Re: Monumental Sundial
Carl wrote, > This would also apply to a nodus. I would guess John that your > sundial at > the Colorado school might be experiencing this. I believe its gnomon > ends > at a tip. I believe the shadow of this tip may be lost in the shadows at > this time of year. There IS a way of locating the tip of a rod gnomon to better than 0.2mm which I demonstrated at the recent NASS McLean conference when talking about the latest version of my Precision Declinometer which utilises a principle suggested by the late Bill Maddux. This will appear in a forthcoming article in Compendium. The whole PowerPoint presentation was distributed with the electronic version. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Tapered shadows
Chris Lusby Taylor wrote: > > > Alternatively, when delineating a dial, pre-distort it as ChiLean did, > by a little less than a minute. So, the sides of the noon gap should > indeed converge. > Which is roughly what I recommended in my introduction to this topic. For a large dial, where this effect is most pronounced, set the noon hourlines and tapered noon gap at the equinox by solar observation using your best estimate of the reading edge of the shadows. Then the remaining hourlines can be set at their calculated angles from the noon lines. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Sundial pedestals
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Anyone looking for a bespoke stone sundial pedestal of outstanding quality for a very special location could be well-advised to contact: Cliveden Conservation attn. Tom Flemons Tel: +44 (0)1761 420300 Fax: +44 (0)1761 420400 www.clivedenconservation.com These Bristol uk based craftsmen recently completed a very fine pedestal to support a part-replica dial which I completed earlier this year. Two small jpegs available on request - No 'just curiosity' responses please as I'm in process of completeing a substantial backlog of work." Tony Moss P.S. I have no commercial connection with this company. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Email address please?
Hi everyone, John Moir of BSS has been trying to contact me but his last telephone message was cut off 'bing' by my answer-phone halfway through his email address. Can anyone put me in touch with John please? Thanks in anticipation Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Email address
Many Thanks to those who sent me John Moir's email address. We are now in touch. Tony moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A new mosaic Analemmatic, in Australia - plus a 'suggestion', for this List
Hi Linda, It is a mosaic Analemmatic layout, constructed at Cecil Plains (in Queensland). I recently colaborated the creation of a mosaic analemmatic dial so it is interesting to see another, and very different, approach. Thanks for sharing A suggestion - I have always thought it would be useful if I could see pictures of the members of our Mailing List, and so that I could "put a face to a name". Good idea! I usually try to guess what an email correspondent looks like before we meet.and am usually VERY wrong. In one instance the writer had one of those names that could be male or femaleand I still don't know which he/she is as we continents apart. What kind of question could one ask that wouldn't offend? ;-) Attached is my contribution - in low res' to hide the wrinkles. ;-) Tony Moss 55° 07 '47.5" North 01° 35" 47" West Bedlington Northumberland England <>--- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
The Longyearbyen Sundial - who designed and made it?
Fellow Shadow Watchers, A recent event makes it incumbent upon me to clarify the design and production history of what currently remains the most northerly sundial on earth at Longyearbyen on the island of Svalbard or Spitsbergen as we know it in Britain. A general statement on the outer rim of the dial perhaps says it all, although not in detail. > "This sundial was sponsored by Store Norske, Spitsbergen. Initiated > and designed by Louise Rigozzi, Tasmania, Australia. Delineated and > made by Lindisfarne Sundials, England. It is the world's most > northerly to date. Please add one hour during summer time." The dial was first conceived by my client Louise Rigozzi who is regularly resident on the island although a native of Tasmania. Her sunlit photograph of the dial at midnight on the longest day is well known in dialling circles. If you've not seen it I'll email that and other jpegs on request. After inviting me to be involved in the making of such a unique dial our initial discussions were conducted by email. It soon became obvious however that some face to face design sessions would be needed for such a complex project. Louise therefore stayed with me over two weekends after which the artwork was mutually finalized as we frequently sat side by side at the keyboard hammering out details. Just who did what in such a situation I feel neither of us could claim with any certainty. Some aspects were mainly my domain such as material considerations, structure, assembly details, delineation etc. and items taken from my stock of ornamental borders etc. It was at this stage I overcame the problem of the 'midnight overlap' which occurs opposite the noon gap. See my website for details of a CD ROM which explains this. Louise concentrated on Svalbard-specific graphical features, a polar bear gnomon supporter, the four line verse/motto, the lunar table and oversight of the general arrangement of the dial face and colour scheme of the 'fill'. The unusual pedestal in 6mm stainless steel with a black granite top was designed and modelled full size in my workshop by Louise after which I turned the ideas into an engineering concept which provided for alignment of the base and dial on site and which allowed flat-pack transmission by air for assembly by welder Wiggo Skogeng on the island. Wiggo and I never met but he followed my drawing and instructions to the letter. Trouble-free alignment was uppermost in our minds as the Sun would make its first appearance of the year but briefly, if at all, during my visit. The pedestal would have to be pre-bolted to wooden piles driven deep into the permafrost and aligned magnetially beforehand. The Earth's magnetic field is far from fixed nearer the poles but the excellent guidance given by Anne Bruvold in Oslo resulted in a pedestal that was withing a degree of spot on. Being a leap year the sun appeared one day early and shone just long enough to allow the moveable pedestal cap to be rotated and bolted into its final position in the blink of an eye. Then of course there was the adventure of flying to and from Svalbard when spare aircraft seats are filled up with bags of fresh vegetables etc. Also the Oh-SO-COLD snowmobile trip, the polar bears that invited themselves to the inauguration etc. etc. (all on video at the expense of frozen fingers) but that is another story. The Longyearbyen sundial was the product of several inputs and I haven't even mentioned the various sub-contractors involved so I hope this clarifies any 'who did what' queries or any suggestion that only I was involved. For this experience of a lifetime I will always be grateful to Louise for giving me the opportunity. Best wishes Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Nomenclature for dial designers and makers
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Arising from my recent email about 'who did what' on the Longyearbyen dial (and at the risk of boring everyone stiff) could I share a few thoughts about related matters. Some years of my professional career were partly spent teaching undergrad's in a Univ. Department of Industrial Design which has sensitized me to the fact that the phrase 'designed by' has been used rather loosely on occasions in a dialling context and perhaps the following definitions might be constructively considered for the future? (A) 'Conceived by XXX' would arise from such approaches as: "I want a 12" diameter horizontal sundial with a gnomon based on a eagle's outstretched wing". I want a dial similar to this rough sketch". "I want a vertical dial to fill this blank space on my garden wall" etc. (B) 'Designed and Made by XXX' would mean exactly what it says. Short of smelting the metal or mining the slate every aspect of this sundial is the work of one mind and one pair of hands. viz the dimensions, shape, delineation, size, nature and placement of all surface features etc. Commercial fonts and clip-art could fall within this category of work however. *Accurate* prototype dials in materials such as card or even paper would also fit in this category. (C) 'Designed by XXX' would be the same as 'B' but where the realization in metal or stone is done by a third party or sub-contractors and should, perhaps, be stated. (D) 'Jointly Designed by XXX and XXX' is self-explanatory and effectively the same as (B). Or am I just 'playing with words'? At the close of a commercial dialling career I have no 'axe to grind' here. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Anodising aluminium
