History

[Roger B]

I was digging in the back of a cupboard in my cellar and came across a number of things from the past. I wonder how many people remember, still have or still use any of these?

[Bluechip]

Used to have, and use,  an 'Aristo  ( Multireitz ?)' slide rule. 
Managed to leave it on a radiator and it warped beyond recovery. 

Still have my AVO8 MkIV  .   
Occasionally gets used, mostly to collect dust    .
Lost the leads and case ages ago.
Dunno where or why 

Dave

Corrected another spelling error   

[Admiral_dk]

As a kid I wasn't allowed to fool around with the 'Slide Ruler' and they where obsolete before I left Public School -> so not really, though I once had a teacher that insisted that he would demonstrate one to show how smart they were back then.

I've never seen the milliAmp meter before - the Atimco almost as they were a different model here in DK. My first was a very high quality Analog DWM - I still have it, but it hasn't been out of it's box the last twenty years as I always use my Fluke nowadays.

[Twizseven]

Still have and use my mothers adjustable angle, have my mothers sliderule, and an antique voltmeter which I think belonged to my grandfather.

Just tested the voltmeter and it looks as though it might not work. 

Colin

[Trevorc]

Hello , just visit an antique show or shop and you will find plenty of these items on sale. I remember the day when the slide rule went obsolete in my mind. I was chairing a technical meeting between UK space engineers and visiting USA engineers. We needed to do some quick calculations in the meeting, I said “ anybody have a slide rule with them”? Where upon one of the visitors replied” no but i have my calculator” and proudly produced his HP calculator about the size of a house brick. Being so large he carried it in a “ holster” hanging from his trouser belt.
Trevorc

[ShopShoe]

Blast from the past!

Still have my slide rule. I remembered enough two years ago to show one of the grandkids how it worked.

Don't have an adjustable triangle, but have 30-60-90 and 45-45-90 and use them occasionally.

The AVO is a beauty. Here in the U.S. everyone has the Simpson 260: They're still being made. I have and use a kit-built knockoff I put together in the 1960s.

I have been thinking of cleaning out my desk and I may be surprised at what I can find.

--ShopShoe

[Lew Hartswick]

Still have the Picket and Eckel I bought while in high school 1948/9 and my "multimeter" is still a Simpson 260.
   ...lew...

[AVTUR]

During the first year at tech. the class split into two factions, one used log tables and the other slide rules. One lecturer got so fed up with this that he organised a race between the two groups. A year later, on reflection, it all seemed rather silly.

Occasionally I use log tables and I think the slide rule is still in my desk.

AVTUR

[scc]

I loved my slide rule, right through technical college and into industry.   Still have mum's old Casio calculator with it's red digits.       Terry

[Bearcar1]

Oh heavens yes!! At graduation from the eight grade, after receiving my diploma and as we were marching out of the gymnasium, my uncle was sitting on the aisle and reached out and handed me a gift wrapped box. What it turned out to my surprise to be, was a full sized slide rule made from bamboo, in a leather hard case! It was a very nicely made instrument. Anyway, I never used it in high school and it pretty much lay in the bottom of my sock drawer for four years. When I got into college math classes however, one had to and could use a digital calculator for daily usage but not allowed for taking a test. Now, enter my slide rule. As a student at the time, I and most of us could not afford to purchase the aluminum versions that were available at the bookstore. It was humorous, to us all and to the instructor when someone would chime up during a test session "Big Bamboo!" Which meant they wanted to use my slide rule on one of their calculations. It was quietly handed to that student across the room. Needless to say Big Bamboo was a featured article during those days. I still have it and it is dear to me as if I was in college, albeit, I would have to reread the booklet to remember how to use the beast. LoL!!


BC1
Jim

[Art K]

I did recognize the volt meters though not the brand. I inherited my dads Realistic (Radio Shack) VOM. I did recognize the slide rule right off the bat, though not because I ever learned to use one. As I understand the story my grandfather started a few years at the Milwaukee School Of Engineering. Then the depression hit, he ended up an expert welder. But he could help you with math problems, and solve them with the slide rule before you could turn on the calculator.
Art

[Kim]

So, several months into the flood, Noah looked around and saw that while he started with two of each animal in the ark, there were now more.  Where there'd been 2 crocodiles, now there were three. The two bears had two little bear cubs.  Two rabbits were now fifty rabbits.  But he couldn't help but notice that there were still only the two original snakes in one cage.  So, being a little worried that he'd brought defective snakes on the ark with him, Noah asked God about it.  God said "Make a table out of logs of gopher wood, and place it the cage with the snakes."  Noah didn't understand this at all, but being obedient, he went into the arc's shop and knocked out a nice table and put it in the cage with the snakes. And sure enough, a little while later as he was doing his rounds, Noah noticed that the snakes were now proud parents of a brood of baby snakes!   Noah said to God, "Wow!  That's amazing, how did you know that would work?".  And God replied "Everyone knows adders need log tables to multiply."

And that, my friends, is what I learned from my high school math teacher about slide rules.

Kim

[Robert Hornby]

When making the ribs for my model boat, Columbine, quite recently I actually purchased a flexicurv on line and used it extensively until all the ribs were made. I will probably never use it again but it was fun using something I used over 50 years ago.

[Daggers]

Spent my first 3 years at work and 4 years at technical college life using a slide rule every day. At work we were also each provided with a  desk mechanical comptometer.
In I think 1972 we were called to a office meeting and it was announced that the firm had purchased one of the first HP electronic scientific calculators. It was kept by the chief draughtsman and you need to ask if him when you needed it.
 Because we now had this electronic wonder we were told to return the comptometers to the stores, a lot of us still continued to use our  sliderules.

[Flyboy Jim]

I used a slide rule extensively in technical school (1964 to 1966) . Never after that. It's around here someplace.

In 1963 I built an Eico multimeter from a kit.

Jim