Posted on 02/24/2024 6:28:03 PM PST by DoodleBob
Slide Rule ping.
Slide rules made the SR-71 and got us to the Moon. I have a slide rule app on my iPad just for fun.
The thing about slide rules is that you could make them for anything. I’ve seen them for calculating nuclear weapons effects and one specific to the performance of the P-51 Mustang.
You need an 11C or 15C. They are very expensive. They had quit making.
That was my favorite calc ever, lol. Those old Smoley tables were killed off by this beast. Anyone remember planimeters? I used one for mass properties. They have an app for that now, hehe.
I had been watching videos of Ft. Ancient pottery today and realized an old homemade drafting tool from many years ago might be useful in finding the approximate center and size of a pot from just a shard. I think I will try to introduce it to the archaeology community.
I still have the one I bought when I learned to fly around 1976.
HP started selling licensed collectors editions of the 15C in 2023.
https://hpcalcs.com/product/hp-15c-collectors-edition/
One of my favorite memories of my son, who was something of a math wiz and grew up with calculators, was when he was in middle school and I showed him how to do multiplication on my old Keuffel and Esser, to which he responded “What wondrous sorcery is this!”
12C still my GoTo!
But I’ll never forget my SR-50!
I found it easier to just do the Algebra. Most stated interest rates are nominal on a monthly basis as opposed to annual effective rates.
At my school, the A-stream math teacher had us do both slide rule tests, and calculator tests. (I graduated 1982).
I had to buy a slide rule around 1980 and they were already getting hard to find.
My dad (Physics professor) used to use a slide rule to calculate grades, because you could set it up to calculate 40 percent of the midterm mark, or whatever, and just read it off.
At age 12, my father gave me a small slide rule. Two years prior, I hafd taken the FAA grouund school and ised the then ccirrent circular ground nav slife rule.In the military basic electronics class, slide rules were prohibiyef but electronic slide rules were allowed.
ROP PROFESSOR.
I have not seen Pickles Sorrell mentioned in years. Always found anything involving her funny. Interesting article.
“My only beef is that it doesn’t have trig functions.”
That’s what the companion HP-11C is for.
I left my first 12C in a NYC cab, after some meeting. I was so peeved at myself.
I bought a new one and still have it.
I also have the official 12C app. Candidly, the physical keys are so much better. And call me crazy, but when press i to get the IRR on the app, it gives the answer immediately vs the flashing “running” on the handheld - it just ain’t the same!
I may have to use that at work. It’s priceless.
I too had a T59 with programs, etc. even learned to program it and write my own. I had and still have several printers. My printers kept crapping out, so I bought several over the years.
The price is unbelievable compared to the 12C. They should really be about the same price.
Paul Simon best expressed my understanding of a slide rule.
That’s the one I was thinking of, had the trig functions. It’s right here in the desk drawer.
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