Hi all, Following on from Chris' recommendations and for anyone new to the SML here is a repeat of my instructions for simple home anodising of aluminium. It really is a simple process which turns a dull and lifeless metal into jewel-like material. Provided that good ventilation and basic safety procedures are employed it is a very safe procedure which produced hundreds of beautiful items made by students over the years with no ill effects. Tony Moss ** Anodising Aluminium in the Home Workshop 1. You will need a large acid-proof plastic container. Any polyethylene bucket or tank will do into which your workpiece will fit with a three inch gap all round. Alternatively I made purpose built tanks out of marine plywood covered with a liquid-proof layer of glass-fibre resin and surfacing tissue. After years of use these tanks are still in good working order. Just one very large tank will serve but of course this will need a lot of electrolyte. 2. Work outdoors or have good ventilation as the fine bubbles of gas which rise to the surface produce an weak acidic mist which is barely detectable - and then one day you discover you have lost your sense of smell! N.B. It will return eventually but better not to risk it. 3. You can anodise with low voltage AC or DC but if you use AC the ‘Cathode’ mentioned below MUST be of lead. 4 The cathode (negative connection) can be formed from a sheet of aluminium bent to fit around the interior walls of your tank as a loose ‘liner’. Leave a projection tab to bend over the edge of the tank with a terminal to which the negative wire is connected if you are using DC . If your power supply is AC then the cathode must be sheet lead. 5. Part-fill the tank with electrolye made by adding one part of concentrated sulphuric acid to nine parts of water. Wearing goggles and rubber gloves pour the acid SLOWLY down the side of the tank into the water. NOT the other way around. Pause if too much heat is generated. 6. Experiment with a piece of aluminium plate about 3” square to get the idea. Drill a hole in one corner and attach a pure aluminium wire by clinching with pliers to ensure a sound contact. 1/16” aluminium gas welding rods are perfect for this job. If contact with the wire is loose then the anodic film may form in the joint and this will stop the process. Design items to allow appropriate wire attachment - leave a cut-off tab or drill a hole in the base into which a filed taper can be ‘wrung/seized’ tightly. Hollow items can be held on an expanding zig-zag made to spring open into the inside. etc. etc. 7. Holding the object by the wire dip it into a strong solution of caustic soda (Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) for a few seconds until it fizzes to remove natural oxides and grease. Rinse in clean water. Eye and skin protection are vital here so goggles & rubber gloves are recommended. 8. Suspend in the anodising tank supported from some kind of busbar. I use a square brass bar over the tank drilled at intervals with screws to clamp the wire into the holes and ensure a good contact. 9. Connect the positive lead of your power supply to the workpiece via the busbar and the negative lead to the Cathode lining of the tank. 10. Set the voltage to about 16v and in a few minutes fine bubbles of oxygen should rise from the workpiece. The oxygen produced by the electrolysis of the water in the electrolyte combines with the aluminium at the surface to produce crystal clear aluminium oxide (grindstones are made from it!). The oxide is produced is microscopic ‘tubes’ rising from the surface rather like a honeycomb. Electrical contact is maintained through the tubes and new oxide continues to form at the base thickening the film. After about 20/30 minutes you can switch off the current, remove and rinse in CLEAN water. The aluminium will have a whitish coating but DO NOT TOUCH IT or you finger prints will be captured for ever! If the object is now immersed in a cool dye solution - there are special dyes made for this but most household dyes work fairly well - the dye molecules will fill the fine glassy tubes to colour the item. Simply boiling in clean water for a few minutes will then cause the outer ends of the tubes to swell and seal off leaving you with a brightly coloured object which has a soft velvety feel and is impervious to general wear and weather. To get metallic golds and bronzes you will have to enquire of companies such as SANDOZ who may part with samples. They usually supply in expensive 1kg tubs which contain enough for 1000 years of home use. Voltage and Current Very small items such as rings and jewellery need a low voltage for a long time whereas larger items need a higher voltage. I have a GIF of a voltage/current/time graph derived from experiment which you can request when you get started but by setting 16 volts and allowing the current to take care of itself
Re: Knowing where we are
Tony Moss wrote: > Gordon Uber wrote: >> Thanks for responding to Doug's query and correcting my incorrect >> response. It is continually amazing to me how well this software >> works (on a Garmin GPS system and Microsoft Streets) both in routing >> between two points and Streets in optimizing multipoint routes. >> >> And all that in a case not much bigger than a cigarette packet. My GARMIN nuvi770T can pinpoint every house, in every street, in every village, town and city in 95% of Europe, the UK and Ireland as well as the all of USA and Canada while showing every bend in the road between them with hotels, cashpoint machines, petrol stations, Lat. & Long. etc. etc. Or at least it did until I entered the wrong security code by mistake recently and had to return it to Garmin for unlocking. ;-( Miraculous! Walking on water seems easy by comparison. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Bendy EofT graphs.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, My preferred software for dial design has always been Adobe Illustrator. By no means 'budget' and painful to learn in the initial stages but well worthwhile in the long run. However earlier versions of AI struggled a bit to cope with things like curved Equation of Time graphs without some manual input. On recently upgrading to Illustrator CS3 suddenly the *most complex* EofT graphs, or indeed any line drawing, is beautifully and accurately curved with a minimum of keystrokes via then setting one of many possible curve types and entering a percentage. Bezier numerals and text skew/distort to fit the re-shaped graph if desired when the result looks very slick.. The result is a perfect graph fitting the available space accurately. Now if I'd just had this 15 years ago!! Saveable in PDF format as a 'service' perhaps?? Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Bendy EofT Charts.
Hi All again, It seems I have caused some confusion with my last email. I know of lots of software which will generate the basic EofT curve but have not come across anything which will take a rectangular graph with its EofT curve and grid of lines for months and minutes and curve it to fit neatly around the edge of a circular dial plate. Illustrator CS3 will do exactly that both beautifully and easily. I have a PDF which should make everything clear but it is 250k so cannot be attached to a message to the List generally. Copies on request. Best Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: glue for stone dials
John Carmichael wrote: > > .. It’s pretty messy too if you’re not careful when applying it, > but works great. It is easy to clean up excess overflow when it is > still wet using mineral spirits. > I certainly agree with John as to the long-term effectiveness of silicone. Arising from my previous experience in wooden aircraft repair work I'd suggest surrounding the gnomon 'footprint' area and the base of the gnomon itself with masking tape well rubbed down. Any oozed adhesive can then be scooped away and anything remaining will lift clean away on the tape. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Transfer to EXCEL
Fellow Shadow Watchers, For many years now all my dialling calculations have been done using spreadsheets in an ancient version of MicroSoft 'Works'. A recent change of Mac operating system has me painfully transferring everything to EXCEL version 12.1.1 Data cells COPY/PASTE directly but some of the 'Works' formulae no longer function and 'Help' is pretty convoluted. I need to take positive and negative decimal times e.g. 3.26 minutes and -4.483 minutes and convert them into two columns of whole minutes and whole seconds. As I recall negative values of less than 1 minute e.g -0.816 mins. were a particular problem. As one who has to take his shoes off for numbers greater than 10 :-) any assistance would be much appreciated. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
EXCEL Query
Hi All, Many Thanks for the prompt responses to my query. Anne Bruvold in Tromsø wins this gold medal with a simple and elegant solution. Our W O N D E R F U L SML does its job once again. Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
UK dial exported to UGA
Fellow shadow watchers, The following url gives a brief account of an unusual horizontal dial for the University of Georgia. The airline pilot son of the man in the picture made a special trip to collect it. The dial, in 10mm CZ120 engraving brass, will be secured by hidden fastenings to the pedestal to avoid a repeat of the theft of the original. http://uga.edu/gm/ee/index.php?/single/2008/09/226/ Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Story of a sundial on YouTube
Fellow Shadow Watchers, The installation story and public reactions to an unusual 'Hours to Sunset' dial can be seen on YouTube as follows: http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=0og0Xn25XQg It was a recent project of the ingeniously creative Mac Oglesby of NASS who has made several such dials and advised others on their construction. Well Done Mac! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
BBC TV 'Inside Out'
Fellow Shadow Watchers, The series 'Inside Out', 7.30 BBC One (TV) this evening (Wednesday 15th), will include an item on the Bewcastle Cross sundial in discussion with BSS member Dr. Frank Evans. This programme may not be shown countrywide?? Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: summaster 2002
Th. Taudin Chabot wrote: > I am trying to find out whether the Sunmaster 2002, designed and made > by Felix Solis Tempus, is stille available for sale. Anybody knows? > I know that the original owner of the firm has passed away and > therefore the company doesn't exist anymore. The original website was > http://www.sonnenuhren.ch/ and has now only 1 page with a picture of > the Sunmaster 2002. > Thibaud Chabot > > > Th. Taudin Chabot, . [EMAIL PROTECTED] The company is now Sonnenuheren Rebgasse 41 4058 Basel Telefon +44 61 681 23 24 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.sonnenuhren.li The webpage is still operational but other details are from a business cards of some years ago. Now operated by Timm Delfs who I met again during the recent BSS tour of Alsace. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
A Centenary Sundial in Northumberland on TV.
