Bill Gottesman Precision Sundials LLC Renaissance Focusing Sundial
Bill Gottesman Precision Sundials LLC Renaissance Focusing Sundial A “Watch” accurate dial using Focused Light
Notable Features • • Modified Equatorial Dial Scale is Expanded Uses Focused Light Adjustable for Latitude, Eot, and Daylight Savings • Software assists alignment • C. M. Lowne in BSS Bulletin 98. 1 independently reported similar idea for focusing sundial. • US Patent 6, 301, 793
Modified Equatorial Dial • Equatorial Circle is expanded into a helix to increase its rigidity. • Readable on Equinoxes • Helix connotes the passage of time
Scale is Expanded
Eccentric Equatorial Pipe Dial by Kate Pond
Mirror is 6 minutes wide, but image is focused to 2 minutes across, the same as the sun in the sky
Focused image is crisp.
Cylindrically ground mirrors keep the image in focus at all times
Mirrors and Mount
Mounted Mirror
Set Screw Holes
Single Beam Movie
Adjustable for Eot, DST
Adjustable wedges allow sturdy and accurate setting of latitude
Wedge Graphic
Wedges set for 46 degrees
Software Assists Alignment
Alignment Answer
New Developments • Focused beam is 2 minutes of time wide. Can this be made narrower to allow a more precise reading? • Not with the beam itself, but… • By casting two beams adjacent to each other, the space between them can act as a cursor, and be made as narrow as one desires, even to just a few seconds of time.
Two Mirrors Create Two Focused Images
Two Mirrors
Two Beam Movie
Smithy Granite Machine
Sawyer Equant Schmoyer Sunquest End
Mirror Demonstration
Like a concave spoon, image inverts when moved away from mirror.
- Slides: 26