. Die
eigentliche Nachricht steht dadurch in einem Anhang.

This message was wrapped to be DMARC compliant. The actual message
text is therefore in an attachment.--- Begin Message ---
I’ve just been down and taken a better picture of the Port Sunlight analemmatic.

Mike Shaw

--- End Message ---
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