[ale] Engineering Archaeology

Tue Jan 20 12:36:37 EST 2026

Accidentally did that with an oudin coil I built as a transformer for the
power supply of an x-ray tube I built in high school. It seems I skipped
that part about "shielding to avoid blocking out all radio frequencies for
about a 5 mile radius". I got paid a polite but rather firm visit from the
FCC with clear directions on adding the required shielding called for in
the Amateur Scientist article in Scientific American.  Oops.

My dentist at that time donated a lead apron for me to wear while x-raying
everything onto photograph paper. Fun times!

-- 
James P. Kinney III

Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain
at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail.
It won't fatten the dog.
- Speech 11/23/1900 Mark Twain

*http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/
<http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/>*

On Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 12:12 PM jon.maddog.hall--- via Ale <ale at ale.org>
wrote:

> > I'm guessing the statue of limitations has been exceeded his crimes.
>
>
> when I was in electronics class at Dulaney Senior High I built a
> transmitter that jammed all the car radios for about 15 minutes in
> Lutherville, Maryland in 1967.
>
> There!  I got it off my chest!
>
> md
>
>
> > On 01/19/2026 4:00 PM EST James Taylor via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I'm guessing the statue of limitations has been exceeded his crimes.
> >
> >
> > >>> lollipopman691 via Ale <ale at ale.org> 01/19/2026, 03:51 PM >>>
> > Whoa! IIRC, launching model rockets against ground targets was
> > explicitly verboten.
> > And in fact still is (
> >
> https://us-west-2.protection.sophos.com?d=nar.org&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmFyLm9yZy9jb250ZW50LmFzcHg_cGFnZV9pZD0yMiZjbHViX2lkPTExNDEyNyZtb2R1bGVfaWQ9NjY5MjM0&i=NjNjODRjNjNlNGJiYjI0YTFlODE3NGI4&t=dVRWcnlEQXo4SnQyUE1WM1ZITFhpUXA0M0puemloWTNTQ1dMY25maUZwcz0=&h=e4eaceae79c84a5c9816f97941cea988&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVYdBQ9j-wR-KkxEPPIPFbQnjFT3tdStWDhWBd8Fyu51Wg
> > ), NAR Rule 8.
> >
> > GFY!
> >
> > - CHS
> >
> > On Monday, January 19th, 2026 at 3:26 PM, Jim Kinney
> > <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I kicked down the door barring the use of calculators in the classroom
> > in high school.
> > >
> > > Sorry. My bad.
> > >
> > > I had a TI-99-4a that supported the magnetic cards to hold up to 100
> > steps. So I demonstrated that I had to know the math to code the math.
> > Then I got the plug in modules. I think I had trig and physics/mechanics
> > modules and maybe another. It was 1979 and those brain cells are long
> > dead.
> > >
> > > I do recall using the cards and the physics pack plus the Estes model
> > rocket engine thrust curve data set to lock in my launch rod angle to
> > put my evil scientist model rocket baby ballistic missiles where I
> > wanted them to hit. Heavy rocket, light engine. Not trying for apogee
> > but for repeatability of low-flight launch.
> > >
> > > Muahahaha!!
> > >
> > > Still looking for minions.....
> > >
> > > --
> > > James P. Kinney III
> > >
> > > Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you
> > gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his
> > own tail. It won't fatten the dog.
> > > - Speech 11/23/1900 Mark Twain
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://us-west-2.protection.sophos.com?d=heretothereideas.blogspot.com&u=aHR0cDovL2hlcmV0b3RoZXJlaWRlYXMuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLw==&i=NjNjODRjNjNlNGJiYjI0YTFlODE3NGI4&t=dklQeGVjbWR0YXI0RFB4cE10S1NlOHlUMUxVemY3Uyt6OWxYVXp5eVIzRT0=&h=e4eaceae79c84a5c9816f97941cea988&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVYdBQ9j-wR-KkxEPPIPFbQnjFT3tdStWDhWBd8Fyu51Wg
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 12:25 PM lollipopman691 via Ale <ale at ale.org>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >> I believe I am the last generation to actually use a slide rule in
> > class. College class of 1980.
> > >>
> > >> BTW all numbers in OpenSCAD
> > (
> https://us-west-2.protection.sophos.com?d=openscad.org&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuc2NhZC5vcmc=&i=NjNjODRjNjNlNGJiYjI0YTFlODE3NGI4&t=WXFWTnd0NXVocGhmY3NjRzBjSUFNNUlNc1RTRWpsUVd2QmRiZmtjR0Ztdz0=&h=e4eaceae79c84a5c9816f97941cea988&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVYdBQ9j-wR-KkxEPPIPFbQnjFT3tdStWDhWBd8Fyu51Wg
> )
> > are 64 bit IEEE floating point. I just gave an OpenSCAD talk to DC404 (
> >
> https://us-west-2.protection.sophos.com?d=dc404.org&u=aHR0cHM6Ly9kYzQwNC5vcmc=&i=NjNjODRjNjNlNGJiYjI0YTFlODE3NGI4&t=QWJBUVV5b09PdTFqN0FUWGRwekxLVE93WCsvVy9FSmVRajV0cnBSdis3Yz0=&h=e4eaceae79c84a5c9816f97941cea988&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVYdBQ9j-wR-KkxEPPIPFbQnjFT3tdStWDhWBd8Fyu51Wg
> > ). Pretty Fun.
> > >>
> > >> -- CHS
> > >>
> > >> On Sunday, January 18th, 2026 at 11:51 AM, Jeff Lightner via Ale
> > <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> I owned a slide rule in high school but electronic calculators were
> > around by the time I was a senior so I was never terribly proficient
> > with it.
> > >>>
> > >>> The well to do kids were buying the high end TI calculators but I
> > could only afford a model with basic functionality. It weighed a lot and
> > the battery didn't last long. That was back in the days they would blank
> > the display after a few seconds of inactivity, trying to preserve
> > battery.
> > >>>
> > >>> It was just as well though. In my math and science classes we
> > weren't allowed to use devices when doing calculations on tests so it
> > forced me to do things by hand.
