Recommend a good pocket calculator

[homebrewed]

What do you do if the angle is given to you in mils and you wish to convert it to degrees?

If you're talking about a change of Y mils over a distance X: angle = atan(Y/X).

 

[MozamPete]

My favourite so far is the old HP 32SII. Although only for desk work at my PC.

I got this one while still in school - about 1990. It is still absolutely spotless.

I had one of those back in the early 90's and loved it, but it was stolen after a couple of years and when I went to replace it it had been superseded by the 48G which I got and still use every day. But I did like the form factor of the 32S better.

I'm getting older and so used to it now I have been looking on ebay, etc for a spare in case something happens to it (before they become 'collectable' and too expensive)

 

[whitmore]

Hey guys, I have several pocket calculators but none that's my go-to calculator.

Yeah, me too. I keep a few solar calculators (TI and Casio both are good) and a slide rule in the shop,
but when fingers are greasy... 'Siri, what is two plus two' will sometimes be the pocket calculator
interface of choice.

 

[Bamban]

When I was studying engineering we weren't allowed to use calculators only log tables and or slide rules, so I never bothered getting a serious calculator, on the odd occasion I need to do some calculations I use the calculator in my android phone , works good enough for me.

My friend, you are dating yourself. I still have my K&E sabre complete with the orange scabbard. Started school in 69.

 

[hman]

One of my more amusing memories, while a chemistry student at U of Texas, was seeing an (obvious) engineering student with a calculator case on one hip and a slide rule case on the other. That was in the early days of calculators, and battery life was limited.

 

[Bill_729]

If you're talking about a change of Y mils over a distance X: angle = atan(Y/X).

Not "miles", mils. There are 6400 mils in a full rotation. Mils were more popular in an era where it was desired to eliminate "fractions" of a degree, to simplify the math. On the average, you can express angles more accurately using mils rather than degrees, since 1 mil is about 1/18th of 1 degree. They are still the "norm" in some environments. My main point is that if you are willing to learn the math, you can work yourself out of more problems.

 

[Downunder Bob]

Not formally so for me, but the $400 for the first HP scientific calc (this was in the 70's) was an effective disqualification. The slide rule I had was good enough for what was needed. I remember a bucks-rich student using his calculator to give an answer down to 4 decimals (3.1412 or some such) , and the professor said that 3.1 was good enough. So much for $400 vs $40 (and that was for a fancy slip stick)

BTW I still have mine.

Me also, and I still occasionally use them.

 

[Downunder Bob]

My friend, you are dating yourself. I still have my K&E sabre complete with the orange scabbard. Started school in 69.

Whose dating themself now, I finished school in 59 started my apprenticeship in 60 finished that in 66, 69 I was studying to become a marine engineer.

 

[homebrewed]

And here I thought a "mil" was .001 inch. I've been making stuff wrong for years

 

[rock_breaker]

Excel spreadsheet then Casio fx 2200, The Casio is at least 30 years old, maybe more. Battery life is good. I have a couple of books concerning machinist data and I like the challenge of doing the research and calculations.
Have a good day
Ray