Pocket Sundial

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Here's an idea for a small but challenging project

http://www.pocket-sundial.com/pages/how-it-works-sundial

Explains the mechanical side, but not the engraving or other challenges!

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Model Engineer had an article on building a portable sundial some years ago. Probably late 90’s early 2000’s.

It had a built in compass to set orientation, adjustable dial for latitude and a nice turned wooden pedestal to sit it on a table.
I part completed 2 but then got distracted and never finished them. Maybe I’ll dig them out and have a go. Trouble is I need to find the back issues of ME first.

regards Martin

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Could be an interesting project, but I am amazed at how they do it for the price ,that is if its made in Austria.

[Nigel BennettParticipant @nigelbennett69913]

Martin

Is it Christopher Armstead's Phoeboscope you mean?

If so, ME 3860 p558, 3862 p728, (1989)

ME 3864 p20, 3885 p622 (1990) may be the ones.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Pheoboscope doesn’t seem to ring a bell but I may be wrong and I’m fairly sure it would have been later than that.

Thanks all the same for taking the trouble.

regards Martin

[peak4Participant @peak4]

See P29 on of this pdf from The Sundial Society
"A UNIVERSAL HELIOCHRONOMETER MICHAEL LEE"
https://sundialsoc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bulletins/B2009%20(v021)/Bull021-4.pdf

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 23/03/2023 18:06:59

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

A pocket sundial by Michael Butterfield of Paris, similar to the image below, featured on the BBC's Bargain Hunt last week. Worth as I remember several thousand pounds.

So keep practicing your work too may be worth a fortune one day.

John

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

My brother had a pocket sundial when we were young, but for some reason it wouldn't work indoors.

George

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, here's my one which I bought from John Lewis many years ago for £9.95. It's not what I'd call pocket friendly, but is designed for the traveller, although it's more likely to be an ornament.

Regards Nick.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Albert E Waugh's book on sundials has a chapter on portable ones, including a design offered for sale by the USA scouts association, but I can't find any modern reference to it.

[Anonymous]

Posted by duncan webster on 25/03/2023 00:24:58:

……but I can't find any modern reference to it.

If "it" refers to the book itself, ABE Books have a few copies listed.

[phillip gardinerParticipant @phillipgardiner]

Georgineer Tell me would it work of a night?.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

**LINK**

https://sundials.org/index.php/component/allvideoshare/video/shadows-of-time-1920s-boy-scout-sunwatch

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ complete with a fake patent number, and a real one 

https://nawcc.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/9760242E-F23A-45B3-9C94-042532962628

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DUS1418926A

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/03/2023 07:55:35

[Brian Baker 2Participant @brianbaker2]

Greetings Phillip, yes it would work at night, but you would need a good torch to read it.

Regards

Brian B

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Do you need the compass to know which way to shine the torch ?

A properly designed and set up sundial is quite accurate, provided you allow for the equation of time( the monthly variation ) for those with an interest there are several books on the subject, Duncan has mentioned one. Noel.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The 'it' I referred to is the pocket sundial, not the book.

The book also tells you how to make a moon dial, no I'm not making it up!

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by noel shelley on 25/03/2023 10:01:51:

Do you need the compass to know which way to shine the torch ?

A properly designed and set up sundial is quite accurate, provided you allow for the equation of time( the monthly variation ) for those with an interest there are several books on the subject, Duncan has mentioned one. Noel.

I’m given to understand that the French railways were still setting or at least checking station clock into the 1970s. Certainly the clocks from large houses would be set by sundial in previous centuries and many longcase clocks had the equation of time mounted inside the door. Some sophisticated clocks had duel chapter rings and other mechanisms to make setting to sundial time easier.

regards Martin

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by duncan webster on 25/03/2023 10:10:50:

The 'it' I referred to is the pocket sundial, not the book.

The book also tells you how to make a moon dial, no I'm not making it up!

.

… hence my post

But if you are claiming that the book mentions the design [as opposed to a product] being offered for sale then my find is presumably of no interest.

”including a design offered for sale by the USA scouts association”

… Could you please [for the sake of disambiguation] quote the actual text from the book

MichaelG.

.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

It's the hardware that's mentioned, but the book is quite old I think. I can't find anything on the Web that suggests it's still for sale.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For anyone interested:

**LINK**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Waugh

MichaelG.

.

Incidentally : This is readable for free, online:

https://archive.org/details/sundialstheirthe00albe

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/03/2023 16:42:29

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Drifting only slightly off topic:

This is very good **LINK**

https://www.m-a.org.uk/resources/Vol-27-No5_Nov_1998_Time_for_some_mathematics.pdf

MichaelG.

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by phillip gardiner on 25/03/2023 05:27:46:

Georgineer Tell me would it work of a night?.

I believe so, but I couldn't see it in the dark. Besides, Mum wouldn't let us stay up late to see it.

George

[Gerard O’TooleParticipant @gerardotoole60348]

I bought a garden sundial about thirty years ago at a hardware store. It was clearly a modern reproduction but I thought it would be be a nice feature in the garden..

Some assembly was needed and it was unclear which way the gnomon attached. However it all went together and I waited until noon, local time, and set in the garden aligned to north to give 12 noon on the dial. I returned a couple of hours later to check it and found it was indicating ten o clock. It was working backwards.

Of course without thinking the matter out properly, I assumed the error was mine and that I had attached the gnomon upside down. Needless to say that didn't fix it. The problem, probably obvious to you all, was that it was made for the Southern hemisphere .and was then copied and then mass produced for a garden decoration.

I returned it to the hardware store. The manager told me they had sold about a hundred of them and that mine was the only one returned..

I still don't have one in my garden.

 

Edited By Gerard O’Toole on 26/03/2023 16:07:51

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

On a work trip I once had a spare weekend in Sydney and a hire car. Off I went for an explore using the city map provided and got hopelessly lost. I couldn't understand what my problem was until I realised I'd been thinking the sun was in the South… Days befor Google Maps of course.

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