# Old navigational instruments **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [March 22, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193 "2025-03-22T19:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dry\_fly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dry_fly/32/6570_2.png) [@dry\_fly](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dry_fly)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/22 "2025-03-28T14:51:26Z")
Robert Massie’s _Dreadnought_ and _Castles of Steel_ delves into the story of the Battenburg’s and the First Sea Lord’s resignation and name change just prior to WW I. Interesting, yet somewhat sad, tale. They were loyal British citizens and seaman; long and honorable service, but the German Empire definitely spoiled the waters resulting in the name change. (If you haven’t read the books, I highly recommend! He delves into the personalities and background of the naval arms race prior to the war in Dreadnought and then does an excellent job of following the Grand Fleet and High Seas Fleet throughout the war) ---
**Author:** ![freighterman1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/freighterman1/32/11176_2.png) [@freighterman1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/freighterman1)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/23 "2025-03-28T15:36:53Z")
> [@dry\_fly](#): > > They were loyal British citizens and seaman; long and honorable service, but the German Empire definitely spoiled the waters resulting in the name change. The royal family changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Mountbatten- Windsor for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Hogsnort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@Hogsnort](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hogsnort)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/24 "2025-03-28T18:32:17Z")
Admiral Battenberg was responsible for a lot of the advances in naval gunnery. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 11:18am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/25 "2025-03-30T11:18:14Z")
All the devices listed on this thread are analog with the exception of the abacus which is digital. ---
**Author:** ![spowiednick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/spowiednick/32/35668_2.png) [@spowiednick](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spowiednick)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/26 "2025-04-16T13:56:20Z")
A radar plotter that can be used to plot information regarding another vessel’s movements. [The R.A.S. Radar Plotter | Royal Museums Greenwich](https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-43229) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/7/5/757095a02ae56bf356242a4f9536fcbd1a252852.jpeg) Also my favourite tool before the use of programamble calculators: The Star Finder 2102-D is an invaluable tool for celestial navigators to locate and identify, by altitude and azimuth, the 57 stars listed in air and nautical almanacs. It can also be used by amateur star gazers for general star identification.Special diagrams permit rapid check of hour angle and also provide a means of finding altitude and azimuth of unplotted celestial bodies or identification of unplotted bodies from known altitude and azimut. The kit contains a durable black vinyl pouch with velcro closure that holds one star base and 10 plastic templates. Basic instructions are included on the back of the plastic protective sleeve. Graphically portrays altitude & azimuth of 57 numbered stars in air & nautical almanacs Includes one white plastic star base wheel, 10 clear plastic templates (8 1/2 inch (21.59 cm) diameter), one black vinyl pouch Basic instructions on back of protective plastic sleeve ![Zrzut ekranu_16-4-2025_16325_www.toddchart.com](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/4/f/4f41a387122adae5d1a24227d980983b682ee213.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/27 "2025-04-16T15:30:52Z")
> [@Hogsnort](#): > > It was mostly bronze and lowering it into a bum boat in Singapore anchorage kept me in the black for quite a while. I know the feeling seeing a single cylinder Lister powered air compressor with less than 100 hours on it go over the side, also in Singapore. I offered to ship it home but no. I was in a funk for a few days and never completely forgave the person that ordered that done. ---
**Author:** ![AKBJR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@AKBJR](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/AKBJR)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/28 "2025-04-16T16:48:13Z")
Interesting, never saw one of those radar plotters. I don’t remember ever using a maneuvering board, either, except to recertify. Always relied on grease pencil when I was a young mate. Used a Star-finder rarely, once I memorized the couple of dozen stars I regularly used to plot a fix, or find gyro error. 249 was my favorite tool, re star fixes. ---
**Author:** ![ocnslr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/54ee81/32.png) [@ocnslr](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ocnslr)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/29 "2025-04-16T18:01:02Z")
> [@Hogsnort](#): > > Back in the day when a warship was doing a workup off Portland in the UK at approximately 08:30 all ships would commence OOW manoeuvres. Junior Officers would take the con and armed with a Battenberg Course Plotter and a range finder would be required to take station on the guide ship and move to a different station when signaled to do so. While in the US Navy as a SWO, I had the privilege of two 6-month deployments with the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (SNFL) in 1977 and 1986. During these deployments we routinely did such maneuvering exercises (DivTacs) and the maneuvering interval was 500yds for destroyers and frigates. This was fine for the 1977 deployment on FF-1091, but was a major challenge in 1986 on DD-977, the size of a WWII cruiser and twice the size of the rest of the ships in the squadron. ---
