Scientific Calculator
 

Just a heads up. If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. I bought one for my grandson.


Dan

Scientific Calculator
 

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Just a heads up. If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. I bought one for my grandson.


Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.

Karl

Scientific Calculator
 

On Oct 20, 3:36*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
Just a heads up. *If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. *Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. *I bought one for my grandson.

Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.

Karl

You are not the only one, Karl.

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

The program had to compute something based on the prime interest rate.
If you remember those years, the prime rate began to change twice a
month, then weekly, and for a short time, twice a week. The programmer
was way over his head, and so was I. I worked on the problem for over
a week, using pencil and paper to do the computations, until I finally
figured out how to handle all the rate changes properly.

Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul

Scientific Calculator
 

And we bought a 4 banger with reciprocal and memory for (plug in wall)
for ... $600. It was pre any TI or HP calcs. I did logs on it and
trig. I was a Senior Adjunct Professor teaching 3 classes as a second
job. Calc crunching the numbers saved days of hand work.
We had some great apps - paper - methods - in EDN or Electronics back
then. By the middle 70's I was fully computerized doing histograms. :-)

Martin

On 10/20/2010 5:36 PM, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Just a heads up. If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. I bought one for my grandson.


Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.

Karl

Scientific Calculator
 

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Oct 20, 3:36*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
Just a heads up. *If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. *Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. *I bought one for my grandson.

Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.

Karl

You are not the only one, Karl.

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

The program had to compute something based on the prime interest rate.
If you remember those years, the prime rate began to change twice a
month, then weekly, and for a short time, twice a week. The programmer
was way over his head, and so was I. I worked on the problem for over
a week, using pencil and paper to do the computations, until I finally
figured out how to handle all the rate changes properly.

Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul
About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it. I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Scientific Calculator
 

On Oct 20, 10:55*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "



wrote:
On Oct 20, 3:36 pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
Just a heads up. If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. I bought one for my grandson.

Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.

Karl

You are not the only one, Karl.

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

The program had to compute something based on the prime interest rate.
If you remember those years, the prime rate began to change twice a
month, then weekly, and for a short time, twice a week. The programmer
was way over his head, and so was I. I worked on the problem for over
a week, using pencil and paper to do the computations, until I finally
figured out how to handle all the rate changes properly.

Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul

About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it. I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada



I was a "starving student" in the early '70's, and when I bought my
texts for the '72 fall semester and had a look in the heat transfer
text, I knew that my slip stick would no longer suffice what with all
those fractional indicies calculations.

Went and bought a Digimatic D8 scientific calculator at Sears for
$Cdn182. 2 years later when doing extensive statistical calcs
(standard deviation calcs are a killer on non-stats machines) the key
pad crapped out and Sears replaced it for free. The boss loaned me an
HP45 calc and it was the cat's meow for the work at hand; but no way
could I justify the $500 or so it cost! One term tuition was around
$600 at that time.

I still have the D8 calc and it works fine.

Wolfgang

Scientific Calculator
 

I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

On Oct 21, 11:39*am, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
I was a senior in high school in 1975... *I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. *Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (seehttp://www.thimet.de/calccollection/calculators/Melcor-SC-535/Content...)
was available for under $100. *That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

1982 my parents bought a HP 15C caculator for me as a bithday
present. Prof said my old calc wasn't up for my EE classes. It would
do matrices, complex number atrithmatic and had a iterive equation
solver. Saved me a bunch of time. Three sets of batteris later I
used it today. Havent used anything more complex than Y^X in 20
years.

Now I use Mathmatic for almost everything besides numerical simulation
where MATLAB rules.

Scientific Calculator
 

On 10/21/2010 3:50 PM, Edward A. Falk wrote:
My grandfather had serial #509 of the first electronic hand
calculator ever. Add, subtract, and multiply. There was
some sort of division assist as well. Used a 6-segment
incandescent display. Weighed about 2 lbs and made a
whistling sound as it operated.

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.

I got tired of losing calculators or having them stolen,
so I wrote a nice scientific calculator in javascript. Now
I have a calculator any time I'm near a web browser.

If I'm on a Windoze machine, I use the built in calculator. You can even
set it up as a scientific calculator.

David

Scientific Calculator
 

Ah - an Emacs user.

