What a glorious day in the wilderness for a linear regression problem or two!

[DemoTex]

Has Mac gone math mad? Perhaps. Remember the new vertical deviation scope that my boss brought out a couple of days ago .. the Bushnell with a Spi-Tronics digital level? Well, taxpayer, today you payed me to register elevations on known landmarks (Plot Butte, Mahogany Butte, Antelope Butte, Double-Vision Butte (my naming .. I'll explain later), No Name Butte 1, No Name Butte 2 (they will have names by the end of the week!)). I entered the known distance in as Y, and the found angle in as X, with N=12.

Now I can enter found angles (X) and solve for distance (Y) to the nearest .05 statute mile! It works well in my sectors from about NNW through SSW. I'll do 30-degree pie-shaped wedges for the western area of operations (AO), where there is a pronounced upslope to the Newberry Caldera. When I fine tune it, it will be a poor-man's DragonPlot for my AO. With my derived distance, and known azimuth, I'll be able to plot a "smoke" to the Township/Range/Section and quarter of the quarter section with far greater accuracy (lacking the $2500/yr DragonPlot program in this lookout .. two in our district have DragonPlot, and if they are not busy I can always call in my range and elevation for a DragonPlot solution from my LAT/LON).

Daddy says it all sounds like artillery spotting and registration from the hilltops in Italy in WW-II. An ex-marine (Viet Nam, Rock Pile, Arty FO), visiting the tower a couple of days ago said the same thing). Right twenty, drop twenty, FIRE FOR EFFECT!"

OK, as the sun sinks over the Newberry Caldera, I'll explain Double-Vision Butte. It ain't likker in the lookout. Plot Butte, almost due east, has Antelope Butte a mile behind it. Antelope Butte is slightly higher. They both have the same wavy undulations to their profiles. Under almost all daylight conditions (save an hour or so in late afternoon), I have to close one eye when I look at Plot/Antelope .. aka "Double Vision Butte.

[villager]

1. DemoTex, have you already won DU's "best summer job" contest?

n/t

[DemoTex]

2. If not, I am in the running ..

Thanks. I'll use this thread as a platform to remind all DUers that my main journal for this adventure is my DU Journal. Visit early and visit often. I want to be up there with Will Pitt on journal hits.

[dw1080]

3. Way off topic

I apologize for the intrusion. I just joined up with DU so I can't send a private email. By the way, I'm next door in Central Idaho and finding myself quite envious of you atop your perch.

My point. I came across this post of yours in April 2004:

"We had a PA&E (Pacific Architects and Engineers) guy in Nha Trang in 1970 who imported a 1970 Impala SS convertible through the Philippines. He loved to cruise Nha Trang, and up and down QL1 from Cam Rahn to Tuy Hoa, in his Impala SS rag-top. Beat that for civilians flaunting it in a combat zone. Idiots!"

Can you send me a private email so that I can let you know why this post is of great interest to me?

Many thanks,

DW

[Suich]

4. Welcome to DU, dw1080!

I don't think he can send you anything until you get your post count up a bit. So, post away!!!

:toast:

[DemoTex]

7. DW, make some more posts and then PM me.

I remember that post and I remember that PA&E guy. I would love to know why that interests you. It certainly interests me.

BTW: Just kick threads to get your post count up.

[dw1080]

9. Will do ... DW

[LWolf]

5. Can you see the Newberry Caldera from where you are at?

I spent every July for many years, when I was younger, right there.

Do you mean pilot butte? If you can see Pilot Butte, you can watch the fireworks (at a far distance) on the 4th.

[DemoTex]

6. No, Pilot Butte is in the city limits of Bend.

Plot Butte is about 40 miles SE of Bend.

[LWolf]

8. The only time I've ever been SE of Bend is when I've

hauled horses to the Idaho border; never any time to stop and look around, lol. How do you get a summer job like that? The way they're cutting teacher pay and the number of school days students get to attend school, I'm going to be looking for a second job for a few years to come.

[ShortnFiery]

10. Too Cool!

My daddy fought in the moutains of Italy during WWII, but not in ARTY. He and his combat engineers helped clear mine fields and build bridges for the 34th Infantry Division (Red Bull).

I'm jealous. I haven't "enjoyed" regression analysis since grad school. However, THE ONE and only TEACHING POINT that I remember during my AD brief introduction to ARTY (I was Stragetic SIGINT, 37B) was, "When calling in artillery fire do not ever (never!) say 'REPEAT' unless you mean it." :silly:

Lucky you. Enjoy!