Pocket Sundial

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Gerard O'Toole on 26/03/2023 16:06:25:

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.

🤣🤣🤣

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Worth starting this thread just for the humorous replies and anecdotes!

For clarity here's the thing I was looking at. For the price, I am tempted. I know one of my brothers would love one as a birthday present – he has a steampunk streak.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Available at considerable discount on Amazon… from the makers.

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Neil I have one of those and if the sun is shining it does work

Roy

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Of course if you really want to get complex you could get an astrolabe.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 29/03/2023 12:15:22:

Available at considerable discount on Amazon… from the makers.

.

Useful discount

But, having just looked at the close-up photos on Amazon … the family of Austrian watchmakers presumably get a lot of use out their press-tools.

MichaelG.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Posted by Georgineer on 26/03/2023 15:08:09:

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

The same company also produces a Nocturnal, working on the Polaris Kochab alignment, so I guess not much use if you plan on travelling too far south

There's a simple demonstration on the maker's site
https://www.pocket-sundial.com/products/kala-pocket-nocturnal

Bill

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