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06/11/2013 03:04:23 PM · #26 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by sfalice:
Seriously,  Kirbic. Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT, W W 2. They call it General Dynamics now.
Oh, I'll bet those two could have conversations! |
Indeed they would have! My Dad worked for Manitowoc Shipyards, which built 28 subs during WWII, even though they had never built a submarine before. He was a very young man at the time, and started there as an apprentice. After the war, the requirement for machinists dried up a bit, and he and my Mom moved to Milwaukee, where he took up typesetting (linotype). He spent the rest of his career in the printing field, but always had a lathe at home... as have I.
As an aside, during WWII my Mom worked in D.C. for the FBI, in the fingerprint division. |
That is one fascinating piece on the Manitowoc Shipyards, Fritz. 28 subs on time (and early!) and UNDER budget.
My guy's sister was also in D.C. - cracking enemy codes in the WAAC.
(Life got interesting around the Army/Navy game at our house.
That $1 yearly wager went back and forth quite a bit for a while) |
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06/11/2013 04:25:40 PM · #27 |
| I'm glad someone corrected the idea of the first being a sextant. Although I would have probably fallen victim to the same idea, I was confused by the number of levelling screws on the bottom. It seemed like overkill for a maritime application where the boat is in motion. |
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06/11/2013 05:42:22 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I'm glad someone corrected the idea of the first being a sextant. Although I would have probably fallen victim to the same idea, I was confused by the number of levelling screws on the bottom. It seemed like overkill for a maritime application where the boat is in motion. |
I am constantly amazed at the level of knowledge we have in this DPC community of ours.
It took very little time to transfer the direction of the equipment id from the seafaring folk to the landlubbers.
:) |
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06/11/2013 06:19:23 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I'm glad someone corrected the idea of the first being a sextant. Although I would have probably fallen victim to the same idea, I was confused by the number of levelling screws on the bottom. It seemed like overkill for a maritime application where the boat is in motion. |
She was referring to seafaring so I assumed (we know what happens there) they were related to naval. I actually calibrate transits, levels, and theodolites. I've been certifying optics for over 40 years. You'll notice I did think it was a transit for us landlubbers! :-)
Message edited by author 2013-06-11 18:29:15. |
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06/11/2013 07:16:55 PM · #30 |
| No worries. I thought the exact same thing. Seafaring and looks complicated...must be a sextant! |
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06/11/2013 07:52:21 PM · #31 |
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06/11/2013 08:59:20 PM · #32 |
| It just occurred to me that if such an object actually exists it must be an extant sextant ... |
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06/11/2013 09:21:40 PM · #33 |
Agreed, with the theodolite identification. As a lifelong sailor myself, it makes perfect sense if your father was a builder. They would need to build the boat in a cradle that needed to be level so the boat was plumb. That way the boat would be true and the symmetry would be correct, important for all vessels but especially true for submarines.
I have my ASA and CSA certifications for celestial navigation and do not see them as sextants. I own two sextants and they are very different. I see just azimuth alignment and nothing for elevation so I would agree that they are not sextants. Sextants, theodolites, transits, and astrolabes are all related and from a similar family of instruments. Today, my theodolite is purely electronic. We use them to measure the RMS (rim measure specification) for giant earth station satellite antennas for symmetry. We use transits for the land survey for the foundations, and have sextants and astrolabes as tools for fun.
Originally posted by EL-ROI:
Land Surveyor here...
These instruments are used for surveying and mapping, not really for navigation. The first instrument is a Theodolite. It may be a very plain version of the Solar Theodolite, an instrument patented by Holmes in the late 1800's. The solar theodolite uses the position of the sun, along with applying corrections for temperature and time to measure the lines of latitude and longitude along the surface of the earth. The second instrument is called a Wye Level. This was used to transfer elevations to specific points.
Judging by the photos, these are very basic instruments with fairly plain manufacturing. Not very fancy. They appear to have been workhorses, though they look in good working condition. It looks as though there is a lot of wear, especially on the dial of the vertical delineator theodolite and the tube of the wye level. I would say the value at auction would be between $100 - $150 for the level and possibly a little more for the theodolite.
Hope that was informative enough. |
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06/11/2013 09:46:19 PM · #34 |
Morgan! That's impressive information.
It had my mouth agape with wonder.
So that's a modern day theodolite?
(Ha! That won't fit in a corner of my cellar.)
Fabulous. thank you for posting. |
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06/11/2013 10:05:29 PM · #35 |
Here is what a modern day theodolite looks like, this one is made by Wild.
