Richard L. Schmoyer designed the Sunquest sundial to be easily adjusted between standard time and daylight savings time. Simply loosen the wing-nuts that hold the horizontal and vertical crescents together and slide the aluminum plate to the opposite end of the bracket. The daylight savings time plate allows for a 1-hour time change without making
To establish an accurate reading, the Sunquest sundial must be adjusted to the exact latitude and longitude of the location where it will be used. Adjusting the latitude crescent enables the gnomon to be precisely parallel to the north-south polar axis of the earth, also placing the time-scale crescent parallel to the earth’s equator. This
The Sunquest sundial should be oriented towards True North so that the axis of the gnomon is exactly parallel to the axis of the earth. Find True North and set the direction of the Sunquest sundial after the latitude and longitude settings are finished. Setting via the North Star (instructions by Richard L. Schmoyer, 1983).
The coordinates of your latitude and longitude are easily determined by consulting a globe or topographic maps. Many online mapping systems and cellphone apps today will also enable you to easily the exact coordinates of the sundial’s location. Google Maps Type the address in the search field. Zoom in to get a more detailed view