How Long must this wait go on?

[MountainMan]

Jeff

Just join in on the conversations and it will make the time pass faster.   Although now days I want time to slow down.
Take care.
Dave

[R9SCarry]

[size=13] I think nobody has ever provided a satisfactory explanation about why the moon is so giant near the horizon.[/size]

Bill - I had always accepted the explanation that it was basically just an optical illusion - the proximity to a reference point etc.  Plus so often, showing thru a veil of clouds too gives that yellow look, exaggerating the effect.

I set camera on tripod a few weeks ago at full moon and used max zoom of 7:1 - then cropped out the moon image - was quite pleased considering no major ultra long lens.





Jeff - apologies for another thread hijack

`

[MountainMan]

nice Chris

[jarcher]

Bill - I had always accepted the explanation that it was basically just an optical illusion - the proximity to a reference point etc.

Exactly right.

[DTM_39]

Jeff    Thread made me check my paperwork it seems its been 5 1/2  years to get mine. It was a picture of what the gun was going to look like. (When they built one.) I always felt it was more important to get guns out to you guys so mine took a back seat.  I can tell you now that the factory is humming  and your wait shouldn't be to long.  I can also tell you that when you have an R9 in your hands you will forget all about the wait.

[Michigunner]

Chris,  That's a fine moon picture.   I'm amazed at the technology we have today.

I graduated from college just when Texas Instruments came out with an electronic calculator with little red numbers.  Of course, someone else had an electronic digital watch.

It was a sensation.

Bill  

[theirishguard]

You can now buy a watch that will figure hold over to a target out to 1000 yards.
I think I'm going to start selling them.
Tom

[R9SCarry]

[size=13] Texas Instruments came out with an electronic calculator with little red numbers.[/size]

Bill - me too!!  In fact I still have it somewhere.  IIRC I bought that for the equivalent of near $50 - way back in mid 70's - and it was the first real scientific, with three memories, stat's std deviation, linear regression - oh my - every darned thing

The lil' red LED digits ate batteries real quick - tho it was rechargeable - and in eng' mode I think would allow ^100 - certainly way more dec' places than the I think the ten or twelve display digits could handle.

[Michigunner]

Chris,

For certain dreary calculations, I used logarithm tables which were in the back of my American Practical Navigator, by Nathanall Bowditch.  It saved time on certain multiplies and divides.

Of course, today's calculators make all that stuff obsolete.

I sat down one day and calculated, should say, estimated the number of atoms in the known universe.  I assumed there were 100 million atoms lined up in one centimeter.

I forget the answer, but the calculator can have an exponent of 2 digts, I think, so 10 raised to the power of 99 should be more than the number of atoms.

I confirmed my own answer by using a search argument on Google.  It seems some other crazy guy had already worried about it.  

If I'm off a little, please overlook the error.  We are having a little bronchitis today.  Nothing at all serious.

Bill

[Michigunner]

Oh, I forgot to tell that I built a Heathkit calculator.

Can you imagine building a calculator today?

[sslater]

Now you guys have me going!
As I write this, my TI SR-56 is sitting right next to my HP Pavilion computer.  I had a Texas Instruments SR-50 with serial number under #9,500, but traded it in for the SR-56 because the -56 is programmable.  The first program I wrote for it was a future value calculation of my projected Social Security benefit at age 62 vs. what I'd have if I could invest the SS witholding myself.  Then I had the program add in the employer contribution.  Conclusion in 1972:  I was going to get screwed by having to invest that dough in Social Security.  I started collecting SS this year.  Know what?  My calculations were right.
BTW: The batteries for the SR-56 are dead, and the last time I checked replacements would cost more than a modern calculator of equivalent function!  But that's okay, the SR-56 sits in a drawer right next to my Pickett 12" slide rule which saw me thru engineering school.

[Richard S]

Bill:

I'm impressed!

I'm a history major with an English minor who went into the law.  My greatest achievements in the electronic field were to build a two-tube radio in high school shop class and to jury rig a bootleg connection into a local telephone system so I could keep in touch with my girlfriend from my tent at Boy Scout summer camp.  

[Chuck_S]

I sold my H8 last week.

-- Chuck

[Michigunner]

Steve,

You are a humdinger.  I used to get a kick out of programming those calculators, too.  They were a lot of fun.

I finally had to abandon the Algebraic Operating System found in the Texas Instrument brand, and begin using Reverse Polish Notation (RPN).  I use that exclusively now.

You probably recall that it is never necessary to hit the Equals key.  You enter the first number, then press <enter>, the next  number, operation, number, operation, etc.

Of course, the HP brand did have superior physical qualities over my TI calculator, so that encouraged me to switch.

Bill

[Michigunner]

Richard,

You are also a humdinger.  Making a radio is indeed fun for a youngster.  To have it work afterward, is akin to magic!

I think many of us tapped into the old phone systems in the past.

Making my first radio led me to get an amateur radio license.  I have talked with 303 different countries, and received confirmation back in the form of a QSL card, which is post card size.

Bill