I love the vertical column cut - e.g. the 4th column of numbers cut and
put in the second as an insert.

Martin

On 10/21/2010 1:39 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.

Scientific Calculator
 

Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i

On 2010-10-22, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Ah - an Emacs user.

I love the vertical column cut - e.g. the 4th column of numbers cut and
put in the second as an insert.

Martin

On 10/21/2010 1:39 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.

Scientific Calculator
 

"Ignoramus16025" wrote in message
...
Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i

I've always preferred HP's with RPN. I like to bring mine to a meeting and
hand it to someone when they need a calculator.

Scientific Calculator
 

I have an HP that does both. They (the designers) push you towards
algebraic notion as a standard. Easier to do some things in it so they say.

I use it in the house and my TI in the shop - my cool HP clam box here
in the house. So RPN is in my blood also, but in the ship it is algebra.

Martin

On 10/21/2010 9:13 PM, Ignoramus16025 wrote:
Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i

On 2010-10-22, Martin wrote:
Ah - an Emacs user.

I love the vertical column cut - e.g. the 4th column of numbers cut and
put in the second as an insert.

Martin

On 10/21/2010 1:39 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.

Scientific Calculator
 

"ATP" writes:

"Ignoramus16025" wrote in message
...
Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i

I've always preferred HP's with RPN. I like to bring mine to a meeting and
hand it to someone when they need a calculator.

Both my calculator on my phone and the emacs mode are RPN.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

On 2010-10-22, ATP wrote:

"Ignoramus16025" wrote in message
...
Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i

I've always preferred HP's with RPN. I like to bring mine to a meeting and
hand it to someone when they need a calculator.

You are EVIL

Scientific Calculator
 

On 2010-10-21, Gerald Miller wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

[ ... ]

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

[ ... ]

Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul
About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it.

Where I worked -- about the same time or a bit earlier, the head
honcho of the lab branch where I was got an HP 45 and kept it locked up,
letting nobody use it. He claimed that there was no need for any of his
people to need one.

About that time they were just below $400.00 -- and I decided to
buy one of my own -- with my *own* money.

I kept it on my belt, and took great pleasure in hauling it out
in meetings where he was present and answering questions requiring
calculation -- quite quickly -- to show how useful it was.

I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..

While I keep an HP-15C and an HP-16C (the computer math one) in
a belt pouch to this day. Some of these days, they will die and I will
not be able to get a replacement. (Apparently, HP has been convinced to
continue the HP-10C (business math), but not the scientific or computer
ones.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Scientific Calculator
 

Martin Eastburn wrote:
Ah - an Emacs user.

I love the vertical column cut - e.g. the 4th column of numbers cut and
put in the second as an insert.

Martin

On 10/21/2010 1:39 PM, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)

was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.


Qedit (for Windows) still does that.

--

Richard Lamb

Scientific Calculator
 

Ignoramus16025 wrote:
On 2010-10-22, ATP wrote:
"Ignoramus16025" wrote in message
...
Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i
I've always preferred HP's with RPN. I like to bring mine to a meeting and
hand it to someone when they need a calculator.

You are EVIL


He knows...

--

Richard Lamb

Scientific Calculator
 

While I keep an HP-15C and an HP-16C (the computer math one) in
a belt pouch to this day. Some of these days, they will die and I will
not be able to get a replacement. (Apparently, HP has been convinced to
continue the HP-10C (business math), but not the scientific or computer
ones.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Pretty much any HP calculator ever produced is available on eBay... just
mention my name and pay cash.

Erik

Scientific Calculator
 

DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2010-10-21, Gerald Miller wrote:

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:


[ ... ]


Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.


[ ... ]


Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul

About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it.


Where I worked -- about the same time or a bit earlier, the head
honcho of the lab branch where I was got an HP 45 and kept it locked up,
letting nobody use it. He claimed that there was no need for any of his
people to need one.

About that time they were just below $400.00 -- and I decided to
buy one of my own -- with my *own* money.

I kept it on my belt, and took great pleasure in hauling it out
in meetings where he was present and answering questions requiring
calculation -- quite quickly -- to show how useful it was.


I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..


While I keep an HP-15C and an HP-16C (the computer math one) in
a belt pouch to this day. Some of these days, they will die and I will
not be able to get a replacement. (Apparently, HP has been convinced to
continue the HP-10C (business math), but not the scientific or computer
ones.