Notice the similarities in the leveling plate. |
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06/11/2013 10:11:13 PM · #36 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by sfalice:
Thanks for all the information - I really appreciate it.
My dad was a machinist by trade (he helped build submarines)
and I recognize good machining when I see it. |
Seriously??!! My dad was a machinist, worked in the Manitowoc shipyards during WWII making parts for... submarines! |
...and I sailed aboard submarines, when I was in the Navy. My first job after, was at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, repairing them...
Small world, considering how small a part of the Navy they are. |
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06/11/2013 10:52:21 PM · #37 |
Both my dad and I were in subs.He gained a bit more notoriety....
photo
On 18 March 1969, Whale stood out of Charleston on her way north to operations above the Arctic Circle. She reached the North Pole on 6 April 1969 and surfaced there in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary's 1909 arrival there.
Message edited by author 2013-06-11 23:07:52. |
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06/11/2013 11:01:23 PM · #38 |
Originally posted by see:
Both my dad and I were in subs.He gained a bit more notoriety....
Photo
On 18 March 1969, Whale stood out of Charleston on her way north to operations above the Arctic Circle. She reached the North Pole on 6 April 1969 and surfaced there in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary's 1909 arrival there. |
Oh, man! I have a vivid memory of that event.
Your reference shows a magnificent image of that occasion.
ambaker...Mare Island? Just a hop, skip and jump from where I live. Decommissioned now, though.
Message edited by author 2013-06-11 23:04:13. |
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06/11/2013 11:04:59 PM · #39 |
That was a bit later LOL 2009
BTW, my father was also my recruiter..
Changed link
Message edited by author 2013-06-11 23:08:52. |
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06/11/2013 11:15:53 PM · #40 |
Originally posted by see:
That was a bit later LOL 2009
BTW, my father was also my recruiter..
Changed link |
Ah, okay, got it. "1969 USS WHALE (SSN 638), CDR William M. Wolff, operated in the Arctic Ocean and first SSN 637 Class submarine to surface at the North Pole, 60 years to the day after ADM Peary arrived there (Dr. W.K. Lyon and Richard Boyle)"
Nice link, btw.
Yes, every submariner I ever knew was good company. Although (how to say this politely) very eager for feminine company after those long tours of sea duty.
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06/11/2013 11:37:26 PM · #41 |
Originally posted by sfalice:
"1969 USS WHALE (SSN 638), CDR William M. Wolff, operated in the Arctic Ocean and first SSN 637 Class submarine to surface at the North Pole, 60 years to the day after ADM Peary arrived there ..." |
... arguably preceeded (if perhaps only momentarily) by Matthew Henson ... |
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06/12/2013 07:38:17 AM · #42 |
Really great story!
I never find anything cool like that in my house... |
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06/13/2013 05:45:07 AM · #43 |
There is even a wonderful theodolite app for the iPAD that I use as well as the commercial instruments for professional work. It is an app from Hunter called Theodolite, fun stuff.
Originally posted by sfalice:
Morgan! That's impressive information.
It had my mouth agape with wonder.
So that's a modern day theodolite?
(Ha! That won't fit in a corner of my cellar.)
Fabulous. thank you for posting. |
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06/13/2013 09:54:45 AM · #44 |
Originally posted by Morgan:
There is even a wonderful theodolite app for the iPAD
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Makes you wonder what's next, doesn't it.
:) |
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06/13/2013 11:52:29 AM · #45 |
Originally posted by kawesttex:
Here is what a modern day theodolite looks like, this one is made by Wild.
Notice the similarities in the leveling plate. |
There's an even more modern version called a Total Station.
Having used both, I can tell you the theodolite is a hell of a lot of fun, but the total station is the only solution if you actually want to get something done. ;)
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06/14/2013 07:47:21 AM · #46 |
No, you misunderstand. This is an image of a satellite earth station. We used the theodolite to measure the symmetry of the parabola to ensure that the beam is precisely aligned to the feed for maximum effective signal gain. A theodolite is an instrument like Cory posted. It is a tripod mounted measuring device with optics.
Originally posted by sfalice:
Morgan! That's impressive information.
It had my mouth agape with wonder.
So that's a modern day theodolite?
(Ha! That won't fit in a corner of my cellar.)
Fabulous. thank you for posting. |
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06/14/2013 10:49:59 AM · #47 |
Originally posted by Morgan:
No, you misunderstand... |
LOL - I sure did. Thank you for the clarification!
:) |
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