[Test-Equipment] Pickett N-515-T electronics slide rule

[Michael D. Harmon]

Hi All,

That brings back memories!

Back in 1969, I was at the Kansas City FCC office to take my First Phone 
commercial exam.  For those of you under 35-40, back in those days, you 
had to possess a First Class Radiotelephone Operator's License to work 
as a chief engineer at any broadcast station.  The tests were only given 
at FCC offices (as were General, Advanced, and Extra-Class amateur 
license exams).

Of course everyone brought a slide rule to the exams, because there was 
a lot of math, and pocket calculators didn't exist back then.  The FCC 
examiners always asked to see all slide rules before the exam session 
began.  Anyway, one guy came striding into the exam room with his 
CIE/Pickett electronics slide rule in the leather case slapping his leg 
with each step.  As soon as a few of us saw the "Cleveland Institute of 
Electronics" logo on the case, we all chuckled under our breath.  The 
guy obviously didn't realize that the examiners inspected every slide 
rule, because as soon as the guy asked to see his slide rule, all the 
color drained out of his face.  You see, the CIE/Pickett rules had a 
bunch of the  electronic formulas printed on the back of the rule.  The 
examiner gave him the option to either forfeit the use of his slide rule 
during the exam session or leave.  He left.

I still have several slide rules - my old Pickett N803-ES, a K&E  4081-3 
which belonged to my late wife (a chemist), and a cheap plastic 
one-sided Acu-Math.  I haven't used any of them for years, but I'd never 
part with them.  They're remnants of a different time, a different 
technology, and perfect examples of tools which were made to last a 
lifetime.  When I was in college in the Sixties, most professors 
wouldn't allow you to use slide rules on tests.  Everyone had their CRC 
handbook and were required to use log tables for all calculations.  
"Slide rule accuracy" (3 significant digits) just wasn't precise enough 
to satisfy them!

My two cents worth ... 

Mike, WB0LDJ
mharmon at att dot net

Oh, BTW, try Walter Shawlee's excellent slide rule reference pages at 
http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html