Dear Alison, You have had a number of replies from experts greater than I, and they all say the same thing which I can't add to. I especially liked the one which suggested that Mr Phillips stand there and act as the gnomon (which is what you will be expecting the public to do). I suggest you challenge him on a sunny day (you haven't had many recently in Suffolk, but maybe this weekend coming...) with a compass in his hand, to try to twist and turn in any way to get his shadow to fall on the southern half of the dial. It should be an amusing spectacle, but should also be self instructive to him (if he doesn't believe the welter of opinion here). You can then ask how he expects the public to achieve what he failed to achieve.
Regards Peter Tandy -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Alison Shields Sent: 03 June 2008 18:57 To: sundial@uni-koeln.de Subject: Advice wanted, on 'Analemmatic' sundial orientation Dear Sundial Experts, I have recently joined this Mailing List, and hope that any members will be able to give me some assistance on the following situation. Our local Stately Home ("Kentwell Hall", Long Melford, Suffolk) is considering installing an Analemmatic sundial, as a new interactive attraction for visitors - but we are getting 'conflicting' advice, on whether this 'Human Sundial' will work in the way we want it to. We have been in discussion with "Modern Sunclocks" (apparently the acknowledged 'experts' for these features), who have told us that its central scale of dates must be aligned North/South - plus that hour markers must be correctly positioned on an elliptical ring, and which would lie on the Northern side of that scale of dates. Photographs on their website ( www.sunclocks.com ) confirm this. However, our 'Director of Operations' (Mr Phillips) absolutely INSISTS that he wants the scale to run exactly parallel with our main driveway - on a compass bearing which is about 162 degrees from North, with the hour points placed on its Southern side. He also wants the hour points to form an exact semi-circle, and not be elliptical in shape. Mr Phillips refuses to accept that he cannot arbitrarily position the Human Sundial feature as he wishes, and says that it must be possible to create this so that it could then align with the existing layout of buildings/paths. Can anyone on this Mailing List tell me whether it is possible to install a Human Sundial to fit any existing orientations, (with appropriate re-calculation of its component parts) - or, if not, just confirm that it must be as "Modern Sunclocks" have told me. I can then show the 'weight of evidence' to Mr Phillips. Because "Kentwell Hall" is a well-known Stately Home (open to the public), we should not want to become a 'laughing stock' by installing a feature which does not work - despite Mr Phillips assurance that "all types of sundial can be adjusted to work, in any location". Looking forward to all comments (to this List, or sent privately). Sincerely, Alison Shields. --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