> > >>>
> > >>> Later in my hospitality/accounting career they initially didn't have
> > electronic or computerized systems early on. Many of the financial books
> > and reporting I did were done by hand. As time went by electronic
> > systems appeared and quickly evolved to computerized systems. I always
> > had to laugh when the computer went down as co-worcouldn't check people
> in or out. I explained that hotels actually
> > existed long before such systems so it was in fact possible.
> > >>>
> > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>> From: Ale ale-bounces at ale.org On Behalf Of jon.maddog.hall--- via
> > Ale
> > >>>
> > >>> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2026 1:44 PM
> > >>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts ale at ale.org
> > >>>
> > >>> Cc: jon.maddog.hall at gmail.com jonhall80 at comcast.net
> > >>>
> > >>> Subject: Re: [ale] Engineering Archaeology
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> "If we applied such logic to when we were starting out - "slide
> > rules work just fine, don't need no electricity, storage, keyboards,
> > monitors, etc."
> > >>>
> > >>> Slide rules are an interesting example. Stop and think about the
> > incredible application of logarithms being painted on two sticks, then
> > slide those sticks back and forth to be able to multiply two numbers via
> > adding two logarithms of them.
> > >>>
> > >>> Genius.
> > >>>
> > >>> And a fine example of analog mathematics being able to solve
> > engineering issues.
> > >>>
> > >>> Usually only used to calculate to three levels of precision, they
> > were "good enough" to do the calculations in an age where three levels
> > of precision was about all we could do in any type of
> > manufacturing....so why calculate to any greater precision, whether you
> > are manufacturing a door knob or a bridge?
> > >>>
> > >>> Fast forward to floating point arithmetic in a computer. How many of
> > us have fallen into the trap of trying to "equate" two floating point
> > numbers, only to realize that "two" really has a value of
> > "1.999999..something-mumble"
> > >>>
> > >>> When I was teaching at Hartford State Technical College in 1975 the
> > school store was cleaning out their inventory and found about ten
> > beautiful "Aristo-Multilog Slide Rules", still in their box, complete
> > with leather carrying case and instructions.
> > >>>
> > >>> The store was selling them for five dollars each, down from their
> > original price that was probably close to 100 dollars. I bought all ten,
> > then gave them out as prizes to good students, showing them how to use
> > them and explaining the significance in computer science. I have two
> > left.
> > >>>
> > >>> I did not expect the students to become as expert at using the slide
> > rule as I was, but I was happy to see that they understood the
> > significance of the lesson
> > >>>
> > >>> md
> > >>>
> > >>> > On 01/10/2026 8:36 PM EST Ron via Ale ale at ale.org wrote:
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Jeff Lightner via Ale wrote on 2026-01-10 14:50:
> > >>> >
> > >>> > > In my later years when I would speak to people about “the old
> > days”
> > >>> > > and things such as RS232-C and/or Hayes modem commands I
> > realized
> > >>> > > that while it was likely true I’d forget much of the detail it
> > >>> > > didn’t mean younger folks would never know more than I’d
> > forgotten.
> > >>> > > They would instead have no need for what I’d forgotten (for the
> > most
> > >>> > > part) and eventually would learn things I’d never learn.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Insightful comment.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Of course, usual disclaimers of "not everyone, not always, not
> > >>> > everything" apply:
> > >>> >
> > >>> > The "kids today" are learning lots of great new things and pushing
> > >>> > boundaries in new directions. They're exploring new ways to do
> > stuff
> > >>> > and aren't sold on "we've always done it this way, so we should
> > >>> > continue to do it this way".
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Too often I see that attitude by other, fellow tech old-timers.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > If we applied such logic to when we were starting out - "slide
> > rules
> > >>> > work just fine, don't need no electricity, storage, keyboards,
> > >>> > monitors, etc." - I'm sure most of us would've found it
> > unconvincing.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Let them have their chance, some ideas will work, some won't, and
> > it's
> > >>> > their world now.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Anyway, appreciate the thought provoking post.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > _______________________________________________
> > >>> > Ale mailing list
> > >>> > Ale at ale.org
> > >>> >
> >
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> > >>> > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > >>> >
> >
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> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> _______________________________________________
> > >>> Ale mailing list
> > >>> Ale at ale.org
> > >>>
> >
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> > >>> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > >>>
> >
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> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Ale mailing list
> > >> Ale at ale.org
> > >>
> >
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> > >> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > >>
> >
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