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December 2005
The articles link to the specific page in a PDF optimised for speed. If you want the whole issue, you can download it here, but the files from earlier years can be quite large.
December 2005
Page 134
Page 134
Describes the design and construction of a modern polyhedral sundial located in the author's garden in Rivington, Lancashire. The six-foot-tall dial is made from reconstituted stone and features a unique icosahedron-shaped head with twenty triangular dial plates, each with a brass gnomon. The design was inspired by dials in Wakefield and Marsden Park.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Multi Faced, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 142
Page 142
This part of the article discusses the history and application of the analemma in equinoctial sundials, particularly in Great Britain and the Netherlands. It details inventions by Major-General John Ryder Oliver, William Pilkington, and William Homan, and provides strong evidence suggesting Johann Philipp von Wurzelbau invented the analemma around 1716, predating Jean-Paul Grandjean de Fouchy.
How Sundials Work, Equation of Time, Historical Dials, Dials: Heliochronometer
December 2005
Page 154
Page 154
This article introduces the "Timekumpas," a small, cigarette-lighter-sized equatorial dial patented in 1926. While it lacks precision due to its size, it is notable for being a universal instrument designed to allow for latitude, longitude, equation of time, and magnetic variation, making a "noble effort" to create a sophisticated, portable standard time indicator.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Heliochronometer, Dials: Portable, Historical Dials
December 2005
Page 155
Page 155
A reader poses a hypothetical question about the consequences for gnomonics if the Earth rotated in the opposite direction. He notes that sundial hour-line numerals would need to be reversed and invites other readers to submit lists of possible effects, offering a reward for the most comprehensive list.
How Sundials Work
December 2005
Page 156
Page 156
This report details the author's trip to the North American Sundial Society (NASS) conference in Chicago, August 2005. It covers tourist activities in the city, workshops held, the formal registration, meeting other sundial enthusiasts, and the bus tour to see local sundials, including the DuPage County Veterans’ Memorial Dial and the Henry Moore sundial.
The BSS and Members
December 2005
Page 158
Page 158
This technical article, "Part 2" of "Vector Delineation," presents mathematical equations for delineating vertical declining sundials. It focuses on deriving shadow plane vector components, hour lines, declination lines, sub-style angle, and gnomon angle using trigonometric functions. The article demonstrates how these calculations can be implemented for computer-aided design of sundials.
Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 159
Page 159
This review covers Tony Moss's PowerPoint CD-ROM "Sundial Presentations," which includes "Concepts for Students of Sundialling" and "Using and Understanding Sundials." It praises the CD for its clear, animated slides explaining basic sundial concepts, theory, alignment of gnomons, differences between clock and sun time, and the analemma, making it useful for beginners and lecturers.
Book Reviews, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 160
Page 160
This article details the discovery and reconstruction of a unique 1683 combined horizontal equinoctial sundial at Lyme Hall. The author describes deciphering the inscription "R Legh 1683," examining its robust bronze construction and innovative two-hole sight/screen system. The article also explores the dial's historical context, its owner Richard Legh, and a possible link to George Gibbs's Helio-Chronometer.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Restoration projects, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 168
Page 168
This report describes the BSS Newbury meeting on September 24, 2005, attended by 48 enthusiasts. The program included talks on 17th-century stained-glass sundial maker Baptist Sutton, spreadsheets and CAD for dial setting, museum surveys, and origami equatorial sundials. Exhibits featured sunspot observations, Mike Cowham's new book, high-quality sundial work, and intricate Meccano mechanisms.
The BSS and Members
December 2005
Page 170
Page 170
This article details the design and construction of a sundial for the Elias Fries School in Hyltebruk, Sweden. The sundial, made from a large stone cut in half, features a polar-axis aligned shadow pin and a dial plate raised 20 degrees from the ground. It is designed to be an artistic and educational tool demonstrating the sun's daily and seasonal movements without indicating precise clock time.
Construction Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 172
Page 172
This article investigates the bronze cross dial by C.V. Boys at Kew Gardens, noting its unusual design and puzzling errors in the engraved latitude and longitude. It traces the dial's history, including its temporary display and previous locations within the gardens, and highlights the scientific reputation of its designer, Sir Charles Vernon Boys FRS.
Dials: Polar, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2005
Page 175
Page 175
This piece highlights four unusual sundials at the University of Leicester campus. It features a two-meter-high "Eye of Time" noon mark, a modern sculptural piece indicating both time of year and day via an analemma. Also mentioned are John Davis's "Newton" dial and two matching vertical declining dials in Westmoreland slate, one showing equal hours and the other seasonal hours.
Dials: Noon Lines, Dials: Unusual, Dials: Vertical