Fellow ShadowWatchers, There will be a short sundial item on BBC TV 'Look North' on Thursday 30th October. The programme is probably only viewable in the North East or via a satellite channel where all the regions can be accessed. The unusual dial is a new gift to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fontburn water reservoir set in beautiful Northumbrian countryside at 55° 14' 21.47" N and 1° 55' 19.42" W. < Fontburn Reservoir UK will find it on Google Earth > and the dial is set in the lawn to the East of the cottages and to the North of the waterworks by the dam. A special feature of the area is a Victorian stone viaduct which carried the now-defunct North British Railway branch to Rothbury. The top of the viaduct and its narrow shadow can be seen on GE running parallel to the dam. This defining structure is actually incorporated into the gnomon design while the heavy brass rectangular dial plate includes an outline map of the lake and a stylised version of the Aquarius astrological symbol. The dial will be inaugurated on Saturday 1st November at 10.30am. and any diallist within range will be welcome to attend. Incorporated in the pedestal is a new War Memorial for the local area and a Time Capsule will be buried at its foot during an informal ceremony. Warm clothing is recommended although the day is forecast to be bright and sunny! The TV item depicts the setting out of the meridian line, some other sundialling workshop activities, and then it concludes with shots of the dial atop of the unfinished stone pedestal with the viaduct in the background. Two half days of shooting condensed into about four minutes of programme time!! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Fontburn Centenary Dial
Hi all, I've just spoken to the BBC TV producer who confirmed that the Fontburn dial item is scheduled for this evening's Look North but he warned me that it is not unusual to defer shorter items if other main news needs extra space. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
NZ Sundial.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Many Thanks to all who have sent me a variety of good personal photographs and many useful references to this dial in New Zealand. What a wonderful service the SML provides. Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
NZ dial
Fellow Shadow Watchers, A friend has just sent me a jpeg of a fine New Zealand dial in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. He tells me the dial, which appears to be made of slate with a brass/bronze gnomon, is about 1 metre across and from the picture is about 60mm thick all mounted on an inverted 'cone' in rough stone. Can anyone tell me who made it and any other details? A SE or SW of the dial giving more details of the gnomon would be especially welcome. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: SUSIE Project
Conxita Bou wrote: > > Dear friends, > > Since about a year ago, the //Societat Catalana de Gnomònica// has > been actively working on the SUSIE Project (Sundial on the > Southernmost Ices on Earth). It was born with the intention of placing > a sundial that could show the time for the first time in history, at > the exact geographic South Pole. In other words, we wanted to put into > reality the wish to calculate and design a sundial for the most > austral latitude of the planet; and our society member Xavier Valbuena > would be the carrier. > > Conxita, On behalf of your Society please accept my most sincere congratulations to everyone involved in this most stimulating and worthwhile project. So now the Earth will revolve on two gnomonic polar-(ish) axes at the South Pole and on Svalbard/Spitbergen. The latter some 800+ miles short of the actual North Pole but as close as terra-firma will permit perhaps. What an achievement! I salute everyone involved.! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Fort Blockhouse dial
Larry, One thing I noticed about this dial which hasn't been mentioned so far is that the delineation runs from IV a.m. to VIII p.m. whereas a dial at 40° 35' would perhaps run from V to VII in whole hours. IV (or ) and VIII wouldn't appear until around 50° North. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: SUSIE Project
Conxita Bou wrote: > > Dear friends, > > We are pleased to inform you that on January 20, at 21:20 hours (local > time in Barcelona) , the expedition /Pol Sud Sense Límits Obra Social > "la Caixa"/ reached its goal: the geographic South Pole! s; > nevertheless it will be eventually used outdoors. > Hi Conxita, Heartfelt congratulations to your Polar team on their completion of an historic achievement.! Tony Moss P.S. The Longyearbyen/Spitbergen dial has a paintbrush on a string to brush the snow off. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Translucence
John Carmichael wrote: > > Hi Roger & all: > > I agreed with everything Roger said. Translucent stone is bad and > shiny stainless steel is bad. I’ve seen that with my own eyes. But my > highly polished non-translucent (opaque) beige and brown sandstone > dials show a great shadow! So maybe shiny stainless steel has some > quality that makes shadows less visible than shiny opaque stone. > By coincidence I yesterday completed two long-promised multiple dials for BSS members in stainless steel where experience has taught me how to deal with these problems. Breaking down its reflectivity is the solution. 1. Mirror-polished SS is useless in dialling because you can't cast a shadow on a mirror. 2. 'Satin finish' SS, where all the 'grain' is parallel, is slightly better. The best shadows are obtained when looking towards the sun which is fine for horizontal dials only. In poor light conditions, or when looking 'down sun', a piece of white paper will help to find the shadow. 3. The application of a 'random-orbital' hand sander to even mirror SS produces micro 'circles' on the surface giving a very acceptable degree of shadow contrast BUT 3.1 The disc *must be in contact* with the surface when the sander is switched on to initiate the orbital motion. If this is not done then the free-spinning disc will generate BIG circular scratches which are difficult to remove later. 3.2 After the whole surface has been sanded satisfactorily in one complete operation the disc must be lifted vertically while the machine is still running. I use self-adhesive 120 grit discs for this operation having first 'killed' the initial coarseness on a piece of scrap material. This gets ride of any oversize grit making deeper scratches. Random-orbital sanders are used in car body shops for leveling and contouring filler pastes and my own is an industrial version bought for prolonged use in my aircraft work. I have seen cheaper versions in DIY stores but have no experience of how well they would do this work. The two dials referred to earlier may be on display at the forthcoming BSS Conference. JPEG of the sander in use on request. Tony Moss. P.S. For three large stainless steel dials in the London area, where I was responsible for the majority of the design work and specifications, I recommended 'bead blasting' of stainless steel. This process, where a high-pressure stream of tiny glass beads produces a 'velvety' surface, is ideal for dialling work in many ways. Sand blasting also works well but the micro sharp-edged cavities produced by sand particles may retain dirt. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: mathematical formula
Hi Nani, > > > > I want to know if it is possible to develop* a mathematical formula > * to adjust the hours in a sundials made for a different location. > (Different hemisphere and different latitude) > > For example I live in Santa Cruz (Bolivia, South America ) were there > are few simple stone sundials. I want to buy beautiful portable > sundials made in the world and It would be great if I can adjust > them to my local hour. > The first 'problem' you will encouter is that sundials made for locations in the northern hemisphere have their numerals running in the opposite direction. e.g. a northern hemisphere horizontal dial would be numbered clockwise 6,7,8,9,10.11.12,1,2,3,4,5,6. A dial for the same southern latitude would read anticlockwise 6.5.4.3.2.1.12.11.10.9.8.7.6. You can make a horizontal dial read true at a different latitude by tilting the plate so that the gnomon is parallel to the Earth's axis and the dial plate is in the same plane as its old location i.e. the dial 'thinks' it is still back in its original setting. I have just completed two horizontal dials delineated for 61.5° north to be used at latitude 51.5° north (To complex to explain why). If the southern edge of these dial is raised 10° they will read true solar time. If you have PowerPoint I can send you a slide illustrating this method. Tony Moss > > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
sundials at diferent latitudes.
Ooops! My response to Nani should have read a northern hemisphere horizontal dial would be numbered clockwise 6,7,8,9,10.11.12,1,2,3,4,5,6. A dial for the same southern latitude would read *clockwise* 6.5.4.3.2.1.12.11.10.9.8.7.6. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: In Case A 3D Photo Could Be Developed by GoogleEarth, out of the Taj Mahal, at the Time of Real Solar Noon
Mashallah Ali-Ahyaie wrote: > */Hello to All,/* > > */ Greetings, regarding messages 2 and 3 (sundial Digest, Vol 40, > Issue 2), I don't have access to the /* > */online Google Earth. /**/Could anyone help me? My concern is using > the /* > */Google Earth showing /**/the Taj Mahal, at real solar noon time, > since /* > */as I have discussed /**/it in my book, previously brought to your > kind /* > */attention /**/(Seven Articles on the Qiblah; the Case of the Taj > Mahal, by Trafford Publishing/**/) ,/* > */the shadow lines and figures at the Taj Mahal's site will be in line/* > */with the true geographical north / south line and symmetrical, /* > */respectively, perpendicular to the direction towards the Qiblah. /* > *//* > */ In fact it is the world biggest noon-mark dial/* > *//* */Hi Mashallah, Google Earth images aren't 'real-time' from a satellite. In the UK certainly they are aerial photographs which can be months out-of-date. When the image transfers from an 'in-space' shot of the globe it passes through a blurred stage as it transfers to the aerial photograph. Tony Moss /* --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Don't miss this!
Fellow Shadow Watchers, If you haven't had time to follow up this invitation then don't waste another minute. It will lead you to a glorious cornucopia of dialling images to inspire, delight and inform. Thank you John Carmichael and Dave Bell for a very worthwhile contribution and the many hours it must have taken to compile. Tony Moss ** > All the painted wall sundial photographs in the PWS website are now > available in 1080 Hi Def resolution or higher when available. > > > > John & Dave > > > > http://advanceassociates.com/WallDial/PWS_Home.html --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Off topic but I thinkyou'll enjoy this.
