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From: roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: Alternate format for polar vectors on HP-48sx?
Message-ID: <1991Feb18.180809.20332@phri.nyu.edu>
Date: 18 Feb 91 18:08:09 GMT
References: <68AECD9100002ACF@gacvx2.gac.edu>
Sender: news@phri.nyu.edu (News System)
Organization: Public Health Research Institute, New York City
Lines: 18

I asked about normalizing vectors to [0,360) instead of (-180,180] and
TDSTRONG%MTUS5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Tim Strong) replied:
> is there a particular reason for wanting them that way?  Some strange
> calculation method or something?  Doesn't seem too hard when writing down
> answers to just add 360 to the HP result?

	I'm doing navigational problems.  The compass is marked off in 0 to
360 degrees, so it is disconcerting to add two vectors representing
distance and direction traveled and come up with an answer of "48 miles at
a heading of -95 degrees".  Sure, I can do the conversion in my head, but
it's faster and easier to let the machine do it.  It seems like such a
simple and common thing that I'm surprised the 48 doesn't do it.  Maybe
this is a good idea for those rev F roms? :-)
--
Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute
455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016
roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy
"Arcane?  Did you say arcane?  It wouldn't be Unix if it wasn't arcane!"