Frank Evans and John Shilke contributed: >>Dear Frank (and all), >>You'll be amused to know that I use an astrolabe, a hand calculator >(Casio), AND a slide rule to do the calculations. Much easier than >programming, I think, but then I'm ancient, according to my children! > >Hello John (and all) >Also it's comforting to know that, deep inside, every pocket calculator >works in old-fashioned decimals and none of that absurd binomial >nonsense favoured by computers.
Perhaps even more absurd is that a C21st man should take pleasure in having just completed and calibrated a totally obsolete instrument viz a Mariners' Astrolabe which has lain on my bench waiting for its engraved scales for about a year! Why? Having been asked to make a repro' for a TV programme I saw pictures and just wanted to have, hold and use one! How can one explain these urges? The only solution was to make a personal repro' which weighs in at 11 1/2 lbs of bronze. JPEG on its way to my JPEG recipients soon and to others on request It's NOT for sale so this is NOT a commercial announcement.....but I do have the patterns for castings ;-) Tony Moss.
