Dear John, What you describe resembles an azimuth sundial. See for instance the Plochingen sundial in Karl Schwarzinger's collection: http://members.aon.at/sundials/bild44_e.htm In this case, there would be no clear-cut alignment with anything, including the (in)famous path...
Best regards, Frans www.fransmaes.nl/sundials [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Forgive me, for returning with yet another tiresome proposal: > > On reflection I suspect Mr Phillips may not be totally wrong-headed. > On any one day the azimuth of the shadow of a static human > shadow-caster can be marked by a circular arc of hour-marks or indeed > by hour-marks fixed along two straight lines parallel to Mr Phillips' > driveway. > > This arrangement would be accurate on only two days each year. But > it would be a simple matter to move all the hour-marks (except the > noon-marker) say once a week, or less frequently at the solstices > when Kentwell Hall might be busiest. Anyone on this mailing list > could print off the necessary page of solar azimuths, or preferably > shadow azimuths, at weekly intervals. > > So I would envisage a single spot, perhaps in the middle of a > decorative compass rose, for the shadow caster to stand on. The > human gnomon might be at the centre of a circle of, say, 360 > identical bricks, at 1-degree intervals. The print-out would tell Mr > Phillips which brick should hold each hour-mark for the current week; > it could painlessly incorporate the equation of time and daylight > saving. > > No self-respecting diallist could be happy with this proposal, but it > does seem to meet most of Mr Phillips' criteria for a human sundial, > albeit no longer analemmatic. > > John Lynes > > >>> -----Original Message-----From: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> 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) absolutelyINSISTS that >>> he wants the scale to run exactly parallel with >> ourmain driveway - on a >>> compass bearing which is about 162 degreesfrom North, >> with the hour points >>> placed on its Southern side.He also wants the hour >> points to form an exact >>> semi-circle, andnot be elliptical in shape. Mr >> Phillips refuses to accept >>> thathe cannot arbitrarily position the Human Sundial >> feature as hewishes, >>> and says that it must be possible to create this so >> thatit could then align >>> with the existing layout of buildings/paths. Can anyone on this >>> Mailing List tell me whether it is >> possible toinstall a >>> Human Sundial to fit any existing orientations, >> (withappropriate >>> 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 >> afeature 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