Fellow shadowWatchers. The following link has nothing whatsover to do with sundials but it would be a sin not to share it. Apologies if you've already seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
2009 EofT ON A MAC
Fellow Shadow Watchers, There used to be several sites which would give annual tabulated Equation of Time details viewable on a Mac and now I can't fine even one. Can anyone point me in the right direction please? Thanks in anticipation Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Eoft tables
Hi all, Within minutes of my request for EofT data I now have what I need from two different sources. What a service!! Best Wishes Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
A unique occasion
At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this year,the time and date will be * **04**:05:**06** 07/**08**/09.* This will not happen again for a thousand years. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A Sun Path question
Fabio Savian wrote: > I've just updated a page where choosing any coordinates on a Google map or > by digiting them, you can get some astronomic data. > The data are updated every second: > www.nonvedolora.it/gnomonica/coordinate.php?lingua=en > The data are: system clock, GMT 0, EoT, true local hour, Sun declination, > daylight, time to sunset, time from sunrise, height and azimuth. > In these days I've added some new tasks, now it is possible: > - to choose the pointer on the map > - to copy the settings of the page to address it > - to save the settings as default > - to show data for a given time > - to show an icon with the Sun to point out the azimuth from the pointer > > Hi Fabio, I've just tried it out and found it delightfully easy to use and potentially most valuable. Thank You for sharing! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Dialists' Companion
I know nothing of PC systems, or indeed very much about the Dialists' Companion, but other software gets re-written to keep up with the times. Would it be such a huge task to produce a current version? How I wish it was available for the Mac, but a new item would probably run OK on one of the PC emulators now in use. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Precision Declinometer
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Following the publication of my NASS presentation on the Precision Declinometer in Compendium I've had some expressions of interest in acquiring one. As I am now retired from commercial dialling I'm afraid I can't offer to make more of these but I can easily subcontract production of the stainless steel calibrated plate with a 30% discount for a production run of 10 examples. Please contact me off list for possible cost and jpegs of the device which, under outdoor 'laboratory conditions', has proved capable of measuring declination to at least 0.2° with speed and ease. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: French dam to be world´s biggest sundia l
Andrew Pettit wrote: Fantastic! At 200,000 Euros is it also the world's most expensive sundial? Regards Not by miles! During the BSS Safari to Nuremberg we were shown a comparatively plain polar dial which, if I recall correctly, cost.wait for it...Three MILLION Euros. I've risked attaching a small 100k jpeg of it with a well-know BSS member nearby for scale. Tony Moss <>--- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: French dam to be world´s biggest sundia l
John Pickard wrote: > Hello Tony, > > You can't be serious that the dial in your image cost 3 M Euros. > Surely not. While it looks like a rather attractive design, there > doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about it. I could understand > maybe ten or twenty thousand Euros (nice work if you can get it!), but > not 3 M. > > Is it platinum, or perhaps the new unnamed element number 112? > Hi John et al, I was only repeating what our guide told us, to an almost audible gasp of amazed disbelief by many witnesses from the BSS Safari group. In explanation we were told that it had been designed by a very famous architect. As an ex sundial maker myself it is tempting to speculate on the likely time and cost of making a duplicate by waterjet cutting and slot assembly but it would be discourteous to do so. One novel feature was the daylight saving adjustment with a slide of summertime numerals behind the little holes. Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: 52 YEARS OF MATH
Hi all, It may have been because 'copy' letters used in pantograph engraving are sometimes viewed upside down but the fire door sign read "Illegal use is improper" Tony Moss P.S. To bring it back to sundialling/sundialing are there any other Brits going to NASS Portland? --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Inclining Cone Gnomons
John Carmichael wrote: > > Hi Rod: > > Yea, it could be dangerous! But one should consider blunting the cone > tip anyway for added precision when shadows are long. They are long > for most of the hours in a year. > > . > > If the point is high in the air, then it’s not a problem.. Check out > this giant one on a large horizontal dial that I think is in Newark. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlcarmichael/3869323292/ > > Or, if it is high on a wall, then the point isn’t a safety issue > either. They’d look cool hanging down on a wall dial. I’ve been trying > to get Jim Tallman to try a little one on a Spectra Dial > > John > My insurers wanted $2,000,000 indemnity to cover the possibility of US clients falling onto a dial gnomon. They actually suggested building a wall around the dial to keep everyone at a safe distance! I solved the problem (to my satisfaction) by always having a 'halfpenny scroll tip' on my gnomons thereafter. I recall a story that a well-known diallist leaned forward to check the dial reading at a dial inauguration and injured his forehead on the sharp point. Can anyone verify this tale? Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Inclining Cone Gnomons - wounded diallist
Larry Bohlayer / Celestial Products wrote: > >> Tony Moss wrote: >> I recall a story that a well-known diallist leaned forward to check the >> dial reading at a dial inauguration and injured his forehead on the >> sharp point. Can anyone verify this tale? >> Hi Larry! That is the story exactly as I recall it, confirmed by the chimney shadow occlusion. Many Thanks, Tony M. > > It may very well be likely this has happened to others, however, I did > relate just such a event that happened a decade or so ago. A friend, > Athelstan Spilhaus, had retired as director of the National Oceanographic > and Atmospheric Agency and was given an analemmic dial designed for his home > near mine. It stood for several years in the courtyard between the house and > barn. With a change in health, Athelstan was unable to get out and his > colleagues at NOAA wanted to move the dial so he could see it from his > bedroom window. > > A party to celebrate the new position of dial was arranged for the date of > the December solstice and I was tasked with bringing my atomic clock to aid > in the fine tuning. It was a small gathering of NOAA's top tier managers and > their spouses. When I arrived, the NOAA gentlemen were adjusting the > pedestal base to bring the dial into approximate alignment. (They had come > out earlier in the week and selected a spot nearer the house and poured a > concrete foundation for the dial.) Unfortunately, I have forgotten their > names, but in the introductions, I had to advise one of them that he was > bleeding from a circular penetration in the center of his forehead. That > brought on a few chuckles from his compatriots with the relating that just a > minute before I arrived, this "expert" diallist had leaned in to check the > time reading on the dial and punctured his forehead. > > While that provides the story Tony perhaps remembers from the my relating it > informally at the Hartford NASS meeting, there is a worthy extension to the > story. As noon approached for the inauguration and final adjustment tweak, > the ten or so of us gathered around the dial watching the gnomon shadow. > With a minute or so to go, we realized that the gnomon had lost its shadow > as a larger shadow moved over it. In unison, we turned to look for the sun > only to discover it behind the chimney on the roof of the house. > > In an unceremonious event, the dial was later moved to receive the full play > of the sun's position. > > Larry Bohlayer > Celestial Products > P.O. Box 801 > Middleburg, VA 20118 > Office 540-338-4040, Fax 540-338-4042 > Customer Service Order Line 800-235-3783 > la...@celestialproducts.com > www.celestialproducts.com > > 39N 78W > > > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Is our Friend Conxita Bou in trouble in England?
Hi all, I've had a curiously impersonal email, seemingly from our dialling friend Conxita Bou, who seems to have lost her wallet and papers in England and is asking for help. While I would be delighted to help the real Conxita personally this may well be an email scam. Responses please from those close to her. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: sailors
Th. Taudin Chabot wrote: > But all those practical new ways of navigating are based on the > presence of electricity, either the ships or from batteries. And what > if when there is none..? > My navigation teacher in the sixties always said: first know where you > are without using any form of power, after that you can get a more > precise position using any form of powered aid. > Thibaud > Some years ago, while flying a jet fighter to Aviano in Italy, my son suffered a power failure which cut off his navigation instruments. He continued the trip because "I'd been there before and knew the way". Mk1 eyeball; it rarely fails! 'Head for Bologna and then left hand down a bit'. ;-) Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: gnomon protection - shadow ridge dials
Rodney Heil wrote: > That might not be the _only_ solution, Larry. These fibers terminate > in some sort of photoelectric sensor that outputs a voltage > proportional to the amount of light it receives. I've just finished working on a similar idea and quickly came to the conclusion that such dials would work on days which are blue sky horizon-to-horizon with no clouds, haze or even aircraft contrails to mess things up - it happened! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A Human Horizontal Sundial?
John Carmichael wrote: > > List member, Michael Harley, just showed me this other type of human > horizontal sundial (although the human is a statue): > > http://www.blackrockvillage.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=92&layout=blog&Itemid=78 > > <http://www.blackrockvillage.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=92&layout=blog&Itemid=78> > > In this beautiful dial, the human’s body is bent so that it becomes a > polar axis gnomon instead of using the top of a human’s head as a > nodus-based horizontal sundial. > I'm puzzled by this dial. Certainly there is an *imaginary* polar axis line from the dial origin to the tip of the beautifully sculptured figure but the only physical item on that line is the said tip. In summer with high sunpaths I can see the tip acting like a nodus but in winter surely the tip shadow will be well outside the dial plate. Have we got to imagine a shadow joining tip and origin. Or am I confused by the scale of the thing? Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Sundials and Phoney Art (Phart).
Fellow shadow Watchers, In my professional career, when, in an assessment capacity, I sometimes worked in close proximity to sculptors, industrial designers, graphic designers etc. (it shocked me when I met a graduate graphic designer who couldn't draw!! ... 'I'm not an Illustrator!" she said defensively, I would come across instances where the term 'sundial' had been hijacked to justify motive for a student project. In one instance the 'gnomon' was an amorphous low-level dribble of bronze in the middle of a discarded windmill grindstone. "But it is a sundial!" said her tutor. "Look at these photographs showing the shadow at hourly intervals." "Mmmhh!!. Had you noticed that all the shadows are the same length? I asked." Now how could that be?.by rotating the stone every few minutes perhaps?" Just an old cynic. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A Human Horizontal Sundial?
Roger Bailey wrote: > I think this is a point nodus sundial based on the tip of the divers > feet. The instructions tell you to stand on the point where the 6 to > 6 east west line intersects the North south axis. Then line up the > shadow of the tip of the divers feet. Sight along this line to the > hour marks. This seems to me to be a great way of creating an hour > line from the point gnomon. As in the sketch the latitude from the > intersection point to the gnomon tip is correct. The fact that the > shadow is within the circle in the summer and well outside in the > winter is irrelevant. The sight line hour line would be correct. I > does not work so well at noon as that female body gets in the way. Oh > well, enjoy the sculpture. Light has dawned! Thanks Roger! Apologies for any confusion arising from my misunderstanding of this beautiful creation. Tony M --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Aircraft fin gnomons - no attachment.
