Ask questions here

[Randi]

Get your general questions answered here - so you can do better transcriptions and we can improve our help!

If your questions are related to a specific ship, please go to the Shipyard and post them in the appropriate topic.

If you need help with posting your question, go to Making your first post.


Link to PRINT of Ask Questions Here topic from old forum.

[Randi]

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[Hanibal94]

If "Lying to" is used for course and/or distance in the Weather columns, should it be transcribed as such?
For example: https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 9_0007.JPG

[Michael]

Good question. You can add it. When I see it, I'll put 0 in for distance. Or, you could put in a zero for distance and note Lying to in Events. Option 1 is easiest for you, and troubles me not.

[Hanibal94]

Alright - in that case, I would like to request a new abbreviation:
Ly = Lying to

[Michael]

Done.

[bluemuffin78]

Sorry if this isn't the correct board to ask. Is it possible to hide the red text that is generated from one of the wizards in the spreadsheets. I've found it is hiding some of the information on the events pages. Thanks

[Randi]

This is the correct board
I don't know of a way.
I temporarily drag the spreadsheet out of the way and then move it back.
You can also open the log page in your browser (Open In Browser button).

[bluemuffin78]

Ah thanks. I forgot you could open it in a browser. I'll do that next time

[Michael]

If you enter a space in a cell somewhere to the left right of the cell with the red text, the red text will be truncated there.

[bluemuffin78]

The 8am longitude on this page has a symbol next to it (rather than DR or Obs). The symbols guide you have mentions that this is longitude by the Sun. How would you like it transcribed?
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 3_0150.JPG

[Randi]

I think that indicates sunrise.
Or it may be simply the altitude of the sun: https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 1-0004.JPG
(from Directions for keeping the ship's log & Sample log pages)

According to Bowditch it is the altitude of the lower limb of the sun.
(from Resources for nautical and military terminology

In either case it would be observed.
The fact that they scratched out DR would support that.

You can add a Transcriber Comment to clarify the situation

---

I joined to transcribe weather data to help the scientists.
I stay for the fun of digging up useless information

---

Now I know where I got sunrise: https://www.oldweatherforum.org/viewtopic.php?p=144#p144
However, that came from Royal Navy logs, so I don't know if it applies here

[Maikel]

You can also check https://www.journeyplotter.nl/rl/abbr.html, the Symbols tab.
You'll find many of the symbols we've come across over time listed there.

[pommystuart]

Does anybody have a list of the flag signals used by our ships, like Hoisted signal F.H., received Z.F.B
?

[Randi]

You can give Signalling in Nautical, military, and whaling terminology a try.
However, there seem to have been a lot of codes over the years

[Hanibal94]

How should seismic activity be transcribed? There isn't a subtype for that under Event -> Other like for volcanoes.

[Michael]

Good question. I would just use Volcanoes.

[Hanibal94]

Good question. I would just use Volcanoes.

But not all earthquakes have to do with volcanic activity
How about a new subtype "Earthquake" or "Seismic"? There currently aren't any subtypes beginning with E or S, so that should fit nicely.

EDIT: Since I had to upload the month before going on vacation, I used "Volcanic", but added a Transcriber Comment stating that there was actually no volcanic activity, just seismic, and there is simply no subtype for earthquakes at the moment (but there should be, IMHO)

[Michael]

I can do that, it's a good idea.

[Hanibal94]

They have started recorded Lat/Long by Bearings, for example:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0134.JPG

How should this be recorded, since there isn't a specific subtype for it?