Ukuba uthandana nokuhamba ngesikhephe, iinqanawa ezinkulu ziya kukushiya ungakhathali, nangona kunjalo ungonwabela ngokupheleleyo kwisikhephe esisesikhepheni, apho oomatiloshe kunye nomphathi baya kukubonisa iindlela zakudala zokuhamba ngesikhephe. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, umzekelo uya kufunda ukuzivumela ukhokelwe yi-sextant, kutheni ungazi ukuba sisixhobo sini esi? Ndiqinisekile ukuba xa ndiyichaza kuwe, uya kuyazi le nto ndithetha ngayo.
Kwakunjalo ngo-1750 i-sextant yasungulwaNgayo, ukuphakama kweenkwenkwezi kunokujongwa ngendlela echanekileyo, kunokuba kwakwenziwe ngaphambili nge-astrolabe okanye i-quadrant. Igama lakhe liza kuba Isixa sesixhobo sixubusha i-engile yeedigri ezingama-60, Oko kukuthi, isithandathu (sextant) sesangqa esipheleleyo.
Into eyenziwa ngu-sextant, kwaye unokuyifunda ngaphakathi kuyo nayiphi na inqanawa ukuba uza neyakho, ngaba imilinganiselo yeengile phakathi kwamanqaku amabini, ungathatha njengesalathiso nokuba kungamanqaku amabini kunxweme okanye inkwenkwezi, ihlala iLanga ithathwa njengereferensi, kunye nokukhanya. Nje ukuba wazi ukuphakama kwelanga kunye nexesha losuku se unokumisela ubungakanani benqanawa, kwaye uyibeke kwitshathi yaselwandle. Lo msebenzi uthembeke kakhulu, unika ukuchaneka okuninzi.
Namhlanje ngeGPS uyazi eyona ndawo yesikhephe, Kodwa enyanisweni, kwaye le yindlela abasebenzi bakho benqanawa yokuhamba ngenqanawa abaza kukubonisa yona, ukuba uyilinganisela nge-sextant yakho iziphumo ziya kuba njalo.
Uncedo olunokuthi sextant analo, ukongeza kwinto yokuba ayifuni satellite okanye umbane, yile inokusetyenziswa kwisikhephe esihambayo, xa umfanekiso ophakamileyo kunye nezinto zihamba kumhlaba wokujonga. Ungayisebenzisa ukulinganisa ezinye ii-engile phakathi kwamanqaku amabini ngokuchaneka okukhulu, njengaphakathi komzimba wasezulwini kunye nomnye, okanye njengoko benditshilo ngaphambili, phakathi kweempawu zomhlaba.
Ndiyathemba ukuba ngeli nqaku lincinci usondele ngakumbi kwihlabathi elimangalisayo lolwandle kunye nokuhamba.