Roger Bailey wrote: > Our mentor and friend, Tony Moss has made some great sundials with jet > aircraft tail fin gnomons. Here is one example on his website. > http://www.lindisun.demon.co.uk/phantom.html I think I remember some > others including one for Hong Kong which is surprising considering > their tropical latitude. The angles of tail fins is more appropriate > for us at northern latitudes. > > Regard, Roger > Thanks Roger! The dial in question was made for a Hong Kong advertising agency preparing a campaign for Emirates Airlines for which they wanted a duplicate of a Victorian dial I made for the Convent of the Holy Paraclete in Whitby. Their choice was based on the fact that the numerals resembled an Arabic style quite closely. The fin of a Boeing 747 was superimposed photographically in place of the elaborate scrolled gnomon. The original is a *huge* file which I've reduced to 100k and attached in the hope that it pass the SML filter. Just in case it doesn't I'll re-send this email without the attachment. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Aircraft fin gnomons - no attachment.
Tony Moss wrote: > Thanks Roger! > The dial in question was made for a Hong Kong > advertising agency preparing a campaign for Emirates Airlines for which > they wanted a duplicate of a Victorian dial I made for the Convent of > the Holy Paraclete in Whitby. Their choice was based on the fact that > the numerals resembled an Arabic style quite closely. The fin of a > Boeing 747 was superimposed photographically in place of the elaborate > scrolled gnomon. The original is a *huge* file which I've reduced to > 100k and attached in the hope that it pass the SML filter. Just in case > it doesn't I'll re-send this email without the attachment. > > Tony Moss > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > The SML filter wouldn't allow the Emirates attachment - too big. A 170 jpg file available directly for anyone who is curious. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Source of books etc. on metal finishing
John Pickard wrote: > Good evening everyone, > > Although many of the books are targeted at industry, this website > offers a wide range of books that may be of interest to dial makers. > Have you ever considered plating your dial with rhodium? There's a > book here for you! > **A useful link John, Thank you! While walking...wellshuffling really...across a Columbia River bridge with Larry McDavid before the recent NASS Conference in Portland we were brought to a halt by a centre span lifting to allow a ship to pass through. In the few minutes pause my attention wandered to the structural steelwork which had a lustrous metallic finish which I think was the result of 'metal spraying' with a sacrificial zinc alloy perhaps? The shadows of my fingers showed up very clearly on the 'grainy' surface and it occurred to me that this might be a very durable finish on a extra-strong steel dial outdoors. Vitae Lampada for that idea I guess. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Do sundials (in public places), attract 'undesirable' people ?
Keith Christian wrote: > Our "Friends of Port Sunlight" group have proposed installing a 'Human > Sundial' into a local area, as an attractive interactive feature - and > we had obtained the layout plans, from "Modern Sunclocks" in Scotland. > > For any UK members of this group, you may know that Port Sunlight (in > 'the Wirral' part of Cheshire) is a highly prestigious area, and which > is also protected by all kinds of 'heritage' regulations. Our chosen > location is known as "The Diamond", plus we intend to use local stone. > > > During one of our recent meetings, it was pointed out that the "Modern > Sunclocks" website says that installing this feature into a public area > may attract 'undesirable' people (drug addicts, prostitutes, etc) - who > would tend to use this Human Sundial as their regular 'meeting-place'. > > This is detailed at the top of page: www.sunclocks.com/pics/fs-015.htm > > There is also a link to further 'risks and dangers', of installing one. > > > Although we would really love to have a "Sunclock", if this is going to > become a meeting place for drug-dealers and alcoholics - then it would > certainly not be in keeping with the 'prestigious' nature of this site. > > > My reason for sending this message to the "Sundial Mailing List", is to > ask if anyone has experience of sundials (in public places) becoming an > attraction to 'undesirable' people - such as those I mentioned, above. > > Basically, we need to decide whether we should proceed with installing > this "Sunclock" in that location - as we do not want to have a feature > which might considerably 'lower the tone', of our Port Sunlight area ! > > > Looking forward to any comments and/or advice, concerning this matter. > > Keith Christian. > > > > Hi Keith, There was a proposal some years go to install a sundial in Port Sunlight but it eventually came to nothing. As the likely designer of the dial I visited Port Sunlight in company with Mike Shaw, a BSS member who lives on the Wirral, and was deeply impressed by the layout and delightfully varied architecture of the site. Over the years I have installed several large dials in public places but have never heard any suggestion that they were magnets for undesirable behaviour. Indeed two such were actually *planned* as socialising areas with stone 'compass points' and cast iron 'bollards' designed as surrounding seating since when I've had nothing disturbing reported. The analemmatic (human) sundial I installed in Brocks Hill Park near Leicester and others at Bede's World Jarrow, and other sites in Northumberland and Durham similarly. Any distinctive feature might serve such a purpose I suppose and Port Sunlight has plenty of those already. I recall a picturesque stone bridge which has (or had?) a sundial on its parapet. There were certainly no glue sniffers or the like in residence when I photographed it and that would seem to be a perfect gathering spot. Good Luck with your project, Tony Moss Lindisfarne Sundials (Retired) --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Email address
Hi all, Does anyone have a working email address for Douglass Hunt of 'Human Sunclocks'. He has sent me an email inviting a response but subsequent emails are 'bounced' as undeliverable to the address given. As there seems to be no email contact available through his website I am puzzled by this odd behaviour. Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Email address
Hi Anne, > > Hi, Tony > > According to the "Modern Sunclocks" website, (on their 'How to Contact' > page) it says that they no longer use the old-fashioned E-mail system. > > That is shown just above the photograph of Douglas Hunt, but if you > click on his photo it will take you to a 'Response Form' - where you > can enter any message which you want to send. As I understand it, > E-mail is rapidly being superseded by more modern alternatives (as an > 'anti-spam' measure) - where everything is done "website to website", > without needing any traditional E-mail at all. A 'bonus' is that no > messages can ever go missing, so this is like "Registered E-mail". > > On those modern systems, you do not have (because you do not need) an > E-mail address - and so "spammers" cannot send bulk 'junk' E-mails ! > > Only people without their own website, will have to stick with E-mail. > > > Anne Lennon, (Mrs). > > > > Thank you! That brings me up to date with current developments but if someone sends an email requiring a response it seems logical to me that the sender's address should accept a response without having to go hunting for possibilities on a website unless that is what is intended?? Best Wishes Tony Moss P.S. I now have one email address which, so far, hasn't bounced back. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
My CD ROM "Using & Understanding Sundials"
Fellow Shadow Watchers, CD ROM "Using & Understanding Sundials" As this publication is now several years old I've have just begun a revision to be published as a formal 'second edition', possibly as a BSS resource. When such things have an ISBN No. they cannot be altered piecemeal without applying for re-numbering. The point of this email is that, on looking at the PowerPoint files, I find they have somehow recently been corrupted in a significant way. The main problem seems to be that many of the captions and text blocks have been converted to excessive sizes. I can correct all this in revision BUT I have recently sent a few copies to clients worldwide without noting these changes. Typically blocks of text will have overlapped their background coloured rectangles. The slides seem to be otherwise correct and can be corrected by their new owner or, if you let me know, I will replace them in due course when the revision is complete. Many apologies for an unforeseen problem. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Analemma origins.
Jack Aubert wrote: > > I recently revised my notes for a sundial talk I was giving which > included a section on the EOT, and its connection with the traditional > figure 8 analemma. I wanted to explain its origin, or at least be able > to answer the question if asked, but have not been able to find any > believable references on how it emerged. I assume that the source of > the figure is simply a “connect the dots” picture of what the sun, or > a gnomon pointer will trace it out over the course of the year > projected onto a surface. But I do not see how the dots can be > generated without using an external non-solar source of time. > > The Wikipedia article on the EOT has a confusing statement to the > effect that Ptolomey was aware of the variation in the sun’s movement > and even devoted a chapter to the subject, but then says that he did > not correctly account for the two sources of variation. Is there any > evidence that the Greeks or Romans ware aware of, and used, the > analemma representation, perhaps generated by reference to a > clepsydra, or did it first appear when mechanical clocks became > prevalent? > > Jack > Did the analemma concept arrive with Huygens and his accurate mechanical clocks? My guess is that he initially set his clocks by the sundial but eventually came to realize that the clocks were 'accurate' and the sundial was varyingly 'out-of-step'. I'd love to have any evidence surrounding this notion. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Copyright query
Fellow Shadow Watchers, For a commercial PowerPoint presentation currently in preparation I would like to include a picture of two Egyptian altitude dials (Tuthmosis III Egyptian) which appear on page 15 of 'Sundials History, Art, People, Science' by Mark Lennox-Boyd. The acknowledgments therein state 'with permission of the British Library' but give no indication of the actual source. As I have been unable to contact the author directly can anyone help with this to streamline a formal request to the BL? Thanks in anticipation, Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Copyright query....ooops!
