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Astra III B Marine Sextant (Celestaire) With Box
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Astra III B Marine Sextant (Celestaire) With Box
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I bought this sextant while I was sailing as a cadet at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. It has seen the Atlantic, North Sea, the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In my travels, it always stood up as a fine celestial navigational tool, and I've kept it clean and babied it . Hope this will take care of you, and you of it.
THE ASTRA IIIB SEXTANT The Astra IIIB has somewhat revolutionized celestial navigation. This is a high quality, accurate metal sextant. Over 18,000 sextants of this model have been sold in the US alone in the past 20 years; far more than any other serious sextant. Its popularity has spread throughout the rest of the world as well, making it the most recognized (and supported) sextant worldwide. The Astra IIIB is made by the Changzhou Celestaire Instrument Co. in China, with whom Celestaire is joint-ventured, and it is produced in accordance with our specific quality guidelines. Construction Details The frame is made from lightweight aluminum alloy, which resists corrosion. Aluminum alloy is not new to sextant construction. It has long been used by many manufacturers for lightweight versions of their heavier brass or bronze sextants in order to reduce arm fatigue and unsteadiness among infrequent users. The sextant is electrically lighted by an LED on the arc and drum. The index mirror is rectangular in shape, and has the silvering applied to the front, rather than the rear surface. This is similar to the way astronomical telescopes are silvered. From an engineering standpoint, the rectangular shape allows for a better reflecting profile during high angle observations, and the front surface silvering provides better reflection brightness for all sights. From a more practical standpoint, the biggest advantage is in the durability of the silvering itself. When applied to the front surface it is easy to keep clean and free of saltwater contamination and it is further protected by a durable oxide coating. In contrast, rear silvered mirrors need resilvering more frequently if saltwater becomes trapped between the mirror and its housing, and is not faithfully rinsed out. An index mirror upgrade kit is available for older models having round, rear-silvered index mirrors. It comes mounted in a rectangular frame and has instructions for easy installation. We are impressed with the degree to which each component of the sextant is tested. For example, each mirror and shade glass is tested for perfect flatness by the Fresnel diffraction pattern method. The sextants are assembled and tested in a clean, professional, environment. Features The ability to quickly and economically change the type of horizon mirror is an attraction of this sextant to many navigators. This is because whole horizon mirrors are generally preferred by beginners who later may wish to change to a traditional mirror as proficiency is attained.Included Equipment The sextant has LED lighting of the arc and drum powered by two standard size AA batteries (not included) which install in the handle. It comes in a varnished wooden case with certificate of accuracy, and adjusting wrench. Case external dimensions are 6.5 x 13 x 11 inches. It includes a 3.5x40 monocular telescope as standard equipment. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Shipping Details The Sextant will be shipped the next business day following receipt of payment. In the case of a personal check, it will be shipped out the day after the check clears. I will use either USPS Priority Mail, UPS 3-Day Select Mail, or UPS 2nd Day Air, whichever you prefer. This item is only available to ship within the U.S.
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