Enjoy,
DoN.


How long do you think they'll last?. I bought my first HP-11C in 1982
and it's still going. I though it was an expensive purchase at the time
when all around me were buying cheap Casios, usually the ones with the
extra functions on the flip open cover, but then the cover functions
would start to fail within a year IIRC due to flexing I suspect. I
started using HPs with my dad's old HP45 when he upgraded to a HP41C so
I'll probably be using RPN by choice till I have no other option.

Scientific Calculator
 

ATP wrote:
"Ignoramus16025" wrote in message
...

Of all calculators I greatly prefer reverse Polish notation based
ones. They are far more powerful and very intuitive too.

i


I've always preferred HP's with RPN. I like to bring mine to a meeting and
hand it to someone when they need a calculator.



You're cruel, but then I'm the same. You must be used to the strange
expression and the usual "where is the equals key" or sometimes "how do
I turn it off" as it only has an on button. I lost mine once and it got
returned so I went to thank the technician at the college that had
turned it in, he said he would have kept it if they could have figured
out how to work it as it looks like a real nice calculator.

Scientific Calculator
 

On Oct 21, 8:21*pm, "DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2010-10-21, Gerald Miller wrote:

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

* * * * [ ... ]

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

* * * * [ ... ]





Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul
About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it.

* * * * Where I worked -- about the same time or a bit earlier, the head
honcho of the lab branch where I was got an HP 45 and kept it locked up,
letting nobody use it. *He claimed that there was no need for any of his
people to need one.

* * * * About that time they were just below $400.00 -- and I decided to
buy one of my own -- with my *own* money.

* * * * I kept it on my belt, and took great pleasure in hauling it out
in meetings where he was present and answering questions requiring
calculation -- quite quickly -- to show how useful it was.

* * * * * * * * I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..

* * * * While I keep an HP-15C and an HP-16C (the computer math one) in
a belt pouch to this day. *Some of these days, they will die and I will
not be able to get a replacement. *(Apparently, HP has been convinced to
continue the HP-10C (business math), but not the scientific or computer
ones.

* * * * Enjoy,
* * * * * * * * DoN.

--
* * * * * * * * * Remove oil spill source from e-mail
*Email: * | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
* * * * * (too) near Washington D.C. |http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
* * * * * *--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

We actualy have two HP-15Cs Shortly after I graduated I met the girl
who was to become my wife. She was in engineering school and needed
a calculator.

I will bet the diffrence between the HP-10C (buissnes model) and the
15 C guts is a jumper setting.

Scientific Calculator
 

Speaking of HP calculators, this month's Circuit Cellar has a project in
which somebody re-implemented the guts of an HP41 with FPGAs.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

On Oct 21, 9:21*pm, "DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2010-10-21, Gerald Miller wrote:

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:45:13 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

* * * * [ ... ]

Sometime, about 1975,76, or so, I was programming for the bank
processing division of a computer service bureau. One day the manager
of the other half of the company, the non-bank division, asked if I
could look at a program one of the programmers was having trouble
with. Sure, should take just a little while! Right.

* * * * [ ... ]





Can you believe in the very following week I got an ad from HP for
their new HP-55 programmable calculator? If I had had that thing, I
could have solved the programming problem in just a couple of days.
The price was $499.99 for the complete set up, so I ordered it.

I never had reason to use it again. I did program a bunch of trivial
stuff, but nothing special. I sold it 10 years ago to a collector.

Paul
About that time, one of the engineers in regional office somehow
managed to get a purchase order issued for one of those. When
management discovered what had been purchased, it was decreed that it
should be locked in the safe when not in use. In 1977, I got a chance
to use it for a couple days and could see that it would be useful my
work but it would never be possible for me to take it home and play
around with it.

* * * * Where I worked -- about the same time or a bit earlier, the head
honcho of the lab branch where I was got an HP 45 and kept it locked up,
letting nobody use it. *He claimed that there was no need for any of his
people to need one.

* * * * About that time they were just below $400.00 -- and I decided to
buy one of my own -- with my *own* money.

* * * * I kept it on my belt, and took great pleasure in hauling it out
in meetings where he was present and answering questions requiring
calculation -- quite quickly -- to show how useful it was.