**Author:** ![texastanker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e4f/32.png) [@texastanker](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/texastanker)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/30 "2025-04-16T18:13:15Z")
My only experience steaming in formation was on a couple of Coast Guard 378’s - And almost always we were put in plane guard behind the carrier. I think for 2 major reasons - we were pretty darn good at launching helos and boats. but more importantly the Navy had absolutely zero confidence we could maintain station anywhere else. That fear was well founded. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2025, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/31 "2025-04-16T20:21:01Z")
> [@tengineer1](#): > > Lister powered air compressor One of these?: [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/0/0/0079ee04376256e063b5da864f6bc41608309cf7.jpeg "Lister ST1 Diesel with an Air Compressor") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW4bY1mYpnI) ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/32 "2025-04-17T02:49:10Z")
![fr1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/3/e3003ddd03eff58127ed1eaedb17f422ccf2cf8d.jpeg) Like this but with a belt driven air compressor . ---
**Author:** ![spowiednick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/spowiednick/32/35668_2.png) [@spowiednick](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spowiednick)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 10:29am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/33 "2025-04-17T10:29:18Z")
Hmmmm. Is it truly an old navigational instrument or the good old chengs want to take over the thread with their lovely machines??? ---
**Author:** ![spowiednick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/spowiednick/32/35668_2.png) [@spowiednick](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spowiednick)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 10:33am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/34 "2025-04-17T10:33:21Z")
> [@AKBJR](#): > > Interesting, never saw one of those radar plotters Surprise , surprise 😉 Me too . I have found this thing while searching for some clean radar paper plot as I have to finish a long forgotten discussion here with some sorious dude on AIS v/s ARPA and it’s contributions to reported accidents. ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/35 "2025-04-17T16:05:19Z")
> [@spowiednick](#): > > Hmmmm. Is it truly an old navigational instrument or the good old chengs want to take over the thread with their lovely machines??? Hey, if it had been an Andoria you would have understood. ---
**Author:** ![spowiednick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/spowiednick/32/35668_2.png) [@spowiednick](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spowiednick)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/36 "2025-04-17T16:24:31Z")
Hey I am not from the Beta Quadrant. ---
**Author:** ![spowiednick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/spowiednick/32/35668_2.png) [@spowiednick](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spowiednick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 8:32am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/37 "2025-04-18T08:32:43Z")
To all Andorians here 😉 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/0/b/0b29c70695f2675518345ad2696a5232baa34f02.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Jughead](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jughead/32/4257_2.png) [@Jughead](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jughead)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 4:02am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/38 "2025-04-19T04:02:54Z")
> [@spowiednick](#): > > To all Andorians here Hey. My wife’s from Andorra and couldn’t lift that tankard. ---
**Author:** ![Memel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Memel](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Memel)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/39 "2025-04-19T15:45:34Z")
The insufferable Brits spoiled the waters despite Adm Tirpitz and German naval command showing and telling GB that their naval buildup wold not exceed 70% of British strength. Who exactly appointed GB as determining how many naval vessels a nation could build in the first place? God apparently and Winston Churchill. Well Winston it took 2 world wars for you to figure out you slaughtered the smaller, less lethal, and wrong pig eh? ---
**Author:** ![Hogsnort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@Hogsnort](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hogsnort)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/40 "2025-04-19T19:29:18Z")
The USA, France and Japan were signatories as well. USA trade flourished under Pax Britannia before WW1. ---
**Author:** ![dry\_fly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dry_fly/32/6570_2.png) [@dry\_fly](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dry_fly)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193/41 "2025-04-22T03:29:03Z")
![IMG_20250421_105509658](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/f/a/fad65cb426442d72bdd0b06632c0011f32dd7be1.jpeg) ![IMG_20250421_105522248~2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/7/0/70d28f8424408f4af0a568bf5f5087373ca96662.jpeg) Ah, an oldie…Loran plotter from my first collegiate attempt. I kept it in my nav kit and used it through my GLMA time and my first five years on a license, though. In '25 it makes a great key fob for the sugar shack at camp! [Previous page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/old-navigational-instruments/72193.md?page=1)