Machinists RPN Calculator

[scooter]

Looking at my HP 15C as we speak (write?).
Purchased it in 1985 and it been appropriately abused. This baby definately "takes a licking and keeps on ticking".

Spent 15 yrs in the service with me - has logged over 3000 Flight hrs and a BA degree and is now my primary work utility in the shop.

Would never trade it or sell it. Can barely read some of the function keys. The kid cut his teeth on it, it's been immersed in water, and dropped so many times that I'm sure it has surpassed any ISO cert shock test standards there are.

This wasn't meant to be a testimonial - just one hell of a product.

[RobDee]

I'd jump at the chance to buy a new 11c or 15c.
What a great little calculator. I'm trying to remember what my 11c cost me new? Around $55.00 comes to mind but it might have been more.
How many of you remember Educalc catalogs? Weren't they great!

[RobDee]

Can't just be us. I looked on Ebay and 11c calculators are going for over $200.00!

[Don Clement]

My first calculator was an HP35 that I bought back in 1972. I still use an HP41C everyday. RPN is the language of calculators. Why micro-sloth would supply such a pathetic non-RPN desktop calculator is beyond comprehension. RPN calculators have no equal...and no = key!


Don Clement
Running Springs, California


[This message has been edited by Don Clement (edited 10-05-2004).]

[John McGlynn]

A while ago a few blokes lamented the lack of a decent RPN calculator.
I agreed with them, having grown up with an HP41C so I've tried to fill the gap (I hope). If anyone wants to try it, email me on jmcglynn@navigate.com.au and I'll send you one. Feedback is welcome. Size is 400kB.
It works on Windoze machines but I've only tested it on W2000 and XP.
On installation the manual is a word doc in the Program Files/RPN directory.
Try and Tell!

Thanks,

John

[fixxit]

My old HP-35 calculator, the original floating point RPN (reverse Polish notation) scientific calculator, from 1973 is still working. 30 Years+ used daily and still going strong. I will be really unhappy when it quits. One of the best investments I ever made.

I had to remove the battery pack and install a capacitor across the terminals to filter the output of the AC adapter.

I heard that they are now "collectors items". One is in the NY Museum of Modern Art permanent desingn collection. To me it is just a really good tool.

[John McGlynn]

Wow! 30 years. All the old ones (including my HP-45) have suffered LED burnout over the years. A bloke I worked with a few years ago was still using his 45 even though about 10 of the leds were not working. He knew the kind of answer it should show and compensated to fill the missing digit leds.

[J Tiers]

I had an HP41CV working until relatively recently. Then it died (grrrrrrrrr), and has resisted efforts to fix, even though I have the HP repair manual etc on CD.

Unfortunately, there is a diagnostic software rom, and the contents of that were and are still secret.....nobody who knows is talking, even though I doubt HP would repair one any more. Their policy has become 5 years and out.
(That's not to mention that the Corvallis division was closed and the work outsourced to India/China years ago, according to my information)

Somewhere I might still have my old LED HP21....maybe I'll pull that out. It was working when replaced...not used since.

[This message has been edited by J Tiers (edited 09-30-2004).]

[fixxit]

Led burnout on old calculators:

I always turn the unit off after each use.
The on/off switch has needed a bit of help over the years but still works.

[tattoomike68]

I still have an old TI that uses rpn, my dad gave it to me for x mas 1977, works fine.

I like the newer ti35 solar(i never do math in the dark), $14, if it catches fire I give it a fling, and get a new one for $14

In college I pounded a lot of numbers,mosty trig for surveying,machine shop math was easy.