BRAND NEW ASTRA III
B SEXTANT
AUTHORIZED ASTRA DEALER
2011 MAP Price $659.00
MAINTAINS BEST BUY RATING!
ASTRA III B DELUXE PRICE EXCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING:$659.00
SHIPPING TO 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES: $25.00
Click on "Add to Cart" icon for your SPECIAL
PRICE!
Approximately seven years ago, as the search
for quality previously owned sextants became harder, and harder to find, I decided to investigate the ASTRA III B sextant,
that I had only read about. It was conceived by Ken Gebhart of Celestaire, and manufactured to his specifications in China.
Ken is the oldest, in terms of length of time in the business, of those of us who were selling sextants in the
waining days of the use as a position fixing necessity. He and I knew each other from back in the mid 1970's, and strangely
both our companies were based in the Mid West. Since then, our wakes have crossed once or twice.
The manufacturer's literature states that the Astra IIIB has revolutionized
the metal sextant market by introducing a high quality, accurate, metal sextant at a low price. Over 13,000 sextants
of this model have been sold in the US alone in the past 15 years; far more than any other serious sextant. Its popularity
has spread throughout the rest of the world as well. It is easy to see why. The sextant has the looks and feel of a fine piece
of precision engineering and is detailed to a very high standard all around.
The frame is made from lightweight aluminum alloy which resists corrosion.
Aluminum alloy is not new to sextant construction. It is currently used by Tamaya, Freiberger and by C. Plath for a lightweight
version of their famous Navistar Classic sextant. The Astra sextant is electrically lighted by LED on the arc and drum. Batteries
NOT included. Its low price, excellent optics, and choice of horizon mirrors and other accessories makes it a good choice
for beginners and professionals.
Manufacturing: The Astra
IIIB is made by the Changzhou Celestaire Instrument Co. in China and is subject to stringent testing. For example, each mirror
and shade glass is tested for perfect flatness by the Fresnel diffraction pattern method. The sextants are assembled and tested
in a clean, professional, environment. Random units have been tested by us and several professional navigators, with results
that rival the most expensive German and Japanese models.
The Astra IIIB is seen in two models: standard
and deluxe. The difference is in the index mirror. The Standard model has a round index mirror with the silvering applied
to the rear surface of the glass. It has less surface area, and is not as good for twilight use. This is the way all ASTRA
IIIBs were before 1994. At that time the Deluxe model was introduced with a rectangular index mirror having the silvering
applied to the front surface (the mirror is interchangeable in size with most other full size rectangular mirrored sextants).
From an engineering standpoint, this arrangement allows for a larger reflecting profile during high angle observations, and
better reflection brightness for all sights. Such improvements, are more easily noticed by the user doing twilight star and
planet sights. From a practical standpoint, the biggest improvement is in durability of the silvering itself. When applied
to the front surface. it is easy to keep clean and free of saltwater contamination. It is further protected by a durable oxide
coating. In contrast, rear silvered mirrors need re silvering more frequently if saltwater becomes trapped between the mirror
and its housing and is not faithfully rinsed out.
The horizon mirror for this unit is the whole horizon (WH) type)
which is felt by many to be easier to use and longer lived, and is a costly option on other sextants with which the Astra
competes.
Included and Optional Equipment:
The sextant has LED lighting of the arc and drum powered by two
standard size AA batteries (not included) which install in the handle. It comes in a varnished wooden case, with instruction
book, certificate of accuracy, vial of oil, and adjusting wrench. It includes a 3.5x40 monocular telescope as standard equipment.
NEW ASTRA III B DELUXE Sextant SPECIFICATIONS:
Complete with Manufacturer's ONE YEAR WARRANTY
Inspection Certificate reads: This instrument is free of error for
practical use
- Guaranteed accuracy: 20" arc
- Measuring Range:-5 to +130 degrees
Telescope:
3.5 x 40mm: Coated optics
- Frame: Lightweight die cast aluminum alloy with corrosion resistant
light gray finish.
- Micrometer Scale: reads to 1.0 min. Vernier to 2/10 min
- Index Mirror: 56 x 42 mm. aluminized on the front side.
- Horizon Mirror: 51mm diameter.
Shades:
- 4 for index mirror
- 3 for horizon mirror
- Sextant Weight: 2lbs, 10 oz. 10.0 lbs
in case
- Carrying case: Hi Gloss Varnished Mahogany case with bronze clasps
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QUALIFICATIONS: We are one of the few companies still selling navigation
instruments that know anything about them. For purposes of judging whether Joel's opinion counts, he was the editor
of the chapter on sextants of the 1977 Edition of "Bowditch", The American Practical Navigator, NAVPUB 9; a member of the
U.S. Naval Academy Navigation Symposium Board, 1975 -1978; the author of a book on marine sextants, Cornell Maritime Press,1975,
and the founding president of Nautech Maritime Corporation which partnered with Tamaya of Japan in the introduction of the
MS 733 Spica, the MS 833, Jupiter, MS 933 Venus sextants and the famous NC-2 navigation computer, in the U.S. market. Joel
is a retired Master Mariner, and held a U.S. Navy "D" Qualification as a Senior Skipper - Oceans. From 1995 until 2001,
he was a Varsity Offshore Sailing Team Coach at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Some of his memberships
include the: Association of Naval Aviation, Silver Wings, The Tailhook Association, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, McCampbell's
Aces Squadron, Naval Historical Foundation, and the Naval Order of the United States.
STANDARD FLAT RATE SHIPPING, INSURANCE & PACKING to 48
contiguous States, $25.00
OUR UNCONDITIONAL NO NONSENSE GUARANTEE: If not
completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original
packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. Only a prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Shipping
charges are included in this offer if the error is due to our fault.
International buyers welcome, but must inquire
first. We have satisfied customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands,
Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Estonia, England, France, Germany,
Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Luxembourg, Martinique, Mexico,
New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean.
Copyright 2011 - 2003 by Land And Sea Collection™, All Rights Reserved
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