Not as crazy as you think ...the "Galton Sun Signal", invented by Sir Francis Galton in 1858, was very well thought of, and the fancier versions did indeed incorporate telescopic optics. Galton referred to his device as a "hand-heliostat".

Here's a nice example of a Galton sun signal in a London museum with several photos online. This example was purchased by the British government for official use in 1881.
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=NAV0945

Whatever the British government thought, Galton's instrument was developed in the spirit of survival. Galton's popular description of it was in the (extensive) signal mirror section of his popular "Art of Travel" which has lots of other survival related sections, such as his 19(!) page section on methods of making fire.

Here's a link to the signal mirror section (pp. 277-281, with a lot of good information about signal mirrors, still relevant today) in the 5th edition of Galton's "Art of Travel" (1872, but still in print today). Galton's hand-heliostat (and its unique aiming principle) is described towards the end of that section.
http://books.google.com/books?id=73YBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA277#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Galton's device was sold commercially by instrument makers Messrs Troughton and Simms as "Galton's sun signal":
"Fig. 3: a more elaborate form, which has a theodolite telescope A, and a plain tube B as a finder."
http://galton.org/cgi-bin/searchImages/search/pearson/vol2/pages/vol2_0034.htm

Galton's Sun Signal was used for a while - here's an 1891 mention:
http://www.archive.org/stream/preliminarysurv00unkngoog/preliminarysurv00unkngoog_djvu.txt

"The best heliographs are Galton's sun signal,, fitted with a telescope, and Mance's heliograph. Both are expensive
instruments, and need not enter into the outfit of the
preliminary surveyor."

This 1898 source, 40 years after Galton's invention, speaks highly of it and discusses it in some detail:
http://books.google.com/books?id=38NBAAAAIAAJ

Title Hydrographical surveying: A description of the means and methods employed in constructing marine charts
Author William James Lloyd Wharton
Edition 2
Publisher Murray, 1898

Page 35:

A better instrument is the excellent and convenient Galton's Sun Signal, now also supplied. This is fitted with a telescope, by looking through which and adjusting the mirror, a dim image of the sun is seen covering the object required to flash to. Nothing can be better adapted to the purposes of the nautical surveyor's work than this (when he is once accustomed to it, as at first it is a little awkward to manage), and when obtainable they should always be used. Care must be taken, however, that the instrument is in adjustment. This can be ascertained as follows: Place a board, with a sheet of white paper pinned on to it, about 50 yards off. Direct the sun signal flash on to it, and looking through the telescope, screen and unscreen rapidly with the hand the direct flash from the mirror. If the circular image formed by the direct flash on the sheet is not coincident with the image of the sun as seen through the telescope, take off the cap at the end of the tube and adjust with the screw that will be found underneath.


The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica referred to "Galton's Sun Signal" as the most convenient form of heliotrope.

This 1996 book on surveying, refers to "Galton's Sun signal" as though it were still in use:

http://books.google.com/books?id=jAqM1cc...ope&f=false