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  5. February 1998

February 1998

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Page 2
The editor reflects on balancing forward-looking dial design with historical studies, noting readers’ diverse interests and reaffirming a policy that each issue should include something for everybody.
The BSS and Members

Page 3
Explains a shadow-free sundial using sky polarization: a fan of Sellotape (cellophane) sectors is viewed with an analyser at the Brewster angle. The brightest sector (or equal adjacent sectors) indicates hours and half-hours, and the dial can work with the Sun behind cloud or after sunset.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual

Page 10
Introduces a reconstructed sun compass inspired by a Greenland find and sets it in Norse navigation: maintaining latitude by noon Sun and Polaris, with practical insights on use at high latitudes and during seasons when both Sun and star are visible.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials

Page 13
Notes an article from 1896 describing a dial found in a tomb of the VII or VIIIth century, with equal hour lines, which would be the earliest known dial in Europe with 'astronomical' hours.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials

Page 14
A site note on a heliochronometer at Dunchurch Lodge, describing layout, reading, and mechanical features of this precision time-telling instrument and its context on the estate.
Dials: Heliochronometer, Historical Dials

Page 16
A short notice assessing a BIBLOGRAFIA DELLA GNOMONICA by Nicola Severino
Book Reviews

Page 18
Round-up of recent articles and notes on sundials and gnomonics from a range of journals and proceedings, with concise comments to guide readers to useful sources.
Book Reviews

Page 19
Describes the Poulton Hall dial on the Wirral peninsula: setting, design features and inscriptions, with observations on the equation of time using the pre-Gregorian calendar, an the lack of a noon gap.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials

Page 21
A commemorative dial marking a golden wedding, covering layout, materials and the celebratory inscription, with remarks on siting and legibility.
Construction Projects, Dials: Vertical, Mottoes

Page 22
Survey of painted dials in a monastery cloister at Taggia (Imperia), noting multiple faces, canonical hours and decorative treatments, with historical context and observations on preservation.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Restoration projects

Page 26
Proposes an analemmatic dial that retains a fixed upright gnomon by drawing a series of ellipses, scaling and shifting them to avoid crossing lines and confusion when reading it.
Dials: Analemmatic, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

Page 28
Field note on a simple home-made vernacular horizontal dial from outback Australia, describing fabric, gnomon form and scale, with comments on accuracy of delineation and local use.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials

Page 30
Describes novel non-shadow dials using reflectors. Parabolic and cylindrical forms generate bright caustic lines on a screen; hour indication follows motion of the cusp or inner edge. Includes formulae, constructional notes and an aperture version using a sundial curve.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Reflected, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling

Page 36
Account of four meridian lines in Rome: noon-mark function, layout and observational practice, with notes on accuracy and historical purpose.
Dials: Noon Lines, Historical Dials

Page 39
Correspondence from members on recent articles, dial sightings, methods and queries, adding corrections, experience and requests for opinions.
The BSS and Members

Page 42
Short editorial notices and clarifications, including corrections, follow-ups and production notes.
The BSS and Members

Page 43
A roundup of recent dial-related sales

Page 46
Argues for re-evaluation of Roman portable dials: forms, readings and classification, urging fresh analysis of surviving pieces and their interpretation.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials