The Most Powerful Computers You've Never Heard Of
This video is a fascinating insight into the comparison between analogue and digital computers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgF3OX8 … mp;index=2
mentions analogue machines including the Differential Analyser  and the Norden bombsight, and digital machines, Eniac and Colossus amongst others.

The trend is back to analogue computers for some applications, now that transistors in chips are getting to atom sizes, and digital circuit complexity will have to stop increasing exponentially.

The Ankathera mechanism is mentioned at the start, but that is only a moment's into.

Alfred, now the  way we enter and view the material in posts has settled, somewhat, I would like  the  addition of "Undo/redo last entry" as  arrows on the tool bar.

I know they are available as keyboard shortcuts, but I like them on the toolbar.

[Moderator note: Split from ‘Welcome!’ topic]

This is for aficionados of Bizarro, others need not reply, or even bother reading.

Alfred, todays Bizarro has 13 objects, of which I can find 12. The one that logic tells me ought to be there, but which I can't find, is the eye.

If you can be bothered, can you see all 13, or at least the eye?

For those who don't know, the Bizarro comic strip picture(s) hold hidden objects, from a range defined  somewhere, I have forgotten where. The weekday strips usually contain up to about 7 objects, but the Sunday strip is usually one picture, in colour, and there are more objects thsn in the weekday strips. The number in each day's strip panels is shown just by the Bizarro signature - you have to look for it.

I am appealing for any help or advice about the cause of ripples and turning off soon after apparently OK lighting up of a brand new T12 8foot fluorescent tube, in an older normal industrial fitting - fitting has been working for years..

After a decent interval, this thread, if not entirely appropriate for this  forum, could be  deleted.

Thing is, I've never come across a fault like this..
I'm sure it's the choke as disconnecting the capacitor has no effect - I think it's only there to minimise power factor, and I suppose, limit interference.
The starter is also not responsible - it does its job of getting the tube to strike, and can be removed while running with no effect - it shouldn't be drawing any current while tube is conducting - surely?

The tube comes on, works fine for a short time - say, a few minutes.  Then ripples start gently and then violently, and have an effect something like waves of light down the tube. They are not like the normal tube failing  with momentary intermittent light & dark bands.

I wonder if any of you engineering types have come across the sort of fault before. What should I look for if I decide to test the choke?

I am annoyed because the existing tube was acting up, and knowing how hard it is to find obsolescent T12 8' tubes, I actually found a local supplier and bought two. This set me back £22 each plus vat, and then to fit one and find it was the fitting - well- you can imagine.

In the end,  as I did have another fitting in another room, I mounted that in place of the faulty one, so there is no urgent need to do anymore. But my curiosity remains..