Vintage technology

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Keyman
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18 Oct 2012, 1:38 am

Old technology forced it's creators to use what's available by using their brains instead of money and non-existent-equipment. And also hints that you can use present technology to get into the bleeding edge.

Equipment for radio reception in the THz range ought to fit that.

ruveyn
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19 Oct 2012, 12:25 pm

Keyman wrote:

All technological developments force their creators to use their brains. Technology is rarely invented by blind chance or accident.
That only happens occasionally.

ruveyn

Keyman
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19 Oct 2012, 1:11 pm

When computers forced their users to use their brains there were less users to feed the junk software industry

Dantac
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19 Oct 2012, 5:46 pm

Behold!

Keyman
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19 Oct 2012, 6:50 pm

Aha.. Graphical user interface!

ruveyn
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19 Oct 2012, 9:08 pm

Dantac wrote:

Behold!

I have a slide rule story to tell. Once I brought a K & E slide rule to work and I ask young folks (under 35) if they knew what it was. Only one out of ten knew it was a slide rule. In those cases I would be told -- Oh yeah, my father had one of those.

ruveyn

auntblabby
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19 Oct 2012, 10:39 pm

back in the day [in 1054, at least] when the crab nebula-

was a supernova lighting up the night skies above the orient, this-

was the high-tech slide rule of its day.

Cornflake
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20 Oct 2012, 6:26 am

Keyman wrote:

Aha.. Graphical user interface!

Touch-sensitive, too!

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equestriatola
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01 Nov 2012, 1:48 am

Never used a slide rule; I imagine those would hard to operate!

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xmh
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01 Nov 2012, 9:01 am

I understand the maths behind slide rules and the basic operating procedure, but have never had need to use them (with electronic calculators being common).

In school exams it was specified that I was allowed to use an electronic calculator. It would have been nice to take in a steam powered mechanical one instead.

ianorlin
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01 Nov 2012, 11:56 am

Actually now in some of my math classes it was stated that you can't use a calculator or other electronic equipment which can interperted in that they are talking about electronic calculators so they did not say on slide rules.

Does anyone know if slide rules are allowed in mental hospitals?

greengeek
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01 Nov 2012, 8:31 pm

xmh wrote:

The Curta Calculator might have been handy, as they were all mechanical.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta

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greengeek
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01 Nov 2012, 8:35 pm

I have an old 3M Wollensak reel-to-reel, a Stereo 8 Recorder, a Stereo 8 Player with Amp, ceramic (300mV) phono in, and separate speakers, a early '60s 4" Sony portable TV, a bottom knobbed '82 Panasonic TV, an Apple IIe, a Califone Turntable, and two Western Electric Rotary Dial phones.

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equestriatola
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01 Nov 2012, 8:49 pm

xmh wrote:

Do those even exist?

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equestriatola
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04 Nov 2012, 1:47 am

As in a steam-powered calculator.

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auntblabby
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04 Nov 2012, 1:51 am

i'd like to be able to borrow and experiment with a packburn 323A noise suppressor.

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