Right on Peter - I use heavy computer simulation packages today
compared to the old days when every thing was done with a calculator
(and a slide rule before that!!) but as you say if you don't have an
estimate of what the answer should be how can you confirm the number
FRED spits out is correct?
In schools today the kids are told that they don't need to be able to
do "add-ups and take-aways" but ot use a pocket calculator. My late
mother was a school teacher and bashed us around the head if we
couldn't do simple sums in our heads. How many people today get
ripped-off at supermarkets with the change because they can't perform a
simple subtraction in their heads - my gues is lots.
That's my 2cents worth and the soap box passes to the next reflectee.
John ZS5JF
----------
> From: Peter Chadwick <Peter_Chadwick@mitel.com>
> To: 'amps' <amps@contesting.com>
> Subject: RE: [AMPS] ARRL and QST
To: <amps@contesting.com>
> Date: 28 January 1999 11:52
>
>
> Jon says:
>
> >Gee, doing
> >circuit analysis by hand is archaic and can be done much more
> >efficiently. There are computer programs that can do it all much
easier.
> > No one does circuit analysis by hand these days it's all done on
> >computers.
>
>
> And unfortunately, it gets done wrong. Not because the computer is
wrong,
> but the model is. Then the guy doing the job doesn't recognise the
fact,
> because he doesn't think it through, and check the answers by means
of a
> rough calculation.
>
> A very profound statement was made an international standards
meeting:
>
> "Simulation is like masturbation: the more of it you do, the more you
prefer
> it to the real thing."
>
> Regrettably, there's too much design done that way now.
>
> 73
>
> Peter G3RZP
>
>
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