On 2010-10-19, NOYDB <ljlameres> wrote:

> Anyway I was wondering if anybody else does this or if I'm just an old
> geek. I started using a sliderule studying electronics in the '70's.

I used one in junior high and early high school, but hadda take a short
remedial class every year cuz, despite understanding the basic
concept, I could never remember which scales to use for which purpose.
When I studied electronics (correspondence course) in the service,
calulators where still prohibitively expensive. Four hundred dollars
for a four function LED calculator, the kind you now get practically
free in a box of cereal! So, being pretty good at math, I did it the
hard way, on paper. Hadda learn to find square root by long division.
Haven't even seen a slide rule since I was in HS in the 60s.

If I had my druthers, I'd prefer a Curta Calculator, which where only
about $100, new, back then. Now, they're so rare, I don't even want
to think what one would fetch. I actually had access to one for a few
weeks, back in about '61. Waaay beyond cool!

http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm

As for recipes, I can pretty much do conversions in my head. All but
baking recipes, which get tricky cuz the salt and baking soda/powder
measurements are not in direct proportion.

nb