Fixing the HP-41CV - IV : More HP calculator stuff from the past recovered

After got back the HP-41CV in as good as new condition I got motivated to dig into the old stuff stored away at my parents place to see what else could be found from the good old days. After this time's digging my HP inventory (not counting the 35s) is:

Machines

One working HP-41CV (thanks to FixThatCalc).

One not working HP-29C (details at the end of this blog entry) with manuals (in Swedish).

HP-41 manuals

Instruktionsbok Och Programmeringshandledning - The instruction and programming manual in Swedish! Apperently they did not bother to do a translation to Norwegian!

Hur man använder kalkulatorer från HP - Small booklet explaining the RPN paradigm, also in sweedish.

HP-41C Standard Applications

HP-41 accessories

Modules:

• Math I, with manual, quick reference card and keyboard overlays.
• X Functions, manual missing.
• Games, with manual and keyboard overlays.

A card reader (with (in swedish ofcourse!) manual) that propably is not working that great anymore (details at the end of this blog entry).

Miscellaneous

A module holder with my two missing port 'protectors' :-)

Keyboard layovers for the modules AND two blank ones and one unidentified one!

Comments

I know I got magnetic cards laying around somewhere so I would be interesting in using the card reader. Actual found some cards that I remembered put aside because damaged. However, still the way reader behaved on them may suggest it is suffering from old age (that and the fact they usual do). The good news (yep been chating with FixThatCalc) is that it can fixed, may very well soon be another package on it's way...

The 29C sadly is not for any practical reasons repairable I have been assured. It look brand new (did not have a long and active life), it may have a future as spare parts!

It bugs me that manual for the X functions is missing. I never got much time to play around with those and there is some I would like to utilize in my nowadays programming. Well, it may still turn up and anyway eventual I am going to get the museum's dvd set which includes the manual.

Fixing the HP-41CV - III : An old machine reports for duty again!

Got it (HP-41CV serial nr. 2103A07854) back from FixThatCalc!

Belive they did a great job, seems to be working just fine AND they do a fantastic job cleaning the machines: Can not remember it have looked this good. Sure it must have when I got it, but that is 26 years ago!

There is a note returned with the machine telling me I should not put it back in it's pouch since it has started to deteriorate and it may harm the calculator. It has the undertone of a caring mother telling children to take good care of their fine toys... I belive we who cares for these devices are very lucky that FixThatCalc exists!

Got my hands on a HP-48GX

A co-worker discovered my interest for HP calculators and remembered he had some kind of graphing calculator while at engineering shool. Belived it was some kind of a TI model. Turned out he had a HP-48GX collecting dust home!

To cut a short story shorter, he has kindly borrowed me the machine. Later this year I will get my self a HP-50g and this will allow me to learn the RPL language up front!

I may do a RPL port of the HP-35s Euclid Pack implementation...

Resources related to getting to know the RPL series of machines:

Manuals downloadable from Educalc.net here.
HP 48G Series Advanced User's Reference Manual available here at hpcalc.org.
Short but good introduction to RPL at the museum.
UserRPL stack commands, article at the museum.
The usenet group ofcourse.
FAQs found at the Internet FAQ Archieves.

A HP-35s hacker

Stefan is a HP calculator enthusiast that got himself a HP-35s and have a done a man's work providing two (so fare) rather lengthy programs for Curve Fitting and Matrix Operations on the HP-35s.

Mind you, as this thread (about Stefan's matrix program) at the MoHPC forum shows: If you need to do serious matrix work, clearly you should consider a RPL machine.

By the way, do check out Stefan web content, he is an inspiration to any kind of web author and also he turns out to be a norgesvenn!