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Even older digital clocks worked that way. They counted the AC cycles. Built a digital clock in the '70 that did this. It kept excellent time when compared to National Bureau of Standards, now called the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The early chips did this as well. See http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/n... for one of the classic chips from last century. Boy that sounds funny!

Used is the way to go in Oscilloscopes. Engineers need to be "at one with their oscilloscope" therefore they tend to be very well cared for. The gold standard in used oscilloscopes is: http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/justscopes.html#catalog I can't say enough good things about this company, I have bought 4 different scopes from them. PM me on Reddit if you have any questions. (snarkyaardvark)

If anyone is interested, here are several links to downloadable ebooks and manuals for using slide rules:

• Instruction for Using a Slide Rule by W. Stanley
• Elementary Lessons for Operating the Slide Rule
• Downloadable Manuals

My only experience with using a slide rule was back in the 1960s in an 8th grade math class where we spent two weeks learning to use slide rules. We were just 8th graders, but were able to use a few basic features of something that was normally used mostly by scientists and engineers. Mr. Turner, our math instructor, even wore a small slide rule as a tie clasp. I suspect that the use of slide rules was something that probably was not normally taught to 8th graders.

Later on in Junior College, I once thought about possibly taking a 1 credit slide rule class, but didn't. That was in the days back before pocket calculators. In the College Algebra class our textbook had Log tables, a square root table and various other tables in the appendixes in the back which we used to get answers without a pocket calculator (or a slide rule).

I still have my dad's old Ivory and wood slide rule that he bought back in the 1950s and also a more modern plastic slide rule which I later purchased. I am plan to briefly brush up on how to use them just for the heck of it.

I read an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail about seven years back about this guy who runs a site - Slide Rule Universe - for getting slide rules of all ilk. He damn near makes a living off it. Who knew?

They're way too far into slide rules there. Gotta love 'em for it. I am not affiliated - just jealous.

After seeing the pics on the wiki and reading here: http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/howto.html I worked out the basics. The problem with the site in TFA is that A) the instructions suck ass, and B) even on my 1600x1200 screen I could only see the first result of my multiplication so no wonder I couldn't work it out as the answers weren't even on the screen.

Slide Rule Universe

I still have my trusty K&E (Keuffel and Esser) Deci-Trig sliderule http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/slide8/260-ke-slides.jpg/ - the one at the top - that my grandfather gave me as a high school graduation present. Really nice piece. Served me very well throughout college physics and chemistry courses. I also had a nice Japanese circular sliderule, but I have since misplaced it. Both of these lost face time when I bought an HP-67 programmable calculator...

Then I guess you haven't built your own yet, have you?

(website warning: fugly graphics design!)

Heh, you kids sure had it good. High tech for me was a BIC pen/spit ball shooter.

Daisy wheel? What's that?

LCDs??? Never heard of 'em

Love your site BTW...very inspirational.

If anyone's interested, there are several sites with instructions on creating your own slide rule.

http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/build.html

http://solar.physics.montana.edu/kankel/math/csr.h tml

etc.

http://www.uni-leipzig.de/urz/images/abacus.gif
http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/tubes3/600-nl-807.jpg
http://www.ti.com/corp/graphics/press/image/on_lin e/transistor.jpg
http://www.cs.uoregon.edu/resources/cisnews/v2i2/i lliac/Chip_Ant.jpg

And there are also analog wooden computers.

Sure thing! You can actually find quotes like this all over:

http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/artic les/fee/average.html

http://www.cei.org/gencon/029,03332.cfm

http://www.off-road.com/green/ecoquote.html

http://www.bloomington.in.us/~lgthscac/biblicalchr istianity'sdefinition.htm

If you copy one of those quotes into Google, you'll come up with a whole slew of good results.

Offtopic Stuff:
Always good to compliment the fellow slashdotter - the sliderule thing mentioned in your sig is awesome. I got a couple sliderules and read the Log-Log Duplex Decitrig Slide Rule Manual to learn how to use them. My plan was to use a sliderule in the classes where calculators were not allowed :)

Hopefully the sliderule will not go the way of the Abacus.. the symbols in the books that teach abacus algorithms are all forgotten; nobody knows how to use an abacus like we did at the beginning of the century. It took only 50 years of western influence (pencil and paper math) on Japan at the beginning of the 20th century for them to completely forget how to use it. Pretty amazing. Although we can at least read our former sliderule books, hardly anybody knows how to use them. And for a legitimate reason too: we have calculators.

Here is a link to the picture.
This is actually called a flight computer, not a slide rule. This appears to be a simple flight computer at that, it looks like it only converts between KPH, MPH, and Nautical Miles.
This is a more complex flight computer with instructions.

Try this link instead, lots of cool slide rule things.

Yup. You can even still buy them. I think there's somebody in Eastern Europe somewhere still making them, and there's an active trade happening here and here. The latter link also has s/w for a slide-rule emulator (though from memory I think it might be windoze-only).

Gaaa! Flashback to the 70s!
IIRC, these were originally manufactured by RCA, later by IEE (also mentioned in adjacent post). Google search turns up a bunch of links. This site has an IEE datasheet about half way down the linked page.

One neat thing about the Numitrons is that you could adjust the brightness by varying the supply voltage (incandescent filaments, duh!). Tokheim corp (?) used them in gas pumps... the displays were set to light up "brighter" during daylight hours.

An excellent source of information is located at Sphere Research Corporation's Nixie Page. They have datasheets, pinouts, excellent links and, yes, you can buy all manners of Nixies from 'em! Ken

Look here: Sphere's Nixie Tube Page

http://www.sphere.bc.ca. The page is horrible, though (forwarned). The first and lasting impression you get is that its completely covered with ads, and no content. In fact, there are no ads on the page. just bad design. But you can find 6", 10/12" and student (very cheap) rules easily.

There are hundreds to choose from... or if you want vintage, try an ebay for older Hamilton's or Omega's.

Bell & Ross
Oris
Breitling

There are even automatic watches with slide rules on them. Check out the slide rule watches HERE. Not sure if there are any autos on this page, but the shop near my house has a new one. Something about a watch with PI on it.