Hi all, In my recent email I suggested that the colour picture of two ancient Eqyptian Sundials in Mark Lennox-Boyd's book were sourced via the British Library but this was a simple mistaken reading of the closely-printed acknowledgements page. On looking again I see that the German attribution PRECEDES the page number (15) and not the converse. The picture is by Margarete Buesing so I can now follow this up. Apologies for any confusion. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: dalemain stolen dial
Frank King wrote: > > I have never seen this anywhere else but if > you have to have sundials in museums this is > the kind of thing that appeals to me! > > Hi Frank et al, I took a pic of something very similar in the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Too large to attach to an SML mailing but I'll send a copy directly. jpegs on request off list. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Antikythera mechanism
Larry Bohlayer / Celestial Products wrote: > For those whose who have an interest in the Antikythera mechanism, here is a > link to some of its history and some modern instruments with photos and > specifications on building one for yourself. (Tony Moss may be envious.) > Too true Larry! A most inspiring posting and the link to Rens Heeren is well worth following up for anyone who admires "beautiful things working beautifully." Many Thanks for sharing Tony M. > http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCOrreryNotes.html > > > > Larry Bohlayer > > > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Indoor Sundials
James E. Morrison wrote: > > I hope this doesn't generate yet another discussion about the relative > merits of sundials and astrolabes. They are both wonderful. > For anyone with a general interest in astrolabes, filming for a BBC 4 TV programme was recently done on board the replica of the 'Matthew'. http://www.matthew.co.uk/ "The Boats That Built Britain" to be presented by the sailor and author Tom Cunliffe. One of the programmes, for which the film company borrowed my Mariners' Astrolabe (reproduction made some years ago), looks at early navigation and Cabot's voyage to America. The programme will be broadcast in the Spring 2010 Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Troublesome things these sundials!
This caught my attention amongst regular news items. Tony Moss. ** BBC CEEFAX North East & Cumbria News Saturday 5th December. A physiotherapist has been given a 12 month caution for encouraging a patient to fire an air pistol at a sundial. The Health Professional Council panel also heard that Stephen Sterling, of Sunderland, told the serious head injury patient to demolish a wall. Panel members said allowing a person who had suffered neurological damage in a road accident to fire a pistol amounted to misconduct Mr. Sterling admitted he now realized he had "stepped over the mark". --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Das Ergebnis Ihres e-Mail-Kommandos
Thomas Steiner wrote: > Hi, > I sent this email last week to the mailingslist, but it did not > appear. Perhaps I made a mistake or it was not accepted due to the > attachment. I linked it now at > http://picasaweb.google.at/lh/photo/0eDgi0IBH4-W0PiUtb3ALg?feat=directlink > Thanks for your ideas and comments, > Thomas > > Hi Thomas, All the dials made by my own hands have been in metal with larger ones made by sub-contractors. If I had to make the handsome dial your picture illustrates I would consider printing it on film to project it onto the wall with an overhead projector on a dark night. A square with a known dimensions on the film would be used to check for horizontal/vertical accuracy/distortion. Just a thought. Tony Moss. Lindisfarne Sundials (No longer trading) --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Troublesome things these sundials!
Thaddeus Weakley wrote: ** Having *raised this hare* I felt compelled to find out more about the sundial of which a Google search has increased the information slightly as follows: > "Stephen Sterling, who has practices in Sunderland and Seaham, is > alleged to have performed acupuncture on a park bench and warned a > customer to "stop being a wuss" when he complained about pain caused > by the needles in his neck. > > He is also said to have fired an air pistol at a *clay* sundial and > urged the patient to do the same." Was it just soft clay or fired earthenware one wonders? It's all a bit surreal! It must be noted that park bench therapy including demolition and ballistics is not the norm in the UK. Tony Moss *** > When you do your shooting, please be sure to remember to drop a couple > thousand extra dollars of tax money to your local municipality for > their replacement. Your prompt payment for the destruction of public > property may avoid you any charges and the ire of your tax-paying > neighbours > > --- On *Tue, 12/8/09, Carl & Barbara Sabanski //* > wrote: > > > From: Carl & Barbara Sabanski > Subject: RE: Troublesome things these sundials! > To: "'Sundial'" > Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 7:21 PM > > I don't know why you all keep harpin about these shot up signs. > Every fall at huntin season my buddy and I use em to site our > rifles. So..what's the problem with this? There nice an > symetrical so you see how acurate the gun is. We like them hydro > pole insilators even better. We shoot at those for beers. So > don't complane about it unless you have tried it. > > -Original Message- > *From:* sundial-boun...@uni-koeln.de > [mailto:sundial-boun...@uni-koeln.de]*on Behalf Of *Thaddeus > Weakley > *Sent:* Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:40 PM > *To:* Sundial; Frank Evans > *Subject:* Re: Troublesome things these sundials! > > Sounds like a lot of small-town middle America to me (when > they don't just steal the sign to sell for scrap instead). > Even if you can't read them, I suppose they're the next step > for marksmanship when moving from the broad side of a barn to > live targets > > --- On *Tue, 12/8/09, Frank Evans > //* wrote: > > > From: Frank Evans > Subject: Re: Troublesome things these sundials! > To: "Sundial" > Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 1:16 PM > > In this country ordinary road signs are often adorned with > graffiti. In > South Africa, not graffiti but bullet holes. > Frank 55N 1W > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > > -Inline Attachment Follows- > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Troublesome things these sundials!
Frank King wrote: > Dear Tony, > > You may have stumbled on a new sport... > > >> He is also said to have fired an air pistol >> at a *clay* sundial and urged the patient to >> do the same." >> > > I am familiar with Clay Pigeon Shooting and I > can well imagine that when the novelty of doing > that wears off and you want something a little > more adventurous you can turn your hand to Clay > Sundial Shooting. > > I can see you will end up being the secretary > of the BSS Clay Sundial Shooting Sub-Group :-) > > I wonder whether there is a "season" for this? > > I suspect that clay sundials breed in the summer > so now may be a good time of year for shooting > young ones? > > This could be the start of something big? > Hi Frank, What a wonderful idea! Perhaps the 'staff of office' for the BSSCSS Secretary should be a bespoke gun by Messrs. Holland & Holland (gunmakers to the Royal Family)provided by the Society of course. The barrels & action alone begin at £45,000 after which wood for the stock is selected from a magnificent 'library' and then there is the finest hand engraving imaginable. Following a memorable gun-fitting session at H&H recently I have my personal 'gun-fit prescription' ready and waiting. ;-) Tony M. P.S. The H&H 'prescription', achieved with a fully adjustable 'try-gun', will simply allow me to modify my own modest Berretas to fit exactly. See < http://www.hollandandholland.com/ > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Troublesome things these sundials!
Frank King wrote: > Dear Tony, > > I can see you are tempted.. > > I'll duly propose you as Secretary; all we need > is a seconder and the job's yours! There will > probably be a bit of a quibble about the cost > of the staff of office but I am sure that > BSS members will see the merits of the idea. > Hi Frank, My only concern is that I would then have to plan my retirement for a FOURTH time! ;-) 1. H.E. Lecturer 20 yrs. 2. M.D. 'Lindisfarne Aviation Ltd.' 5 yrs. 3. Proprietor 'Lindisfarne Sundials' 15yrs and now this proposal. A job too far methinks! It's a shame though: now where did I leave my slippers? Zz! T. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
A worthwhile visit.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Here's wishing a Happy New Year to all my sundialling friends and contacts in Europe, the USA, Canada and beyond. Ooops!, I'm beginning to sound like Buzz Lightyear! ;-) If you haven't done so already then give yourselves a visual and dialistical New Year treat by visiting my friend Jim Tallman's beautiful and informative website. http://www.artisanindustrials.com/world-of-sundials/artisan-sundials-world.html Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: animation of shadow pathway
r...@infraroth.de wrote: > Hello! > > For a presentation I'm searching for an animated illustration of the pathway > of the shadow on a sundial (animated gif, mov, swf etc.) I've found only few > examples so far with a Google search and less are usable. Any ideas? Some > years ago I had done something like that with Povray but the model was > without hour lines and such. > > Any ideas, sources? > > Thank you, > best regards - > - Daniel Roth > > > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > Hi Daniel, Check out 'VIRTUAL SUNDIAL' on my webpages at < http://www.lindisun.demon.co.uk/ > which shows a large masonry horizontal and a small brass horizontal in operation. Tony Moss Lindisfarne Sundials (No longer trading) --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
BSS home page "How Sundials Work'
Fellow Shadow Watchers, The very positive responses to the "How Sundials Work" series on the BSS webpages has made the hundreds of hours involved in its production seem well worthwhile. It is well known that, over the years, I have usually offered all diallists the free use of my many graphics and photographs for non-commercial purposes but this series is different in that it is the freely gifted property of the British Sundial Society and the following revised copyright message will soon appear in a revised title page for the series at: http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/ > IMPORTANT - STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP & COPYRIGHT > > The text and images in this series are the intellectual property of > Tony Moss who has kindly made > them available to The British Sundial Society (BSS) in furtherance of > the Society's educational aims. > The series presented here is the copyright of BSS. Reference to it, > or use of it in any web page, > may freely be made by a direct hyperlink.The images and text may also > be downloaded for > private or research purposes provided that in each and every instance > of download in this way > this statement of BSS's ownership is attached and the hyperlink to > this page is quoted. > > No commercial use of this material, including any presentation that > may be made which results in the > receipt of fees or other forms of remuneration, shall be made without > the purchase of a licence from BSS. > Licences may be purchased from the Secretary at the address given in > our contacts page. > > © The British Sundial Society, 2010, © Tony Moss, 2009, 2010 Best Wishes Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Pre-cut letters and numerals in durable materials.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Since a recent visit to the UK Sign-World exhibition I receive promotional material which might be of use to others. A recent example is: http://www.trade-letters.com/ which needs no further explanation. Prices are reasonable and there is no minimum order. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Email to the White house
Fellow shadow Watchers, I have just received, via my normal email address, the following auto-response from the White House in the USA without having sent any kind of message. Have I been cloned? If so, Why? Tony Moss > Due to the high volume of messages received at this address, the White > House is unable to process the email you just sent. To contact the > White House, please visit: > > http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact > > Thank you. > --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Cyrus the Great and sundials.
