On Amazon, I just found a collection of 2023 reprints of old Logarithmic Table books. There were many available. I bought a reprint copy of "Six Place Logarithmic Tables" originally published in 1922.

This was how engineering was done prior to computers.

Real deep nerd stuff.

I used those years ago. Then I went high tech.

Slide rules are also cool. I've got a few old ones.

I wonder if anyone currently makes high quality slide rules.

And God said “ Go forth and add logarithms!

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
On Amazon, I just found a collection of 2023 reprints of old Logarithmic Table books. There were many available. I bought a reprint copy of "Six Place Logarithmic Tables" originally published in 1922.

This was how engineering was done prior to computers.

Real deep nerd stuff.

1990…Third Class Year (Sophomore)…United States Merchant Marine Academy… Learning Logarithmic tables in order to calculate celestial distances and navigate prior to GPS. In celestial navigation, you “adjust” time and distance to place the celestial bodies i.e. stars, measured in the distance of light years on the surface of the earth.

Then, CAPT Doug Hard, Master Mariner, “if you successfully complete my class, you can navigate anywhere in the world without a calculator…if you don't, you should not be here…” or words to that effect…Haha!

WOW - that brings back some memories. Navy Nuclear Power School - 1973. Thanks for that one.

SPSHOOTER

quote:

Originally posted by Redleg06:
I used those years ago. Then I went high tech.

When I was in engineering school the CRC Handbook was THE book for log and trig tables. I still have mine, but it’s a safe queen.

When I was studying chemistry in college I found an anecdote about an astronomer, maybe Tycho Brahe, who had observations for various stars but he had to wait some years for a mathematician to calculate the logs up to high numbers needed for the measurements.

I remember the good ol' CRC well though I used the HP 48G in college. I left the batteries in the HP and those corroded the leads. Damned stupid thing to do.

Sounds like some exciting reading.

My brother, a long-retired engineer, bought one of the first scientific pocket (albeit a pretty large pocket) calculators, an HP35 IIRC. It cost some $400, a lot of money circa 1973-74. One today is probably a tenth of that.

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
Slide rules are also cool. I've got a few old ones.

Me too.

I've got a small k&e next to me now that used to be my father's back when he was studying to become an EE. That was back in the '50s.

I still have my yellow aluminum Pickett slide rule from high school, my K&E from college and two small ones from my father - a 10" one by Engineering Instruments, Inc. and a 6" one he received from the Southern California Professional Engineering Association.

I grew up in an age where there were already calculators. Slide rules are some kind of voodoo that looks to be deposited here by aliens. Since I'm somewhat an old guy, I'd say that only REALLY old guys know how to use one. Too bad. This is how we collectively forgot how to build pyramids or walk Mo'ai on Easter Island.

I was in high school when my father gave me a copy of Six-Place Tables by McGraw-Hill, seventh edition published in 1947 (I got it much later). It was before my first slide rule, and it was an epiphany that opened my eyes to the fantastic things I could do with mathematics. Besides the tables it has many trigonometric and other formulas.

I figure that when the electromagnetic world goes dark and the few slide rules lying around in old drawers aren’t precise enough, I’ll sell it for my fortune.

Oh yeah, much later I got a CRC version as well.