This is a common problem. Historically there have been two ways of assigning the positive and negative signs to the Equation of Time. It all depends on the way you think of the difference of the two entities that give rise to the EoT.
I think (but am not entirely sure) that navigationalists think of it one way and astonomers the other. Therefore it all depends which book/almanack you choose as to which way it is presented. That is why most dialling tables are marked with 'watch faster'/ 'watch slower' or 'dial fast'/ 'dial slow' in order to be sure about the difference. Patrick
