Old timey calculators

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Strictly Surveying

Last Post by shelby-h-griggs-pls 4 months ago

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Bruce Small

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The old days - hand crank calculator

Not the Curta, but a hand crank that came in a carrying case (like a mini suitcase). You could do square roots in a complicated manner by holding down keys. I so wanted one in the early days before electronics. Anyone know the name of the unit? I've been telling my wife about my good old days of surveying.

Posted : May 24, 2026 2:04 pm

GaryG

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http://www.vintagecalculators.com/

Posted : May 24, 2026 3:10 pm

jhframe

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Ask Dave Karoly -- he's a bit of a collector.

Posted : May 25, 2026 7:57 am

Landbutcher464MHz

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Wow that brings back some memories. I started in the Forest Service from 1962 to 1965. 5 man crew staking timber access roads in the Montana mountains between Livingston and Yellowstone Park. At night the 5th man, an RCE did traverses and dirt quantities on a MonroeLN-160X. I volunteered to help and got real good at keying numbers, turning the cranks and flipping the carriage.

He also had a new Curta that none of us got to touch. He used it every Monday to reduce the sun shot for a bearing on our last traverse leg. It was our only check for errors on the traverse. A truely great learning experience and was paid $85 a week plus $5 a day per diem because we lived in a trailer in the woods 10 days on and 4 days off.

Posted : May 25, 2026 12:57 pm