Topic: ! DIY Sextanticaster Operatus (Stereophonic Zoom)

[Javier Cinakowski]

http://www.microphone-data.com/pdfs/Stereo%20zoom.pdf

I read this article article and decided to give this a shot.  I am not very good at judging angles by eye, so this thing will be real helpful.  This technique seems like a much better option than what I was doing in the past.  Picking a configuartion or mic pattern was fairly random...

I picked up a small piece of poplar, a peep hole for doors and a 1/2" drill bit.  Busted out the protractor and got it done.  My "gator" is scaled down 30% compared to the one in the pdf...
Lowes has 160degree and 200degree peep holes.  The 200 works better...

[boojum]

Crude but I bet it is effective.  I never thought of making one without the top and without rounding the top and bottom panels.  Thanks for the idea.  Starting Monday!  I cannot estimate the angles well enough, either.

Thanks

[Javier Cinakowski]

Crude but I bet it is effective.  I never thought of making one without the top and without rounding the top and bottom panels.  Thanks for the idea.  Starting Monday!  I cannot estimate the angles well enough, either.

Thanks

I originally had a top on this thing, but it broke in half when I drove the first nail in.  So I ditched the top and used a drill for the rest of the holes.

It works just as good without a top.    You don't need to use a round piece of wood either.  Just use the square and make sure your nails are in line with the protractor lines...

Without a top this thing is much smaller....

[Gutbucket]

I've thought of making one of these as it would take the guess out of determining the actual included angle. Then I think to myself 'why can't I just take a protractor and sight along it?  Then I forget to find the protractor and put it in my bag. 

Someone should make a peep hole with a graded scale already in it.  Anyone ever search for such a thing?

[Javier Cinakowski]

I searched ebay extensivly.  There are all types of sextants.  I did find a peep hole thing that had some type of scale on it but it was called a vertical scale.  It had a level air bubble in it.  I only think it would work on vertical angles, not horizontal....