Hi David, > Here's a challenge for all you gnomonical cogniscenti > Is there any way in which Cyrus the Great (yes, I had to look him up, > too) can be linked to sundials. I suspect not, but maybe one or two of > you know better. > Looking at his helmeted portrait via Google I can only suggest that his prominent nose would make a pretty good gnomon for a vertical dial at around 72° north. I'm sure this doesn't help in the slightest but you did say 'any'. :-) Best Tony Moss I kid you not - this is a genuine query that has been put to me. I don't have the answer. Do any of you? David Brown Somerton, Somerset, UK --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
"How Sundials Work"
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Following the recent announcement of "How Sundials Work" on the British Sundial Society webpage, enquiries were received about the possibility of using the same graphic images but with text in other languages. This series of images was freely gifted the the BSS so questions of copyright etc. arose. At their recent meeting, BSS Council agreed that the complete "How Sundials Work" can be re-captioned in other languages provided that the author (me) and the Society are mentioned, together with a live link to the BSS website: http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/ Hoping that this clarifies the situation Tony Moss Lindisfarne Sundials (no longer trading). P.S. Italian and Russian versions now seem likely and I would of course be most interested to learn of any others. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
HSW translations.
Hi all, It now seems there will be a translation of "How Sundials Work" into Polish in due course. Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
"How Sundials Work" Latest
Hi all, So now a version of "How Sundials Work" in Dutch is forthcoming also! Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
'How Sundials Work' -in other languages.
Hi all, A German version of HSW is now a probability. Best Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Equinoctial Announcement
Frank King wrote: > Dear All, > Happy Equinox > > As well as grumbling about Daylight Saving Time > I do frivolous things like designing sundials... > > I decided it was time that rather more of the > world knew about Babylonian Hours and Italian > Hours so, yesterday, I (and many others) put > up my latest creation on a south-facing wall of > Selwyn College, here in Cambridge (a place that > does its best to educate people!). > > You can see some of the action at: > >http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~fhk1/SelwynPic.jpgl > > Hi Frank, Congratulations on a very handsome dial, beautifully conceived and then realized by the Cardozo Kindersley workshop. That PDF will come in very handy when explaining other delineations. Thank you! Anyone wishing to develop those wonderful carved lettering skills in slate would be well advised to seek out a copy of the fully illustrated "Letters Slate Cut" by Kindersley & Cardozo ISBN 0 9501946 7 0 where the tools and techniques are described in detail. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
'How Sundials Work' , latest.
Hi all, Two recent offers should result in a Czech and a Brazillian Portuguese version of 'How Sundials Work'. Regards Tony Moss. P.S. I am currently preparing a set of pages with the English text removed and a revised Title Page (Yellow perspective lettering.) to correspond with the latest BSS requirement. If translators send me translated text for the following message I will prepare a graphic version of each. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Ooops - 'How Sundials Work'
Apologies: 'Send' key pressed before message complete. In the light of the BSS Council response the yellow front page should now read: "If they are not used for any commercial purpose these graphics may be translated into another language and stored on any website provided that permission is obtained from the author (Tony Moss, Email: t...@lindisun.demon.co.uk) and a live link is included to the British Sundial Society website < http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/ >" If you send me a translation into your language I will prepare an artwork title page. Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
'How Sundials Work'
Fellow Shadow Watchers. Darek Oczki in Poland is a graphic designer so he has made a fine job of improving some of the diagrams in the BSS pages for 'How Sundials Work' with my complete approval. They now appear with text in Polish in three parts to avoid information overload. http://gnomonika.pl/?id=23 http://gnomonika.pl/?id=24 http://gnomonika.pl/?id=25 Thank You Darek! Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Making Brass Discs an even easier way.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Some years ago I distributed a series of pictures of a process I had developed for holding brass plate against the jaw faces of a three-jaw chuck in the lathe to turn rough-sawn circles into perfect discs. This involved double-sided adhesive tape on the faces of the jaws which were opened to a radius slightly smaller than the finished disc. This worked very well but cuts had to be light or the disc would come unstuck followed by messy cleaning up before re-sticking in place. While recently making fifteen brass discs for the plates and base assemblies of five universal equatorial dials for my grandchildren (my dialling retirement gift to them) I encountered problems when using a profile cutter to form an ornamental Louise XV moulding on the six base edges. Even light cuts on a broad face caused heat to build up and this softened the adhesive grip of the industrial Tesa tape I've used for years for this process. Long pauses to let the workpiece cool held things up. While pondering a solution my eyes fell on a roll of material that has been lying around the workshop waiting for me to line out my tool cabinet drawers. 'Premium Grip Liner' made by 'Duck' is a soft, perforated plastic matting which 'grabs' the drawer contents and stops them moving around. Mmmh! Would it work? A disc was cut and inserted between a 9mm thick brass disc and the cleaned chuck jaw faces. Then some experimental very light cutsthen heavier onesthen the profile cutter (in stages to reduce active area of cut). It WORKS! No slippage and no messy adhesive to remove. The same piece of matting can be used many times. I hope the description of the process will be sufficient but JPEGS of the Duck material packaging and the first successful cut on application. Tony Moss P.S. I have no connection with the makers or sellers of this product. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
British Sundial Society "How Sundials Work"
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Some weeks ago "How Sundials Work" was published as a series of 20 graphics with explanatory text on the BSS website at < http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/ > A final version incorporating suggestions, improvements and small corrections is now up and running. There are, so far, buttons to access re-worked versions in Polish and Brazilian Portuguese (first two parts of four) with others in preparation. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
HSW again.
Hi all, A version of 'How Sundials Work' in Russian is now available as a downloadable PDF on the BSS website (thanks to Alexei Kroutiakov) (http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/) Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: The Jacobs Glass Sphere Dial
Kevin Karney wrote:
>
> Because the focal length of a glass sphere is so short, such
> instruments are not great as sundials. A greatly improved version can
> be made with a long focal length sphere as invented by Prof Julian
> Chen of Columbia University. See NASS Compendium 14(4) pp 5-8 (Dec
> 2007). This uses a hollow lucite sphere filled with a copper sulphate
> solution which gives a cool non-burning blue image. This is very
> difficult to fabricate.
>
Never being able to resist a mechanical challenge, I spent some time
after Prof. Chen's fascinating talk working out a method of making a
precise hollow sphere of the type he described using the UK plastic
equivalent 'Perspex'. When my extra-heavy suitcase was opened for
inspection at my US departure airport, because it contained a
'suspicious metal object' ("Huh!?...What the @£%$ is a sundial?"), my
pencil sketches of a sphere with a short cylindrical 'snout' were
triumphantly seized upon. Ooops!...I'd drawn a fair lookalike of the
sort of 'bomb' carried by anarchists in comic books.
Tony Moss
---
https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Polar sundials
Tom Laidlaw wrote: > Hi there, > > I'm trying to resolve what seems like a conflict of information. Some > resources say that a vertical dial is simply a horizontal dial rotated 180 > degrees. But when I used Hristov's spreadsheets the calculated angles are > different. Which is correct? Or what am I missing? Also I thought I saw a > photo of a polar dial with upturned ends to catch more hours, but I can't > find it now. The turn-up was not a full 90 degrees. > > Thanks, > > Tom Laidlaw > > --- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > I think Tom might have been confused by reading something to the effect that a vertical dial delineated for the northern hemisphere can have an exact equivalent as a horizontal dial somewhere in the southern hemisphere. It would be at a different latitude of course and probably in mid-ocean somewhere. I hope my memory serves me well on this? Tony Moss. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Fwd: Re: Polar sundials
Frank Evans wrote: > > > Original Message > Subject: Re: Polar sundials > Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:15:53 +0100 > From: Frank Evans > To: kool...@dickkoolish.com > > > > Greetings, fellow dialists, > More universally, imagine a point on the earth's surface ninety degrees > in front of the face of a declining vertical dial and there shall be > found a horizontal dial with the same hourly layout. > Fran k 55N 1W > > Nice thought! It's an Earth-sized version of the Multi-dial model seen in 'How Sundials Work'. Like it! Tony M. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Photo etching sundials on thick metals.
