> when celestial navigation is all but impossible without advanced, expensive eq...

5555624 · 2025-01-11T18:07:42 1736618862

A new Tamaya sextant can run about $3,000 and Chinese-made Astra sextants are about a third of that. (Bubble sextants aren't used at sea.)

That's the only "expensive" equipment needed for celestial navigation or at least that was the case when I learned it over 40 years ago.

knallfrosch · 2025-01-11T18:06:33 1736618793

Probably they use a $500,000 computer that fills a room and could be replaced with a $50 Android smartphone with offline Google Maps.

HPsquared · 2025-01-14T09:21:08 1736846468

Said Android smartphone relies on clear airwaves and billions worth of GPS satellites.