Virtual Slide Rule

[pokerfan]

There are many virtual slide rules on the web. I think this simulation of the Picket N600-ES is one of the better ones. There's something deliciously perverse about using a modern 2+ GHz digital computer to simulate a slide rule.

http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/virtual-slide-rule.html">YAVSR: Yet Another Virtual Slide Rule

INSTRUCTIONS: Just click and drag anywhere on the rule to move the different pieces. To switch to the opposite side of the rule, click the Flip to Other Side button.

The slide rule that went to the moon! Pickett heavily advertised the fact that they were the official slide rule supplier to the Apollo program, and this model slide rule was apparently carried along on five Apollo missions. A nice little slide rule, the N600 features log-log scales rarely found on pocket rules.

Explanation of scales:

A, B - Two-decade logarithmic scales, used for finding squares and square roots of numbers.

C, D - Single-decade logarithmic scales.

K - Three-decade logarithmic scale, used for finding cube roots and cubes of numbers.

CF, DF - Folded versions of the C and D scales that start from π rather than from unity; by starting from π, multiplying or dividing by π (as is common in science and engineering formulas) is simplified.

CI, DI - Inverted scales, running from right to left, used to simplify 1/x steps.

S - Used for finding sines and cosines on the D scale.

T - Used for finding tangents and cotangents on the D and DI scales.

ST - Used for sines and tangents of small angles and degree–radian conversion.

L - Linear scale, used along with the C and D scales for finding base-10 logarithms and powers of 10.

LLn - Log-log scales, used for finding logarithms and exponentials of numbers.

Ln - Linear scale, used along with the C and D scales for finding natural (base e) logarithms and e^x.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Neat-o!

[wtmusic]

2. I'm kinda partial to bamboo Japanese POST rules

and the old Keuffel+Esser rosewood ones.

Are you familiar with the Oughtred Society?

http://www.oughtred.org/

[pokerfan]

3. I haven't been to that site in ages

Now it's back in my bookmarks. I have a couple of K&E rules from eBay. They were pretty much the Cadillac of slide rules. I graduated HS in '77 so I just missed out on the slide rule era. I was the science teacher's pet so I had access to the locked room, where I found a giant wall slide rule. I made him take it out and teach me how to use it. I've always had a fascination with calculating machines and keep a plastic Pickett in my glove box that I use for figuring my gas mileage. It draws looks and the occasional conversation at the gas pump.

[wtmusic]

4. Was the big wall model a Pickett replica?

I think we had that one at my HS too - big wooden yellow thing.

I'm a collector, I have about 80 of them from an 1867 Gunther slide (slide rule predecessor) to the last slide rule in production, a plastic Dietzgen model from the 70s. A few unique ones like a Post marked "Made in Occupied Japan", a turn of the century K&E electrician's model with electrical values on the slide, a "Smarty Cat" rule for children, Russian ones, Spanish ones, and a lot of junk.

Always been fascinated by them, and it's very hard to find people nowadays who know what they are much less how to use one. You used to be able to find them at garage sales etc but harder and harder.

[pokerfan]

5. Yeah, I think it was a Pickett

I think that the slide rule should be brought out in class when logarithms are introduced. It makes logs much more intuitive than just staring at a table of numbers.