[Amps] The Philosophy of Science

[Conrad G0RUZ]

As far as your 12-digit calculations based upon your 4 digit DVM readings -
the 8 least significant digits are garbage (or at least 7 of them are -
let's
not get into issues about so-called 1/2 digits.)

Keep your slide rule on hand for when your calculator battery dies. If you
use solar powered ones (which I do finally) then you should also keep it on
hand for when the sun wobbles out of orbit, or we do.

I think that I must be missing the point here, all this talk of exact and
accuracy. I have to say that I, and all my University lecturers
wholeheartedly agree with David Kirby on the accuracy issues. It's all a
fairly moot point because many have been there and done the calculations
before and found that these 'ballpark' calculations with empirical 'tweaks'
work well. Of course there have been mistakes in previously published
designs and copying without knowing what is going on is a recipe for
disappointment. At some point you have to get your hands dirty and build
things before you can get a feel for what will work and what will not,
otherwise we may well wobble out of orbit before anything gets built.

Or am I being a simpleton, luddite, optimist or ?????????

Regards

Conrad G0RUZ