Charity Shop Bargain

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

One of these, for 50p

**LINK**

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/dr-dollars-clinometer-ex-british-coal-424773443

An elegant little device !

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

when you can have a talking clinometer on your phone why would you waste 50p

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by bernard towers on 01/03/2023 22:00:24:

when you can have a talking clinometer on your phone why would you waste 50p

.

1. Because in the aftermath of nuclear-armageddon ‘phones won't work
2. Because it’s nice
3. Because it’s “mechanical engineering” … do you remember that ?

MichaelG.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

That’s a very nice find Michael, I agree with your 1 to 3 list.

I would add that it saves putting expensive phones at risk or having dead batteries in electronic devices at the time of most need.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 01/03/2023 23:30:35

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by bernard towers on 01/03/2023 22:00:24:

when you can have a talking clinometer on your phone why would you waste 50p

He was following his inclination!

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by Hopper on 01/03/2023 23:29:12:

Posted by bernard towers on 01/03/2023 22:00:24:

when you can have a talking clinometer on your phone why would you waste 50p

He was following his inclination!

👍🤙

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I hope you were generous and gave more than 50p. You see it on FlogIt etc – bought for little and sold for lots – never heard of anyone going back to the shop and donating any more of their windfall.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Never seen one of those before, what a simple but clever idea, far more interesting than some app on a phone!

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Could be handy when staggering home from the pub ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 02/03/2023 06:37:42:

I hope you were generous and gave more than 50p. You see it on FlogIt etc – bought for little and sold for lots – never heard of anyone going back to the shop and donating any more of their windfall.

 

.

1. No likelihood of a ‘windfall’ …this was rescued from oblivion.
2. My relationship with various charities is not for public discussion.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. __ Apologies if I gave the wrong impression by linking the WorthPoint page !

It was simply the first decent picture and description that I located.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/03/2023 09:21:42

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Dave Wootton on 02/03/2023 07:49:19:

Never seen one of those before, what a simple but clever idea, far more interesting than some app on a phone!

.

Thank you, Dave … Very well-put.

I shared it here in the hope that people would appreciate that.

MichaelG.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Dave Wootton on 02/03/2023 07:49:19:

Never seen one of those before, what a simple but clever idea, far more interesting than some app on a phone!

Can't agree with that! Mobile phones are packed full of amazing technology, and the way they work is as complicated as it gets. In contrast, Michael's inclinometer is the exactly the sort of bygone I buy when I see one, but there's nothing challenging in the way it works – anyone with a basic workshop could make one.

The code that interacts with the phones touch-screen, accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope is difficult to write, the only thing that makes it affordable is software can copied billions of times at almost zero cost.

Unlike the inclinometer, mobile phone technology has changed society world-wide and continues to do so. Surely that's interesting?

Dave

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Much better than a smart phone, which I don't have!

Andrew.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 02/03/2023 09:57:26:

Posted by Dave Wootton on 02/03/2023 07:49:19:

Never seen one of those before, what a simple but clever idea, far more interesting than some app on a phone!

Can't agree with that! Mobile phones are packed full of amazing technology, and the way they work is as complicated as it gets. In contrast, Michael's inclinometer is the exactly the sort of bygone I buy when I see one, but there's nothing challenging in the way it works – anyone with a basic workshop could make one.

[…]

.

I am happy to see both sides of that ^^^

The ‘debate’ falls dead, because many of us are interested in BOTH how things were done, AND how things are done.

Dave’s pendulum investigation surely exemplifies that.

MichaelG.

[vic neweyParticipant @vicnewey60017]

I hate that Worthpoint site, they snaffle photo's off the web including Ebay and then want to charge a monthly fee to show you how much things sold for

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by bernard towers on 01/03/2023 22:00:24:

when you can have a talking clinometer on your phone why would you waste 50p

Because it still works after you've dropped it in a puddle or the batteries have gone flat. Same reason I always took map and compass when out fell walking.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

I can only agree that smartphones are amazing things, I use mine as a music tuner , photographic lightmeter, recording device, sat nav, and much more, but I have no idea how it all works, it's beyond me and my understanding, so I'm quite happy to accept it's clever and does what it does. But I do speak from the position of someone who still uses photographic film,a wind up watch and freely admits to being a dinosaur!.

But I did find Michaels device interesting, it's a simple to use, fairly robust,portable device that fits in the pocket and can survive life in a coal mine, not the best working environment for a complicated bit of electronic kit.

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

You wouldn't be allowed to take electronic kit down a coal mine

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

One thing that puzzles me about this inclinometer is the Worthpoint description connecting is use to underground coalmine railway systems.

My understanding of railway design is that locomotives can only work over a fairly limited range of gradients (except for rack or cable drawn) so why would a clinometer for mine use need to cover 90 degrees?

Ian P

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

As founding member of the dinosaur club Dave I invite you to join ! Somewhere on my travels I picked an ex military inclinometer 1917, and a railway starts to struggle at greater than 1:60 incline, even with sand boxes. Noel

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ian P on 02/03/2023 15:44:45:

One thing that puzzles me about this inclinometer is […]

.

Dr Dollar devised his Clinometer for purposes other than checking railway inclines … it just happened to be adopted by the Coal Board as a useful instrument.

**LINK**

http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/hazard/pdf/wl9915.pdf

I will post more if/when I find anything of interest.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ Wikipedia being often a good place to start: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Thomas_John_Dollar

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/03/2023 18:30:25

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 02/03/2023 18:25:29:

Posted by Ian P on 02/03/2023 15:44:45:

One thing that puzzles me about this inclinometer is […]

.

Dr Dollar devised his Clinometer for purposes other than checking railway inclines … it just happened to be adopted by the Coal Board as a useful instrument.

MichaelG.

But presumably useful for other purposes than checking rail inclines! The 1in 60 Noel mentioned is less than one degree.

Out of interest does Dollars device have a steel ball running in a curved track?

Ian P

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ian P on 02/03/2023 21:01:01:

[…]

Out of interest does Dollars device have a steel ball running in a curved track?

Ian P

.

Yes

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ian P on 02/03/2023 21:01:01:

[…]

But presumably useful for other purposes than checking rail inclines! The 1in 60 Noel mentioned is less than one degree.

.

Agreed

I think the moral of the story might be : Don’t believe everything you read on WorthPoint

MichaelG.

[Author]

Posts