An exact duplicate of the one formerly
distributed by the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office. It portrays graphically
the altitude and azimuth of the fifty-seven numbered stars in the Nautical
and Air Almanacs. Additional celestial bodies may be plotted on the star
base. Special diagrams permit rapid check of hour angle, and also provide
means of finding the altitude and azimuth of unplotted bodies.
The starfinder provides the best
way to identify isolated stars and planets in view, or to predict the locations
of bodies not yet in view. It also helps the navigator predict and plan
the best star-planet-moon combinations. Although some navigators tend to
feel that use of the 2102-D is optional, in fact, serious navigation demands
facility with it.
The unit consists of
a dual star base, nine altitude azimuth templates centered at 10 intervals
of latitude, meridian angle diagram and instruction sheet. Note! an alternative
computerized version of the starfinder is Skyplot for PC, also found in this section.
