Hello:

Was thinking of purchasing a new copy of Bowditch, as the one i presently
have (1966 ed.)
is probably a collectors item by now.

I see that there is 2002 ED. a Govt issued one for about $ 75, and
apparently also
a commercial version by Celestaire publications at about half the price.

What's the difference(s) ?

same quality binding, etc. ?

BTW: are the math tables still a separate volume, or are they incorporated
now into the main one ?

My 1966 ED. has really nice plastic overlay star charts.
Does the new one (from either Gov't or Celestaire) have similar ?

Is there a "good" navigation interest web site or forum anyone might
recommend ? link to ?

Thanks,
Bob

I got the Govt. version. Its nicely bound and comes with a CD that include the
entire text in PDF format, plus some other useful goodies. It can all be copied
to disk. Much of the CD is available online. There is only one volume which
includes the table.

I may be wrong, but I think the "commercial" version is paperback, or maybe it
come both paper and hardbound. I don't know if it includes the CD.



"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Was thinking of purchasing a new copy of Bowditch, as the one i presently
have (1966 ed.)
is probably a collectors item by now.

I see that there is 2002 ED. a Govt issued one for about $ 75, and
apparently also
a commercial version by Celestaire publications at about half the price.

What's the difference(s) ?

same quality binding, etc. ?

BTW: are the math tables still a separate volume, or are they incorporated
now into the main one ?

My 1966 ED. has really nice plastic overlay star charts.
Does the new one (from either Gov't or Celestaire) have similar ?

Is there a "good" navigation interest web site or forum anyone might
recommend ? link to ?

Thanks,
Bob

here the link.

http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/pubs...s.html?rid=187


Robert11 wrote:
Hello:

Was thinking of purchasing a new copy of Bowditch, as the one i presently
have (1966 ed.)
is probably a collectors item by now.

I see that there is 2002 ED. a Govt issued one for about $ 75, and
apparently also
a commercial version by Celestaire publications at about half the price.

What's the difference(s) ?

same quality binding, etc. ?

BTW: are the math tables still a separate volume, or are they incorporated
now into the main one ?

My 1966 ED. has really nice plastic overlay star charts.
Does the new one (from either Gov't or Celestaire) have similar ?

Is there a "good" navigation interest web site or forum anyone might
recommend ? link to ?

Thanks,
Bob

"brian carter" wrote in message
...
here the link.

http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/pubs...s.html?rid=187

Cool. Thanks, I just burned my own CD copy.

John.

Here is a free copy on the web in PDF format:

http://www.marineplanner.com/bowditch/bowditch.cfm

Dave
**************************
Ferg wrote:

"brian carter" wrote in message
...

here the link.

http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/pubs...s.html?rid=187


Cool. Thanks, I just burned my own CD copy.

John.

"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Was thinking of purchasing a new copy of Bowditch, as the one i presently
have (1966 ed.)
is probably a collectors item by now.

I see that there is 2002 ED. a Govt issued one for about $ 75, and
apparently also
a commercial version by Celestaire publications at about half the price.

What's the difference(s) ?


Minor changes in binding etc. Not enough to justify the higher cost. The
difference between '66 and '02 should be of great concern.

In 1995, Bowditch was substantially revamped, and -- in many opinions --
dumbed down. The huge, comprehensive, two-volume edition produced in the
'80s was reduced to one comparatively small volume. A great deal of detail
about celestial navigation (including the clear star chart overlays) was
eliminated and tables were compressed. The 2002 edition is an update of the
'95.

To the editor's credit, the 1995 edition probably comes closer to Bowditch's
original goals, but the encyclopedic-like quality of earlier editions was
lost.