Brian Kelly wrote:

I really hate to bust yer bubble again Alun but Smith Charts and all
the rest of the artifact nomograph "solvers" were already stale about
the time you popped out of school. Didja also have a course in slide
rule operations too? I'll bet you did, dinya?

Now ya did it Brian! I will always have a soft spot for slide rules. Of
course they are obsolete, but when I got my first slide rule, it took
math out of the abstract and put it in the real world for me.

I was in the last class at our school that was trained in their use. I
kind of miss the engineer's sixshooter on my belt! ;^)


Where d'ya put the batteries in those things anyhow?

- Mike KB3EIA -

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Brian Kelly wrote:

I really hate to bust yer bubble again Alun but Smith Charts and all
the rest of the artifact nomograph "solvers" were already stale about
the time you popped out of school. Didja also have a course in slide
rule operations too? I'll bet you did, dinya?

Now ya did it Brian! I will always have a soft spot for slide rules. Of
course they are obsolete, but when I got my first slide rule, it took
math out of the abstract and put it in the real world for me.

I was in the last class at our school that was trained in their use. I
kind of miss the engineer's sixshooter on my belt! ;^)


Where d'ya put the batteries in those things anyhow?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Well said! I still have my log tables book (that's logarithms for the young
folks). Remarkably useless now-a-days.

I worked in the insurance industry and used to enjoy driving young, visiting
actuaries crazy. They would ask a question on the data presented and rather
than bang something out on my computer or programmable calculator (both of
which I used at all times EXCEPT when a newbie actuary was present), I'd
whip out my slapstick. As my eyesight become worse, so did the resulting
answers. grin

Paul AB0SI

" wrote in message news:N918b.415225$YN5.279999@sccrnsc01...
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Brian Kelly wrote:

I really hate to bust yer bubble again Alun but Smith Charts and all
the rest of the artifact nomograph "solvers" were already stale about
the time you popped out of school. Didja also have a course in slide
rule operations too? I'll bet you did, dinya?

Now ya did it Brian! I will always have a soft spot for slide rules. Of
course they are obsolete,

We never had courses on either slide rule or log tables "operations".
We had to pick 'em up on the fly on our own. Some of the guys learned
to use 'em in high school. During the first couple weeks of class
there were a lotta guys huddled in groups in the cafeteria trying to
figure the things out. I never did learn to use more than maybe 8-10
of the 21 scales on my bamboo Post. That was a NICE slipstick and I
still have it.

but when I got my first slide rule, it took
math out of the abstract and put it in the real world for me.

I never considered that but in looking back you're right.

I was in the last class at our school that was trained in their use. I
kind of miss the engineer's sixshooter on my belt! ;^)

The engineering students' full dress uniform (the physics majors
weren't far behind) also included a pocket protector full of whatever
ya could jam into it, a worn-out rumpled corduroy jacket and a
beat-to-crap briecase . . The uniform definitely differentiated the
engineers from the business administration weenies.

Where d'ya put the batteries in those things anyhow?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Well said! I still have my log tables book (that's logarithms for the young
folks). Remarkably useless now-a-days.

Whatta pain THEY were!!

I worked in the insurance industry and used to enjoy driving young, visiting
actuaries crazy. They would ask a question on the data presented and rather
than bang something out on my computer or programmable calculator (both of
which I used at all times EXCEPT when a newbie actuary was present)

I've pulled that one. I'm waiting for the opportunities to spring it
on a nephew and a grandson.

I'd
whip out my slapstick. As my eyesight become worse, so did the resulting
answers. grin

Paul AB0SI

w3rv

Alun Palmer wrote in message . ..
(Brian Kelly) wrote in
om:

Alun Palmer wrote in message
. ..



I was certainly taught how to use a Smith chart in engineering school.
Not only that, but how to derive the axes mathematically. The latter I
have forgotten, but I will never forget how to use one. There again, I
went to engineering school in Emgland, where you don't have to do
'English 101' or 'Western Civilization' if you study engineering,
hence sufficient time to learn about Smith Charts!

I really hate to bust yer bubble again Alun but Smith Charts and all
the rest of the artifact nomograph "solvers" were already stale about
the time you popped out of school. Didja also have a course in slide
rule operations too? I'll bet you did, dinya?

Looks to me like you were obsolete when you graduated. Here's today's
"Smith Charts" Alun.

http://home.t-online.de/home/weberconnect/csmith2.htm

http://rf.rfglobalnet.com/software_m...ware/2/102.htm


73 de N3KIP

w3rv


Smith charts still work. And no, the last time I used a slide rule was in
high school. So, I am perhaps 5-10 years younger than you think.

The world was blessed with your codeless presence on Nov 11 1957.
Handheld calculators rendered slide rules obsolete when you were
14-15. Are you still using Leydon jars for capacitors Alun?

w3rv

In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:

" wrote in message
news:N918b.415225$YN5.279999@sccrnsc01...
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Brian Kelly wrote:

I really hate to bust yer bubble again Alun but Smith Charts and all
the rest of the artifact nomograph "solvers" were already stale about
the time you popped out of school. Didja also have a course in slide
rule operations too? I'll bet you did, dinya?