* * * * * * * * I bought a Commodore PR100 with 100 program steps,
then, when the TI-59 came out, I got me one. Over the next five years,
I used that calculator regularly, then, I got stuck in regional office
away from the field and rarely used it and when I did need it, the
card reader had packed it in. now I have two of them downstairs
complete with printers, and wouldn't have a clue what to do with
them..

* * * * While I keep an HP-15C and an HP-16C (the computer math one) in
a belt pouch to this day. *Some of these days, they will die and I will
not be able to get a replacement. *(Apparently, HP has been convinced to
continue the HP-10C (business math), but not the scientific or computer
ones.

* * * * Enjoy,
* * * * * * * * DoN.

I have both, also. The 15C was going to get scrapped at work, the 16C
I forked out Big Bucks for back in '82 when it first came out. I was
working with a 36-bit mainframe, so the TI "programmers" calculator
didn't cut it. Needed up to 72 bits for double register ops and
converting EBCDIC to EBCD characters. Not a whole lot of messing with
paper dumps and machine language going on now, so there's probably not
a lot of call for a 16C on the market. Except for programability,
I've also got a $6 Sharp that does just about everything that the 15C
does except it doesn't use RPN. The rechargeable batteries seem to be
the weak spot on those old calculators, those HP "business-card" sized
ones use button cells so will probably keep chugging along as long as
the battery compartment doesn't get leakers.

Stan

Scientific Calculator
 

When I was in highschool, my Physics teacher spent a good portion of his
yearly budget on a Heathkit calculator because it did square roots and basic
trig functions.
About the time we finished soldering it together, HP came out their
programmable pocket model (with the magnetic cards) and the prices fell on
all the other calculators.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

"Joe Pfeiffer" wrote in message
...
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

Karl Townsend wrote:

On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:16:23 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Just a heads up. If you want a calculator in your tool box, it would
be hard to beat the price of one from Dollar Tree. Ten digits, 56
functions for a buck. I bought one for my grandson.


Dan

In 1972, I got a 90 on a test instead of a 100 because I wasted time
with my slip stick. So, I went out and spent $200 on an SR-10, four
function plus reciprocal. I remember I had just got a raise from 1.60
all the way to 2.30 so it only took two weeks pay.


I had a SR-51II that was stolen while I was stationed at MCAS Beaufort, it was replaced
with a SR-56 that was a lot of fun to play with back then. Hey at least I had something I
could program. Sucked having the program go away when you turned it off.

Ah the days of red leds.

Now I use easycalc on my Palm T|E. It isn't programable but you can create your own
functions.
http://easycalc.sourceforge.net/

I just wonder how much longer I can stay on a palm platform. I guess my replacements will
be from ebay.

Wes

Scientific Calculator
 

I graduated College Physics / Mathematics with a K&E log log duplex
Decitrig and a Vector log log by Dietzgen.

That was in 1969.

Our finals were all day tests in Physics. Typically 4 questions.
We brought lunch and drinks unless we drank coffee. And lots of pencils
and a sharpener and drafting eraser.

Martin

On 10/22/2010 3:18 PM, Paul K. Dickman wrote:
When I was in highschool, my Physics teacher spent a good portion of his
yearly budget on a Heathkit calculator because it did square roots and basic
trig functions.
About the time we finished soldering it together, HP came out their
programmable pocket model (with the magnetic cards) and the prices fell on
all the other calculators.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

"Joe wrote in message
...
I was a senior in high school in 1975... I'd had my good K&E bamboo
slide rule for about a couple of months when the first great price crash
for calculators hit. Suddenly a Melcor SC-535 (see
http://www.thimet.de/calccollection/...5/Contents.htm)
was available for under $100. That calculator got me most of the way
through undergrad...

Now, of course, the two calculators I use are a mode in emacs and an
application on my phone.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

"Martin Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I graduated College Physics / Mathematics with a K&E log log duplex
Decitrig and a Vector log log by Dietzgen.

That was in 1969.

Our finals were all day tests in Physics. Typically 4 questions.
We brought lunch and drinks unless we drank coffee. And lots of pencils
and a sharpener and drafting eraser.

Martin



I still remember lubricating the K&E with Talcum Powder.
Of course, I used too much!!!

