In message <v9ahbnsl4we54i55xv0ckwm3.1471455022...@email.android.com>
"fabio.savian" <fabio.sav...@nonvedolora.it> wrote:
>
> I know an analemmatic sundial may have sophisticated versions to show
> mean time, Fred your article is exhaustive, but I think it isn't the
> better kind of sundial to give this info and to get a precison time
> (position on the heels or on the middle of the feet, how vertical is
> the hand rising above the head, estimation of the direction of the
> shadow, graduations of the minutes, etc). Conversely it is a very
> powerful instrument to involve people with gnomonics.
>
> Anyway I think a simple analemma on the meridian line, without
> explain its huge limits, is not an option, it is an error.
>
> thank you, ciao, Fabio
>
> Fabio Savian
>
As far as Analemmatic sundials are concerned, surely the person who
can be thanked for making these interactive features so popular all
over the world must be Douglas Hunt of "Modern Sunclocks" in the UK
who is responsible for these being installed in thousands of school
playgrounds - plus famous Stately Homes and even the "Space Shuttle
Memorial" (at Racine, Wisconsin), and his 'Human Sundials' are even
mentioned within school-books due to the many educational benefits.
I do not think that he subscribes to this Mailing List (having been
'chased away' many years ago, by people who were jealous of his own
international success) - but I seem to remember some discussions on
this List around 2 years ago, when Frank King (Chairman of "British
Sundial Society") said that it was an excellent design due to self-
adjusting to/from Daylight-Saving and coping with shadow lengths at
different times of year in a better way than 'traditional' layouts.
His website (www.sunclocks.com), even has a link to Brian Albinson.
Doug's design does NOT use any Analemma, which is as this should be
because (in my personal opinion) it would only 'confuse' the people
who simply want to see their shadow indicating clock time (agreeing
with their wrist-watch) - plus is maybe why "Sunclocks" have become
so popular within public areas, compared with the more conventional
sundials which could be costly as well as subject to theft/vandals.
At the risk of having 'brickbats' thrown at me, I must explain that
I have no "axe to grind" here - but I do think that Doug Hunt could
be acknowledged for the services he has given to advancing both the
popularity and understanding of sundials (of all types), especially
with school-children who will become our 'Diallists of the future".
Sincerely,
Dave Andersson.
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