Now ya did it Brian! I will always have a soft spot for slide rules. Of
course they are obsolete,

We never had courses on either slide rule or log tables "operations".
We had to pick 'em up on the fly on our own. Some of the guys learned
to use 'em in high school.

Like me. Graduated high school in 1972.

During the first couple weeks of class
there were a lotta guys huddled in groups in the cafeteria trying to
figure the things out. I never did learn to use more than maybe 8-10
of the 21 scales on my bamboo Post. That was a NICE slipstick and I
still have it.

oh mama

but when I got my first slide rule, it took
math out of the abstract and put it in the real world for me.

I never considered that but in looking back you're right.

And besides the slide rule, there were various forms of specialized "lightning
calculators". At one time ARRL sold a several different types for solving LC
problems, designing coils, power/resistance, etc. I still have and use one of
the later-model slide rule LC ones for tuned-circuit work. Gives an eagle-eye
view of effects ("if I use a 140 pf variable instad of 100, I'll be able to
reach 2 MHz...").

I was in the last class at our school that was trained in their use. I
kind of miss the engineer's sixshooter on my belt! ;^)

The engineering students' full dress uniform (the physics majors
weren't far behind) also included a pocket protector full of whatever
ya could jam into it, a worn-out rumpled corduroy jacket and a
beat-to-crap briecase . . The uniform definitely differentiated the
engineers from the business administration weenies.

And other wannabees. In my day it was only slightly different. Denim replaced
corduroy and the briefcase was often a backpack. Mine was an old Bulletin
delivery bag.

Where d'ya put the batteries in those things anyhow?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Well said! I still have my log tables book (that's logarithms for the young
folks). Remarkably useless now-a-days.

Whatta pain THEY were!!

Amen.

I worked in the insurance industry and used to enjoy driving young,
visiting
actuaries crazy. They would ask a question on the data presented and rather
than bang something out on my computer or programmable calculator (both of
which I used at all times EXCEPT when a newbie actuary was present)

I've pulled that one. I'm waiting for the opportunities to spring it
on a nephew and a grandson.

Years ago I learned to do basic math to 2 decimal places in me head. Saved a
lot of fiddling. Refined it when I started running so I could figure out time
splits on the fly. Still amazes the unwashed multitudes.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Brian Kelly wrote:

The world was blessed with your codeless presence on Nov 11 1957.
Handheld calculators rendered slide rules obsolete when you were
14-15. Are you still using Leydon jars for capacitors Alun?

Come on, Brian! He's sans cw. That's the wave of the future. No Leyden
for him!

- Mike KB3EIA -

Brian Kelly wrote:
The world was blessed with your codeless presence on Nov 11 1957.
Handheld calculators rendered slide rules obsolete when you were
14-15. Are you still using Leydon jars for capacitors Alun?

The basic four-function handheld calculator was still about $600
when he was 17; at least that's what we were selling them for at
RS at that time.

I was still using a slide rule in my 1980 college physics class.

Jeff KH6O
--
Operations Specialist 1st, U.S. Coast Guard
Mathematics Lecturer, University of Hawaii System

slide rules

(N2EY) wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:


And besides the slide rule, there were various forms of specialized "lightning
calculators". At one time ARRL sold a several different types for solving LC
problems, designing coils, power/resistance, etc. I still have and use one of
the later-model slide rule LC ones for tuned-circuit work. Gives an eagle-eye
view of effects ("if I use a 140 pf variable instad of 100, I'll be able to
reach 2 MHz...").

I forgot about those, they were really slick. I had an L/C version.
Went the way of the 75A4.

I have a current-tech version. I originally bought Mathcad for doing
biz-type engineeing number crunching but at this point I've written
and canned more ham related math routines than I have for biz
purposes. One of 'em is an L/C cruncher which is pretty simple. I also
wrote a coil designer which is *not* simple. Net result is that I can
bring both up in separate windows and copy-paste results between 'em
and bingo, almost instant tank circuit designs right down to the
number of turns of #X wire x Y form diameter x Z winding length. To
the fifth decimal place when I get really anal.


The engineering students' full dress uniform (the physics majors
weren't far behind) also included a pocket protector full of whatever
ya could jam into it, a worn-out rumpled corduroy jacket and a
beat-to-crap briecase . . The uniform definitely differentiated the
engineers from the business administration weenies.

And other wannabees. In my day it was only slightly different. Denim replaced
corduroy and the briefcase was often a backpack. Mine was an old Bulletin
delivery bag.

No, NO! Tell me you din use a Bulletin bag for a briefcase, say it
isn't true! Gauche! GAUCHE! You'd have been lampooned back across
Chestnut St. if you'd shown up in class on our side of the street with
one of those.

But then you people also had water buffalo on campus. Sigh.


Years ago I learned to do basic math to 2 decimal places in me head. Saved a
lot of fiddling. Refined it when I started running so I could figure out time
splits on the fly. Still amazes the unwashed multitudes.

The unwashed multitudes can't make change for a buck in their heads.

73 de Jim, N2EY

w3rv