For more than 115 years, Warren Knight has been a leader in the production of quality navigation equipment and surveying equipment. In fact, many of our “antique” navigation instruments and survey tools can still be put to use today. Let’s take a quick look back in time and revisit the early 20th century and what types of tools were in use before radar and sonar became the norm.
Compass: This tool was, and still is, fundamental for navigation. The magnetic compass was used to identify the direction of the magnetic north. Of course, the compass is an indispensable tool for navigation by land, as well.
Sextant: An instrument generally used to measure the angle between two visible objects. It was essential in celestial navigation to find latitude.
Chronometer: A highly accurate timepiece used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation.
Alidade: Used for measuring vertical and horizontal angles to determine a ship’s position. Alidades also can be used as a fire finder, and the United States Forest Service places these devices in fire lookouts throughout the country to help identify the location of wildfires.
Cross-staff or Backstaff: These navigation tools were used for measuring the angle between the horizon and a celestial body such as the Sun or Moon.
Astrolabe: This is an ancient instrument used to solve problems relating to time and the position of stars and planets. The mariner’s version was used in navigation until the 17th century and into the 18th century.
Chip Log: An early speedometer, used to estimate a ship’s speed through the water. While this device could be affected by factors such as sea currents, in the past, it was still a good way to determine a vessel’s speed and, ultimately, estimate the length of a sea journey.
Lead Line: Used to measure water depth, and sometimes to collect a sample from the sea floor. These lines have been used for more than 1,000 years to measure depth and study the sea floor.
Pilot Charts: Monthly charts showing climatic patterns and oceanic currents, used for route planning.
Navigational Charts: Maps specifically designed for navigation, with information about water depths, coastal configurations, and potential hazards.
Pelorus: A reference tool for maintaining a course or for taking relative bearings. This tool has been in use since the early 19th century and was named after the first ship to feature this instrument. It can be used to take bearings in comparison to celestial objects or regarding other ships or even landmarks.
These tools required a strong understanding of mathematics and astronomy to use effectively. The development of newer technologies during the 20th century, such as radio-based navigation systems, radar, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and satellite-based systems, has made navigation significantly more precise and easier to conduct.
However, it’s never a good idea for anyone to rely entirely on these systems as there can be instances when radar and even GPS are not available. Whether you are a hobby sailor or a professional aboard a cargo ship or Navy vessel, understanding alternative navigation methods that don’t rely upon electricity is crucial.
Our Navigational Equipment
At Warren Knight, our products have been used by engineers and navigators in the United States Navy as well as the United States Coast Guard. In addition to the following navigation equipment, we also offer repair services for nautical alidades, sextans, protractors and many other instruments. Here’s a look at a few of our quality navigation instruments.
Telescopic Marine Alidade – Our alidade is intended to be used with a 6” or 7 ½” magnetic compass and a 6” and 7 ½” gyrocompass indicator. The main housing includes a reticle-equipped, terrestrial telescope for viewing distant objects and an auxiliary optical system for viewing the compass card and the spirit level.
Three-Arm Protractors – We offer both a transparent three-arm protractor and a metal three-arm protractor. Our metal protractor is a highly precise device with a 61/4” diameter hard bronze circle with one fixed arm and two movable arms. Each arm includes an 18” ruler and a 13 ½” detachable extension ruler. Four interchangeable pivot plugs are provided for determining and marking the location of the instrument center.
The transparent protractor is ideal when you don’t need the accuracy of our metal three-arm protractor. Small and lightweight, it can be an ideal tool for sighting close objects or whenever you don’t need the accuracy of our metal three-arm protractor.
Binocular Systems – This marine binocular system can be mounted to the deck of a ship with our pedestal base assembly. The binoculars provide a magnification of 20 power and include eye guards. Each focusing knob includes a diopter scale graduated from -3 to +1 diopters in ½-inch increments.
Surveyor Compass – With this can be used for land surveying tasks, our surveyor’s compass (and our forestry compass) can be used for land navigation or even sea navigation. While a GPS receiver and other electronic navigation equipment are important, no boat or long-distance hiker should be without some type of non-electronic compass at all times.
Navigational Sextants – If you would like a chance to use a truly authentic piece of navigational equipment, we do still sell some of our vintage brass sextants. While it might be an older piece of equipment, it still boasts a guaranteed accuracy of better than nine seconds of arc.
Warren Knight – 100+ Years of Excellence
At Warren Knight, we have been producing quality navigational equipment for more than a century. We also offer a wide range of surveying equipment including theodolites, clinometers and other survey tools, as well as optical instruments and leveling instruments. Additionally, we can provide you with quality calibration services and repairs for just about any type of optical instrument.