--
Peter DiVergilio
"A bumblebee flies faster than a Kubota tractor"

Scientific Calculator
 

Martin Eastburn wrote:
..
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

Bill

Scientific Calculator
 

Bill wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

Bill
They weren't in the 40's, at least for things like a VTVM.
...lew...

Scientific Calculator
 

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work involved,
the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at least 70% of a
retail product, if not more than one.

Bill

This was in the early '70s.
If I remember correctly, the Heathkit cost around $150 and the similar HP
cost over $300.
That was a boatload of dough back then.

Paul K. Dickman

Scientific Calculator
 

Bill writes:

Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't
seem to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

That happened in the 1960s or 1970s (I was building Heathkits around
1970 or so, when you might still come out ahead if you valued your time
at $0.00/hr) when automatic assembly really took over in electronics
manufacture. In the 1950s and before, *somebody* had to do all that
assembly work. With a Heathkit, you didn't pay somebody at the factory
to do it.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
writes:

Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't
seem to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

That happened in the 1960s or 1970s (I was building Heathkits around
1970 or so, when you might still come out ahead if you valued your time
at $0.00/hr) when automatic assembly really took over in electronics
manufacture. In the 1950s and before, *somebody* had to do all that
assembly work. With a Heathkit, you didn't pay somebody at the factory
to do it.

Thank you for the history lesson. It puts everything into perspective.
Bill

Scientific Calculator
 

Lewis Hartswick wrote:

Bill wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

Bill
They weren't in the 40's, at least for things like a VTVM.
...lew...


Or the '70s. I paid less than 25% the cost of a commercial VTVM and
built it in about an hour. Maybe it takes Bill several days to assemble
a simple kit?

BTW, I saw a decent looking heathkit VTVM for $2 at a fleamarket
Saturday afternoon, but the owner wasn't around. When I came back a
little later he had covered everything and left.


--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

Scientific Calculator
 

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Lewis Hartswick wrote:

Bill wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

Bill
They weren't in the 40's, at least for things like a VTVM.
...lew...


Or the '70s. I paid less than 25% the cost of a commercial VTVM and
built it in about an hour. Maybe it takes Bill several days to assemble
a simple kit?

I saw my first catalog in the mid-80s. I think they stopped making the
kits in 1991. I never had a chance to do one of their kits, though that
didn't keep me from making things. It's true that I'm not real
quick..I'm more the careful type. I'd probably spend the first day
reading the directions.

Bill



BTW, I saw a decent looking heathkit VTVM for $2 at a fleamarket
Saturday afternoon, but the owner wasn't around. When I came back a
little later he had covered everything and left.

Scientific Calculator
 

Bill wrote:

I saw my first catalog in the mid-80s. I think they stopped making the
kits in 1991. I never had a chance to do one of their kits, though that
didn't keep me from making things. It's true that I'm not real
quick..I'm more the careful type. I'd probably spend the first day
reading the directions.


I am careful as well, but I never took more than 25% of the suggested
construction time. There isn't much in a Heathkit assemly maual other
than pictures of where each part goes, and checklists of each part used
on that page. It took longer to inventory the parts than to build a
kit. I built several of the VTVMs. The last one took a little over 15
minutes from the time I cut the packing tape. That was for one of my
uncles. I also finished building kits for people who gave up. I always
gave a high quote becasue I hated cleaning up someone's mess. :(





--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.

Scientific Calculator
 

In article ,
"Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

Bill wrote:

I saw my first catalog in the mid-80s. I think they stopped making the
kits in 1991. I never had a chance to do one of their kits, though that
didn't keep me from making things. It's true that I'm not real
quick..I'm more the careful type. I'd probably spend the first day
reading the directions.


I am careful as well, but I never took more than 25% of the suggested
construction time. There isn't much in a Heathkit assemly maual other
than pictures of where each part goes, and checklists of each part used
on that page. It took longer to inventory the parts than to build a
kit. I built several of the VTVMs. The last one took a little over 15
minutes from the time I cut the packing tape. That was for one of my
uncles. I also finished building kits for people who gave up. I always
gave a high quote becasue I hated cleaning up someone's mess. :(

I built a fair number of Heathkits in my day. The most complex was the
AM/FM/Stereo receiver and preamp. I forget how long it took me, but it
was significant. It worked from the start. I still have the VTVM.

