1987 or so, I worked at a survey company. And I was talking to a well known surveyor in our professional community. There was a charity auction (benefiting the university survey dept) selling a Curta. I said I was going to bid on it. It was in margin condition. So my new friend said don’t!! It probably isn’t fully functional. 2 weeks later he stops by our company and gives me his type 2. In great condition. Obvious wear marks, case scuffed up, but otherwise perfect. Not a scratch on it. Never dropped, never stored improperly, in constant service for at least 15-20 yrs. He was that old! That was 30 yrs ago. Once or twice a year I run some numbers. I did have to clean and lube a thing or two, but… it works like the day it was delivered.

I like watching folks talk about their Curta's. I used to be a navigator in TSD rally's, but I was in the "pencil and paper" category (no dialing in miles per minute factors in a machine). I came across my Type I Curta in Arizona from a gentleman that used it to rally his Karmann Ghia. The case has a ding in it from when it fell off the dash (presumably during an abrupt maneuver). The calculator was unharmed, and other than mild wear is quite nice. The case ding gives it character and rather than a detractor it is a feature of its provenance. After watching I noticed you call yourself "IMSAI Guy". I built two IMSAI 8080's in high school (1977 & 1978 iirc). I got the double density memory boards for them with an additional 8k of memory to give the machines a whopping 12k total--more memory than anyone would ever need. My buddies and I have many great anecdotes surrounding those machines. Anyway, great video, so I decided to C3 DB (8080 hex instruction speak) and subscribe. Thanks for satisfying my inner nerd.

@IMSAIGuy

9 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/doB6q6SKYbrSnbg.htmlsi=W9ATIfUUmsHF74ej

Great story. I first heard of these through a William Gibson novel some decades ago, can't remember which one, a character is a collector. $5 at a yard sale...wow.

@Nf6xNet

Жыл бұрын

That's where I first heard of them, too. When I searched online to see if they were a real thing, I was pretty amazed that I had managed to miss ever knowing they existed! I don't have one yet, but I do have some mechanical cipher machines which I treasure just as much.

Very cool and I can follow your trail of fascination! Reminds me when I was in junior high school and went to the local college bookstore, where I bought my first log-log deci-trig slide rule. I was really excited and impressed by how precise the mechanism was, and how clear the markings were; and absolutely over the moon when I figured out what you could do with it! I would make up stupidly hard multiplication and division problems, just to get revenge on all the manual paperwork I had to do in school and to figure out my electronics problems! Even greater excitement came in 1973 when I got my HP-35; it was just so cool with its red LEDs and transcendental-functions. I was a junior in high school and they actually let me use it even though I was the only one that had one! I found myself calculating all manner of ‘what-if’ problems; you can teach yourself a lot doing that. Only to be topped 1976 when I bought an HP-67 which of course combined a programmable computer with magnetic-cards to store the programs. Funny thing Mark, I actually use all three to this very day and (other than a PC) have never bought any calculator type device since...

Be careful... Once you get more than 2 its hard not to become a collector. I know, I have 11...

Those are really neat devices! Very clever design. Didn't Techmoan discuss these, and show a 3D printed larger scale version? That would make a fun project.

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/nG2ptMWkeq_XfM4.html

Great story! As a young electrical engineer, I love hearing about the good ol days!

my dad has one that i hope to someday inherit. they are beautiful pieces of engineering

I remember checking eBay when that article came out in Sci-Am. I saw one offered for over $3000 (presumably because of a low serial number).

A thing of beauty... I just checked the online classifieds in my country, there is one for 5k PLN and another one for 7k. Ain't no chance to afford one...

they always had an ad in the back of Scientific American, and my parents were subscribers... someday...

Great story, now your viewers are racing to eBay looking for one; ME TOO...LOL

Good story. I had heard about these a long time ago, maybe in the early 80's? Never owned one. I have seen them on eBay but they were always way out of my price range ($500 or higher). Neat gizmos though. I bet there will be a flood of eBay searches now for these because of this video.

Nice story time, and impressive pepper grinders. I would love to own one some day, but I don't have enough "expendable" cash for such a purchase :D

first time i seen such a thing very interesting item indeed

Not surprising, but one W. Gibson first introduced a lot of people (me for one) to the Curtas.

Congrats on 1500!

Thank you so much for this video. I have enjoyed studying this wonderful piece of retro tech for a long time. It would be great to follow up with an in depth demonstration of the usage.

What a wonderful story and what a wonderful device! Thank you for sharing this. Cheers Mark

I have wanted one of those for years. I am so glad you have one. And that you are sharing it with the world.

Good grief! Glad they are in your hands. Hate to have some kid buy it for $5 and try to take it apart so they can figure out how iit works. They are said to be impossible to repair.

Great story, thanks. I love these old mechanical devices.

A google search indicates that "Gaynor and Co" is the name of an insurance company in Hollywood.

Thanks for the smiles.

Great story! 😀

Very cool. I've never seen one. You might compare their functionality to a slide rule.

@johncherry108

Жыл бұрын

No, you should compare the functionality to an adding machine because that's all they do: multiplication and division are achieved by repetitive addition and subtraction. There are no scientific functions. Don't get me wrong though: my Type II is a prized possession used by my father in his job as an accountant in the sixties. What impresses is the internal mechanical activity when you crank the handle.

Never heard of these before, but they look pretty cool.

the land of opportunity!! cool story 4 such a hot item!

I also have a Type 1 and Type 2. They are the most favorite things that I own although my Tamaya sextant and Questar telescope are running a close second. My type 1 is also in pristine condition. It even has the original packaging along with the user's manual. My type 2 is in near perfect condition. The case is a little scratched up but the calculator itself is spotless. I think I am going to play with them all today including the sextant and telescope🤣

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

sextant and questar are things I've lusted after too

wonderful indeed. first i've seen these what an awesome "man toy"

He looks like my jack

calculator story was awesome. i collect VFD calculators , valve oscilloscopes etc

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

you might like this if you haven't seen it: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qahmztWcZdCZdqQ.html

Wow you have 3!?!❤ I wish I have one in the future

and how often do you actually use any of them? :)

You did a video of a while back about a diode with a 500 volt AC rating I'd like to get more information about that.

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

1N4007?

I think we all would walk around with slide rules in our pockets: they are a slim fit not such bulky peppergrinders ;-).

caltex university tube radio receiver telefunken with medium or big speaker

Way back when, Scientific American used to run advertisements for Curta calculators.

Any camera finds? I am a Minolta collector. Most are dirt cheap now. But I want a CLE with three lenses. And a 4x4 baby TLR.

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

there will a future video on a Minolta camera

@barrybogart5436

Жыл бұрын

@@IMSAIGuy I have most of them. And 25 lenses.

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

I have never seen anyting like that in my fifty years or so and I'm 70 that is so cool would you sell your collection LOL

I want an Antikythera mechanism instead.

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

if you find one for $500 let me know

@jimomertz

Жыл бұрын

@@IMSAIGuy You’ll be the first 😉

I'd love to have to one but I'm not spending that kind of money on a calculator. Someone from China needs to make a clone. Lol

My wife would say, why do you need 3 of them? I still couldn't answer whenever she asks me that kind of questions.

@IMSAIGuy

Жыл бұрын

you need 3 to break the tie!

@lmamakos

Жыл бұрын

Because I can't have 5 of them, of course!

@johncherry108

Жыл бұрын

Wives say things like that. If it was less functional and more ornamental she might think differently.

Now I know two people who have a Kurta. Jealous, not gonna lie. I'm too cheap to buy one.