Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2019 August 12

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August 12

Computer memory (punched card voting systems)

Hi, I'm reading some articles about these voting systems, it's not the first time I write about it, but it all arouses me no one knows why one more than a fair curiosity. Regarding these systems, did computers connected to machines have a database inside them containing all the voters registered in their respective districts? For example, wanting to mention a county in the case, Palm Beach; each district of that county, had a list of voters registered on the same computer? Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 09:06, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

When you go to vote, the election officials have a list of the qualified voters at that precinct (assuming that's what you mean by "district"). So in order to vote, you have to identify yourself. The specifics of that process vary from state to state. The main point being that the database is for confirming eligibility to vote. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:10, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

Thank you very much, sorry I meant district; in the USA this is the correct term. Thanks again! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.41.100.198 (talk) 09:45, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

In the USA, land is divided into districts for representation. Each member of the House of Representatives represents a district. Within the districts, there are precincts. Some districts are small enough that there is only one precinct. Some are large or straddle other forms of political boundaries and are broken into multiple prectincts. My district has four precincts because there are three cities overlapping the district and an area ouside the cities. The ballot in each precincts is slightly different because they include city measures. However, when I lived in another state, everyone in the district was in the same precinct. When you checked in, you were given a ballot customized to your home address. That is how they handled the addition of various city or county measures. Therefore, for many people, the distinction between a district and a precinct makes no sense and the two terms are interchangeable. Also, because my experience is limited to three states, there are likely other uses of precincts in other states that are radically different that what I've experienced. 199.164.8.1 (talk) 13:44, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

In North Carolina, where I live, there are various levels of districts (US House District, State House District, County Commissioner District, School Board District, and many others). Generally, you get a customized ballot for your address based on where you live. Because we have open early voting, you can vote at any voting location in your county if you vote early; if you vote the day of the election you can only vote at your designated precinct. I have voted early for the past several election cycles, so I'm not sure what happens if you vote the day of, but when you vote early, there are a few dozen pre-printed ballots on a shelf that have a place to put a bar-coded sticker. When you enter the voting location, they confirm your name is on the rolls, check which ballot you are supposed to get based on your address (which will be some combination of all of the various races your address is allowed to vote in) and then affix your pre-printed sticker to your ballot. We use optical mark recognition ballots, so you take this now stickered ballot with your name and barcode on it and fill it out. They have private booths with pens in them if you'd like to vote in private, or you can just fill it out at a table if you'd like. Then, there's an optical scan machine that scans the ballot; on the front of the machine is a ballot counter that increments by 1; right before you feed your ballot a worker standing there asks you to assure your ballot causes the machine to increment its counter. When that is done, they give you a sticker that says "I VOTED" and then you leave. AFAIK, your name is not attached to your specific vote in the voter databases; two databases are kept separately. There's one that logs that you voted, without any information on who you voted for; just that you checked in at the voting site. The other tabulates the votes anonymously for the various races. We do optical scanner voting because the paper copy of the ballot serves as a means to allow a manual recount in the case of malfunction, hacking, or legal challenge. That process may be unique to my state; I'm sure it is different all over the US, but that's how we do it here. --Jayron32 14:11, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

When precisely were Pacers scrapped in Iran?

The Pacer train (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacer_(train) )was sold by the UK to Iran in 1997, before being retired by the Iranians in 2005 (they still run on British services to this day). Can anyone find the precise date that Iran scrapped their Pacers? 51.9.138.192 (talk) 12:06, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

@Redrose64:, can you answer this? Mjroots (talk) 05:30, 14 August 2019 (UTC)

This forum thread has a dead link to a photograph of an apparently in-service Pacer 141 in Tehran, dated 9 October 2005. It also lists the numbers of the 12 units supplied to Iran - our article just says "many". I realise this is not a reliable source but may be a start for further research. Alansplodge (talk) 16:47, 14 August 2019 (UTC)

How to retrieve an item accidentally dropped in a solder pot

Hello,

We have an automatic soldering machine, which contains a somewhat large pan filled with melted solder (when the machine is on). We worry that it's possible to accidentally drop an item into this pot while working with the machine. is there anything that is typically used for item retrieval in a situation like this? Obviously, it would need to be something that can withstand the heat involved. My best solution right now is to get a dross collector and hope that either the item floats on the top or that we can scoop it from the bottom with it.

216.173.144.149 (talk) 15:24, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: Has anyone considered rigging a shield of sorts to minimize the likelyhood of such an accident? --Jayron32 15:50, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

I have an tool that could work, but unfortunately I don't know the name. It looks like a syringe, but it is all stainless steel, and when you press the plunger at the end, 3 hooks extend and are splayed outward from the tip, pointed toward the central axis. You then position those hooks around the object, release the plunger, and it is drawn back to the tip of the "syringe" by the spring. Does anyone have a name for this type of "grasper" ? This model is small, and designed to use with one hand to pick up screws and such, but I can easily imagine a much larger two-handed model. SinisterLefty (talk) 03:07, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

They're called 3-Pronged_Parts_Retriever or pearl catchers (not to be confused with an oystercatcher). 81.187.116.230 (talk) 19:12, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

Thanks. That's it. SinisterLefty (talk) 01:37, 16 August 2019 (UTC)

I won't link a specific website to avoid advertising a particular supplier, though these are very easy to find: Glass blowing tools are designed to grab and manipulate objects at temperatures far beyond that of solder. Blacksmith tongs will do the same thing, although not as gently. Both have inexpensive options if you don't intend to regularly destroy them. Although I agree with Jayron that prevention is probably better for this. If you're at a business or school, presumably you have some access to safety professionals you can ask about this, and whether you're even allowed to go fishing for stuff in there. I don't imagine people should be getting all that close to a large pan of molten metal anyway. Someguy1221 (talk) 03:23, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

This. The question itself is kind of worrying... why are you carting around stuff above a vat of molten metal? I'm not an expert, but maybe not doing that would be the thing to try? Failing that, a lid maybe? Matt Deres (talk) 15:21, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

They aren't carting it around, it's under an automatic soldering machine. Presumably it's not where people will fall into it, but a small component (maybe something it was soldering that broke off) could find a way in. Removing this component could be done for several reasons beyond reusing it. If the solder is to be reused, you don't want random junk in it. And it would be helpful to identify the component which broke off, to isolate the problem in the manufacturing process. SinisterLefty (talk) 15:32, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

Yes, the machine is much smaller than some of you are thinking about. Not the type of size someone could fall into. Think more about a smaller machine that can fit on a (sturdy) table. 216.173.144.149 (talk) 13:38, 19 August 2019 (UTC)