As for the time estimates, Heathkit used to boast that they tested their
kits and instructions by giving one to a housewife. If she could put it
together, it was hers to keep. Most succeeded.

Joe Gwinn

Scientific Calculator
 

"Michael A. Terrell" writes:

Lewis Hartswick wrote:

Bill wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
.
I he had waited a year he could have bought a fully assembled calculator
with a lot more functions for less than the Heathkit.

Paul K. Dickman

At least from when I started looking at them, "saving money" didn't seem
to be a feature of a Heathkit product. Given the amount of work
involved, the savings would be negligible. Seems like they were at
least 70% of a retail product, if not more than one.

Bill
They weren't in the 40's, at least for things like a VTVM.
...lew...


Or the '70s. I paid less than 25% the cost of a commercial VTVM and
built it in about an hour. Maybe it takes Bill several days to assemble
a simple kit?

Hmm, I had a Heathkit VTVM (I may still have it, but I'd have to dig
through the garage to find it). I remember it as being fairly easy to
assemble, but nowhere near just one hour... don't remember the price
comparison.

BTW, I saw a decent looking heathkit VTVM for $2 at a fleamarket
Saturday afternoon, but the owner wasn't around. When I came back a
little later he had covered everything and left.

--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

Joseph Gwinn writes:

In article ,
"Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

Bill wrote:

I saw my first catalog in the mid-80s. I think they stopped making the
kits in 1991. I never had a chance to do one of their kits, though that
didn't keep me from making things. It's true that I'm not real
quick..I'm more the careful type. I'd probably spend the first day
reading the directions.


I am careful as well, but I never took more than 25% of the suggested
construction time. There isn't much in a Heathkit assemly maual other
than pictures of where each part goes, and checklists of each part used
on that page. It took longer to inventory the parts than to build a
kit. I built several of the VTVMs. The last one took a little over 15
minutes from the time I cut the packing tape. That was for one of my
uncles. I also finished building kits for people who gave up. I always
gave a high quote becasue I hated cleaning up someone's mess. :(

I built a fair number of Heathkits in my day. The most complex was the
AM/FM/Stereo receiver and preamp. I forget how long it took me, but it
was significant. It worked from the start. I still have the VTVM.

My dad and I peaked on a black and white TV (note -- he was color-blind,
so I had an important role!). Unfortunately it never worked right...
they gave us our money back, and I noticed the next year's catalog
didn't have that particular TV in it any more (though it still had the
color TVs).

As for the time estimates, Heathkit used to boast that they tested their
kits and instructions by giving one to a housewife. If she could put it
together, it was hers to keep. Most succeeded.

I remember the legend (everybody knows this is true, but I don't
remember ever seeing an actual statement from Heathkit about it) that
they tested their instructions by giving a kit to a secretary or
somebody on the loading dock. Whenever the tester had a question, an
instruction got clarified. Repeat until no questions.
--
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)

Scientific Calculator
 

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

In article ,
"Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

Bill wrote:

I saw my first catalog in the mid-80s. I think they stopped making the
kits in 1991. I never had a chance to do one of their kits, though that
didn't keep me from making things. It's true that I'm not real
quick..I'm more the careful type. I'd probably spend the first day
reading the directions.


I am careful as well, but I never took more than 25% of the suggested
construction time. There isn't much in a Heathkit assemly maual other
than pictures of where each part goes, and checklists of each part used
on that page. It took longer to inventory the parts than to build a
kit. I built several of the VTVMs. The last one took a little over 15
minutes from the time I cut the packing tape. That was for one of my
uncles. I also finished building kits for people who gave up. I always
gave a high quote becasue I hated cleaning up someone's mess. :(

I built a fair number of Heathkits in my day. The most complex was the
AM/FM/Stereo receiver and preamp. I forget how long it took me, but it
was significant. It worked from the start. I still have the VTVM.

As for the time estimates, Heathkit used to boast that they tested their
kits and instructions by giving one to a housewife. If she could put it
together, it was hers to keep. Most succeeded.


What I found both sad and amusing was the most screwed up Heathkits
were built by Hams & CBers. Wrong parts, bad or missing solder, and
'customized by morons'. :(


--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.