Good luck, Alison!
I'll let the real experts address the weight of evidence, but you are
quite correct, and Mr. Phillips is wrong. While many types of sundials can
indeed be "adjusted" to operate in any location, they cannot be adjusted
to arbitrary orientation.
For the simplest argument you might present to him, point out that the
human gnomon casts a shadow to the North (at say, local noon). It would be
impossible to place the hour lines/points to the South and have them
function! (He isn't from Australia, by any chance?)
Dave
>
> Dear Sundial Experts,
>
> I have recently joined this Mailing List, and hope that any members
> will be able to give me some assistance on the following situation.
>
> Our local Stately Home ("Kentwell Hall", Long Melford, Suffolk) is
> considering installing an Analemmatic sundial, as a new interactive
> attraction for visitors - but we are getting 'conflicting' advice,
> on whether this 'Human Sundial' will work in the way we want it to.
>
>
> We have been in discussion with "Modern Sunclocks" (apparently the
> acknowledged 'experts' for these features), who have told us that
> its central scale of dates must be aligned North/South - plus that
> hour markers must be correctly positioned on an elliptical ring,
> and which would lie on the Northern side of that scale of dates.
>
> Photographs on their website ( www.sunclocks.com ) confirm this.
>
>
> However, our 'Director of Operations' (Mr Phillips) absolutely
> INSISTS that he wants the scale to run exactly parallel with our
> main driveway - on a compass bearing which is about 162 degrees
> from North, with the hour points placed on its Southern side.
>
> He also wants the hour points to form an exact semi-circle, and
> not be elliptical in shape. Mr Phillips refuses to accept that
> he cannot arbitrarily position the Human Sundial feature as he
> wishes, and says that it must be possible to create this so that
> it could then align with the existing layout of buildings/paths.
>
>
> Can anyone on this Mailing List tell me whether it is possible to
> install a Human Sundial to fit any existing orientations, (with
> appropriate re-calculation of its component parts) - or, if not,
> just confirm that it must be as "Modern Sunclocks" have told me.
>
> I can then show the 'weight of evidence' to Mr Phillips. Because
> "Kentwell Hall" is a well-known Stately Home (open to the public),
> we should not want to become a 'laughing stock' by installing a
> feature which does not work - despite Mr Phillips assurance that
> "all types of sundial can be adjusted to work, in any location".
>
>
> Looking forward to all comments (to this List, or sent privately).
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Alison Shields.
>
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> https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
>
>
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