archaic timekeeping devices

[aisa0]

Short Version: zomg nomograms!

Long Version:

Comments

[houdini_cs]

And not one "nom nom nom" joke in there.

[aisa0]

After a brief search, so far as I can tell that joke has yet to be made on the internet. :-)

[ferrousoxide]

Wow. I so want a nocturnal, that's awesome!

[aisa0]

I really love mine. It is small, so it isn't terribly accurate, but with clear skies I can get within 15 minutes of railroad time. It took some practice to reach that point. Larger ones are available, which will be correspondingly more accurate, but of course harder to carry around. I use mine most when I'm camping, though I've been practicing setting my clock at night when the skies are clear. (I have a wind up clock, so temperature affects its accuracy.)

I really enjoy computers of this sort. All manner of instruments like this existed and were in common use at one time, largely replaced now by electronic devices.

[glenbarnett]

Hi alan

Have you seen this group: www.nomography.org

Or Ron Doerfler's pages? (myreckonings.com)

Yes, nomograms and related calculational devices are used in some games, such as AdAstra Games' Attack Vector: Tactical. I have had numerous discussions with Ken and Winchell.

[glenbarnett]

Oh, sorry, you already linked to Ron's pages up there, so obviously you've seen those.

To clarify - Winchell is the guy who wrote the pages you linked to when you mentioned wargames. Ken is with AdAstra games. Winchell has helped on some of the nomograms used in the games.

[aisa0]

Thank you for pointing out Attack Vector. My only experience with this sort of game is Star Fleet Battles, which I enjoy to a degree, particularly the impulse movement system that makes movement more realistic.

All the same, I've been bugged by a lack of Newtonian physics in these games, though I get particularly bothered by it on the computer (Wing Commander being the example I played the most) where it should be really easy to simulate.

Inputs?

[jmattax]

How does using a nomogram eliminate your need to know what time of the year it is?

Re: Inputs?

[aisa0]

Oh, I misspoke. When I said "dial in latitude," I meant to say dial latitude and declination for the year day. I've been sort of treating latitude and declination like the same thing, as they are used in the same place in the equation.