[GreenKeys] OT: Mechanical Adding Machines

[Pete Lancashire]

Somewhere I have the USFS booklet that came with them, not needing a batter
was the big plus. They were doing tree density calculations of some sort,
lots of additions.

On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 7:58 PM, Bruce Gentry <ka2ivy at verizon.net> wrote:

> The Curta was in the endless ads in the back of most technical magazines
> in the 1960s. Most of us did not know what it was until a friend explained
> it and what it could do. We quickly dubbed it the math grenade. They sold
> for about $180 (about $1800 today), far beyond  the cut grass-pump
> gas-throw papers incomes of most high school kids at the time. I finally
> saw one in the early 80s, and got one of my own about ten years later. An
> accountant friend said he preferred it and refused to buy and use an
> electronic calculator for many years, it was quicker and never had a bad
> battery.
>
>        Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY
>
>
> On 11/6/17 9:56 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>
>>    Mine is a Model II. It was given to me by a friend. I had wanted one
>> ever since I saw my first one when I was about thirteen or fourteen. That
>> one belonged to one of my photography mentors. There is a good deal of
>> literature about them on line. I spent some time learning how to use it, at
>> least partially, but its not really a substitute for a slide rule let alone
>> an electronic calculator. It is essentially a mechanical adding machine.
>> Doesn't do roots or powers directly.
>>
>> On 11/6/2017 2:43 PM, acti at provide.net wrote:
>>
>>> Richard Knoppow wrote:
>>>
>>>> I sort of collect typewriters but I think calculators are more complex.
>>>> I do have a Curta, which is an amazing bit of engineering.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Wow... Lucky guy... Which type?
>>>
>>> OOC... Are there any Google/Yahoo groups or elists for Curta enthusiasts?
>>> I am interested in learning more about them.
>>>
>>> For coolness factor, I've always wanted to take a Curta to FIRST
>>> robotics events
>>> and use it there in the pits to freak out the students... But they're
>>> too rare,
>>> delicate, and expensive! (Would've been perfect last season.. A
>>> "Steampunk" theme.)
>>> Also... Considering most smart phones (and even my Dollar Tree
>>> "scientific pocket
>>> calculator" for $1) can do all that and more, I may have to "wait until
>>> I'm old &
>>> insanely rich with cash to burn" to afford to collect one.
>>>
>>> Speaking of mech calculators, decades ago my accountant dad had a Frieden
>>> [15 place, AC, mechanical] Calculator in his office. As a kid, I loved to
>>> tell it to divide something by zero and watch it merrily mechanically
>>> crunch
>>> away at it until you got bored and interrupted it... Great
>>> entertainment. (grin)
>>>
>>> I guess I'll have to be happy for now with my Interpolating Slide Rule
>>> and Napier's Bones set.
>>> .. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/NapiersBones.html
>>> .. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier%27s_bones
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> - Keith Mc.
>>>
>>>
>>
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