Anyone ever use a slide rule ?

[Kittitas George]

That 1st HP was $450, the last HP I purchased was less than $90, about 1992. It was programable and could put a man on the moon, I carried it in a pocket, WOW. I carried a small '3 ringed' book with formulas and button sequences for solving different problems, just 'plug in the numbers'. I had many memorable experiences, some very enjoyable, some terrible. I worked on huge construction projects, tunnels, setting machinery, accident investigations and a "sniper" murder investigation. Many opportunities came by, I have a pocket full of memories, not a pocket full of wishes. My vest and belt are hanging in the shop, my boots are greased, pack my lunch and I could be ready for work in 20 minutes. BUT, I'm not going, NO WAY!! Twenty two years of retirement isn't enough. I gonna pick up a new rifle today.

 

[Pawnee Bill]

Stop and think about all the engineering marvels that were built using the slide rule. Pretty amazing.

 

[okie]

I bought one when I entered engineering school in 1960 and graduated using it. I went to work in 1965 on the Saturn V moon rocket and that is what we had to work with, no hand held calculators. I still have that same slide rule and could use it if I had to today.

very cool

 

[K22]

Yes, I was a science major in college, and this was before there were electronic calculators. I used a slide rule extensively.

I confess I'm a dinosaur from another age.

 

[Ken]

I am a retired Civil Engineer. I got my degrees in 1969 and 70. We used Slide Rules for all our calculations. We had classes in advanced slide rule operation. It made our minds think about what we were designing or what we were calculating. We had to keep track of decimal places mentally. My two Civil Engineer sons didn't get the advantage of these mental exercises.
Anyway, yes I used a slide rule and still have it.

 

[divingin]

I did for a while (for the life of me, I can't remember why.)

As an aside, I took some flight lessons back in the 80's. The calculator used for figuring stuff out there was, at the time, called a wheel. It was essentially a round slide rule marked with aviation stuff.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I did for a while (for the life of me, I can't remember why.)

As an aside, I took some flight lessons back in the 80's. The calculator used for figuring stuff out there was, at the time, called a wheel. It was essentially a round slide rule marked with aviation stuff.

Yeah, the wheel was a big deal for me as I studied to become a pilot. Having already learned to use a slide rule, the wheel was easy enough to do all the flight calculations.

As far as my slide rule goes, I actually liked it better than my HP-35, though I could do a lot more and faster with the 35. I just really hated the way the 35's input was organized. That's probably why I still have my slide rule and not my 35.

 

[Steve Blair]

I just really hated the way the 35's input was organized. That's probably why I still have my slide rule and not my 35.

I dislike HP's syntax, too. Some years later, I bought a Texas Instruments Ti35X, which I still have and use.

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

Ah the K&E slide rule, brings back memories most of them good. During exams you also needed to know sin, cosn, tan values of several angles in order to solve some problems. No notes allowed only pencils, paper and of course an eraser.
Didn‘t have to worry about battery failure

 

[Steve Blair]

Stop and think about all the engineering marvels that were built using the slide rule. Pretty amazing.

I watched a documentary of the P38 Lightning development. One clip showed Kelly Johnson sitting at his desk, on a raised platform. in a room full of engineers working at standing, vertical drafting boards. One guy was doing a perspective rendering of the nose gear. These were not just engineers, but artists.

 

[kzin]

This is a very skewed audience for the question.

Lot's of old people with technical backgrounds in shooting.

I'm one too.
Yes, in HS physics long ago.

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

This is a very skewed audience for the question.

Lot's of old people with technical backgrounds in shooting.

I'm one too.
Yes, in HS physics long ago.

My grandfather worked on the Norden bomb sight @ Western Electric during WWII, was also a trap shooter in the 1915s +/-

 

[SEM]

only to hit myself with, just in case I thought to much

 

[hpshooter]

Still have the one my Dad gave me for my birthday in 1955. Plus several others accumulated over the years.
Getting ready to pass my first one on to a 12 year old grandson (with basic instructions).

 

[Fred Bohl]

I still have the slide rules I used in college (class of 1965). However, as soon as they became available, I bought an HP35 (serial #13) and have progressed to the HP48SX which I still use once in awhile.

 

[JEFFPPC]

We have gone from slide rules, to computers, to todays hs grads who can't count out the correct change when the register gives them the answer. Wonder what is next? Scary.

 

[itchyTF]

My grandfather worked on the Norden bomb sight @ Western Electric during WWII, was also a trap shooter in the 1915s +/-

My father also worked on the Norden bomb site at Bell Labs.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I had to learn how to use one. Not sure why as i had a TI-92 right next to it but i was required to buy both. Id like to have a real nice one to put on display in my office though.

 

[Mark W]

I came across one a while back and bought it for and Engineer friend.

 

[AckleymanII]

It was mandatory for us to use slide rules.

I remember when I saw the first hand held trig calculators, the price was $550. I made around $2 per hour at that time.