Fellow Shadow Watchers, Jack Aubert recently responded to a query arising via Doug' Bateman concerning the production of metal sundials by photo etching. His response mentioned a video on the subject I'd made and shown at a recent NASS Conference. The video was originally produced at the request of the British Horological Institute and shows a friend and member going through all the stages of photo etching a small clock face with exactly the same 'hand' method I have employed in the making of some 150+ sundials in recent years. The 'dry film' process is much superior to DIY aerosol resist sprays but it is really intended for application by machine. My early attempts to do so by hand ended in bubbles, folds and pleats in materal costing £7.00 per metre. After much frustrating and costly experiment I perfected a method of hand-laying the film without defects on any thickness of metal. Now that I have retired from commercial dial making perhaps the time has come to pass on some of my 'trade secrets'. The video was slightly too long for YouTube but with some help from Tom Laidlaw in splitting it into two 5-minute parts, the process has been transferred for all to see on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML37yRmAsOA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAW0q6i7aqg Have Fun! Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Photo etching sundials on thick metals.
Tom Laidlaw wrote: > Hello there, > > Well, I'd like to take credit for helping the master, but I did not have > anything to do with this. My name was probably on Tony's mind because we've > been in touch recenty. But thanks to whoever provided the help. > > Tom laidlaw > > Ooops! It was John Goodman who helped with this. Thank You and.Sorry John! :-( YouTube have now released both parts to be found via < lindisun photo etching > as a search mode. It is very gratifying to see 100 views were made in just a few hours so there might well be a demand for small quantities of Ordyl film for experimental purposes. At the moment I'm considering 4 metres of film in a card tube at £20 including uk postage or 25 Euros to the continent. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
The perils of public sundials.
Linda Reid wrote: > Do the members of this 'List' have any comments (good or bad), about > installing such interactive sundials - since we do not want to go to > the time and expense of creating this, if local people do not really > want it. Most people said they would be happy, (although we did not > mention any of those negative factors, when conducting short "market > research" - because we were totally unaware of them, at that time). > > I shall very much look forward to receiving feedback, on the above. > Hi Linda, Over the years I have designed and made several analemmatic and other dials in public places and, like any prominent feature, some have occasionally attracted the attentions of the local grafitti artists but this has been the exception rather than the rule. Any public dial should be designed with this possibility in mind of course. "It will be thrown in the river within a month" the doubters said of my stainless steel horizontal on the grassy banks but it is still there twelve years later. None of the three mosaic dials laid out technically by me for a local artist have suffered in any way except for one where the client chose and prepared the final location, without consultation, in the shade of the largest tree in the museum garden. It works best in the autumn and winter. Public sundials are natural gathering points for celebrations but usually for nothing more threatening than seeing the New Year in or watching the equinox sunrise. Tony Moss Sometime Lindisfarne Sundials - no longer trading. --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Sundial on Svalbard (Spitsbergen)
Fellow Shadow Watchers, It is some years since I installed the World's most northerly sundial at Longyearbyen on the island of Spitbergen at 78° 13' north. Recently there has been some interest expressed in size-reduced copies of the plate (no gnomon) in stainless steel as a display item. As the cost of these reduces with quantity I wonder how many diallists, if any?, or those looking for an unusual birthday or Christmas gift for a diallist, might be interested in acquiring one. See it in daylight and at midnight on midsummer day. (Photo: Louise Rigozzi) http://www.lindisun.demon.co.uk/longyearbyen.html The original is 400mm A/F (across the flats of the outer octogon.) Two sizes are being considered, both etched and 'filled' in 1mm thick satin finished stainless steel with a green baize covering bonded to the back. These are mostly hand made by a professional photoetching company. While they are certainly not cheap they are high quality limited editions of a unique sundial. 150mm A/F (If at least 5+ are ordered) UK£65 including VAT reducing to £30 if larger quantities are ordered. 200mm A/F (If at least 5+ are ordered) UK£90 including VAT reducing to £50 if larger quantities are ordered. Please contact me off List to express a serious but 'no obligation' interest. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
"How Sundials Work"
Fellow Shadow Watchers, "How Sundials Work" is now available on the British Sundial Society website in English, Russian, Polish, Czech and Brazillian Portuguese (now all four parts). See it at: http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/ Very Many Thanks to the international diallists... Alexei Kroutiakov < akmob...@inbox.ru > Russian Dariusz Oczki < dhar...@o2.pl > Polish Jaromír Ciesla < j.cie...@o2active.cz > Czech Ricardo Cernic < rncer...@uol.com.br > Brazillian Portuguese ... who contributed so much time in making this possible. Very soon I hope we will be able to add some additional European languages or perhaps more from further away? Best Wishes, Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: New Porcelain Wall Sundial Installed
On 27/09/2010 22:47, John Carmichael wrote: Hi Dialists: My new 38" diameter (1 meter) porcelain sundial has been installed on a beautiful brick home near Toronto Canada. Notice the name of the street! Hi John, A very fine dial which blends in beautifully with its setting. You go from strength to strength. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
A short stay in Italy
Fellow Shadow Watchers, I shall be staying near Brescia in Lombardia for three days in mid-November but with a hire car and a few spare hours to fill outside my visit to the Perazzi factory. Any suggestions for dials worth seeing in the area or local museums would be most welcome. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A short stay in Italy
On 13/10/2010 16:55, Frank King wrote: > Dear Tony, > > You say... > >> I shall be staying near Brescia in Lombardia... > One thing you can do is to visit > > http://www.sundialsatlas.eu > > You then click on the map button at the top and, > by dragging the map and zooming, home in on Brescia. > > Alas, there are no sundials shown in Brescia itself > but you can see others in the general area. You > just click around until you find some that take your > fancy! > What a wonderful facility! Many Thanks for leading me to it Frank. Best Tony --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: A short stay in Italy
On 13/10/2010 18:19, Frans W. Maes wrote: > Dear Tony, > > The ITINERARIO "ARTE & SCIENZA": > http://www.astrofilibresciani.it/Attivita/Attivita_Scuole/Tour_Astronomico.htm > > > has several stops related to astronomy and sundials. Last year I > downloaded an English version, but it seems that presently only the > Italian version is available. I think you can handle that. You would > especially want to save the city plan going with it. > > Have a nice trip! > Frans Maes > Wow! I've struck gold! Many Thanks for this Frans. Regards Tony --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
A giant non-dial for Milton Keynes??
Fellow Shadow Watchers, A BBC Radio 4 news item this morning mentioned an unusual sundial excavated from under a house floor and promised a picture on the R4 website. I couldn't find the dial described but, in addition to a pic of a brass dial made for Manchester railway station, I followed a link to "Giant Sundials Needs a Home" Supposedly the 'Giant Sundial' was to be placed in Milton Keynes (52° North approx') but the elaborate patterns have never been cast and the concrete plinth remains bare. This suggests it is supposed to be a horizontal dial? Obviously a huge amount of inspiration and effort has gone into this production but did someone spot the very low gnomon angle(40° at a guess) in time to prevent installation? Is a revolutionary kind of dial I've not met with or just another pretty non-dial? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7535649.stm This may well be 'old news' to many but it is the first I have heard of it. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Back on line -ish!
Fellow Shadow Watchers, After an electronic nightmare I am back on-line...almost. viz I can send and receive emails on my laptop but without access to my main address book which refuses to transfer so each address has to be keyed in. I can receive emails and surf the net on my iMac desktop but, as yet, can't send emails. The once-wonderful Demon helpline is now staffed by someone who thinks he speaks English...but doesn't... hence the problem. I must change ISP but so far haven't been able to face the hassle. Best Wishes, Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
How do double horizontal sundials work?
Fellow Shadow Watchers, In the dark days following the Christmas season, if you are ever curious about how the multiplicity of lines on a double horizontal dial are interpreted, a brief alternative to the comprehensive "The Double Horizontal Dial" by John Davis and Michael Lowne, published by the BSS < http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/publications.htm >, will be found in the new blog of John Hayes at: http://www.jahayes.com Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Double Horizontal Sundials again
Fellow Shadow watchers, Recently I drew attention to the fact that John Hayes had made the text of his booklet to accompany his double horizontal dial available via his blog but without the associated illustrations. Mac Oglesby kindly sent me a copy of the entire PDF, complete with associated diagrams, which I'd previously supplied with his DH dial and John has now included this download in his blog. Try www.jahayes.com and click on DH booklet to get the full story with line drawings: it works for me. Thank you John! Best Wishes for a Happy and prosperous New Year to everyone on this Wonderful List. Tony Moss --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
