EEVblog #1093 - Casio FX260 Solar II Calculator Review - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 09:19:02 am
content: Review and teardown of the Casio FX260 Solar II pocket scientific calculator. How good is a $9 scientific calculator?https://amzn.to/2LwMbFE

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 11:38:56 am
content: Thank you Dave for mentioning the lack of 1/x as a primary (non-shifted) function on the fx-260. That is my primary complaint about an otherwise terrific calculator.This is the best calculator review I've ever seen.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 11:50:50 am
content: Hi nice review of the compact casio scientific calculators.This was my first equivalent calculator that was stollen:Texas Instruments Ti 25x solarhttps://www.ithistory.org/db/hardware/texas-instruments/texas-instruments-ti-25x-solarIt had 1/x but no hyperbolic functions and we didn't use them at all.They have a nice solar panel.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 05:04:04 pm
content: Nobody gives any love to sharp. It is a beauty.

author: canibalimao
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 05:07:01 pm
content: I whish I could by one of those for that price here in Portugal, but it's impossible. That price is for a shitty basic calculatorAnd I can't even find that same model here

author: Teuobk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 05:22:04 pm
content: I love a good calculator! Here's my TI-89, which I bought 19 years 10 months ago and still use daily:

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 05:47:53 pm
content: Calculator war!Is it just me or isn't the "pocket" calculator much smaller than the ordinary ones? What is it, 10% smaller...? Hardly worth the effort. Looks thicker then the full size ones, too.(what's the exact dimensions?)Can't argue with the price though...Also: Is it just me or is the red text on the fancy Casio fx-991 unreadable?My vote: HP-20S. Doesn't look like much but it's a beast when you start drilling down into it, eg. it can do 253!, not just 69!, and it has soooo many useful functions at the press of a button, eg. convert inches to cm. It also puts "hyp" as a shifted function.Are you with me, joe?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 06:18:42 pm
content: The Swiss Micro is interesting but there won't be much in it. I think it's just an ARM chip running an emulator (using the original HP ROM).More interesting would be their credit-card size version:

author: DrMag
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 06:19:08 pm
content: For my money, the best calculator is and has always been the TI-36X from the mid-90's. There are only two things I've ever wished a calculator to have that this didn't: more memory registers and more scientific constants. And in reality, those aren't really critical--when I really need that kind of functionality, I'd rather be working in Python anyway. It's too bad the new version of this calculator has the typical "modern" calculator idiocies; this will probably always be my favorite.

author: MT
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 08:03:10 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on June 07, 2018, 05:04:04 pmShure we do, besides my old trusty casio FX82 i have this XH version (no solar).

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 08:27:59 pm
content: I wonder if the non-fraction version of the Casio uses just the same hardware and maybe a jumper resistor inside to configure it. And a smart pupil could just swap the keys and cover

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 08:44:35 pm
content: For 20+ years I use this one:Alexander

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 10:03:22 pm
content: I saw these at Walmart almost a year ago for $6 each. I was so surprised they updated it and it was so cheap I bought 4. I just leave them anywhere I remotely could use a calc. What Dave didn't mention is the calc is slightly shorter because the strip with "MODE" command info is now just engraved at back. So the size is much easier to shirt pocket than before. Its slightly lighter too.In workshops I leave the older black bodied FX 260, as it hides dirt better, albeit both are easy to wipe clean. For all plastic calculators both I & II are very well made and my "I" have held up for >> 10 years, all working and intact. Plastic has not deteriorated, delaminated nor the labels on the keys fade, even those we field use and are exposed to sunlight.

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 10:04:13 pm
content: Normally, I use my HP-35S or in extreme circumstances, if I really must, a Casio fx-85GT. Which is nowhere near as good as my old fx-3600p I got in the early 80s but gradually wore out. I do, however, also have this little baby calculator. It doesn't seem to have a name or manufacturer, as is the way with cheap Chinese crap. Only this one isn't actually crap.A closer look at its dinky 65mmx120mm69 factorial in half a second or so, complex numbers, polar <-> rectangular, Hex / Octal / Binary, D/M/S, Scientific / Normal, stats. Well, you can see really.Twoof your English pounds, at your local cheap book shop! No doubt available for under $1 if you look hard enough.

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 10:13:03 pm
content: I still use an earlier Casio solar cell calculator, the fx-115, from at least the 1990's, maybe earlier. Normally I'm an RPN fan, but this one does binary, octal and hex, and does AND, OR and XOR. Pretty handy for coding, and still going strong. Think how much I've saved in batteries.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 10:32:36 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on June 07, 2018, 05:04:04 pmAu contraire, here's mine, it's the goto calculator on the bench. I particularly like the way the persisted ENG functionality works on this one, no messing about having to repeatedly press the ENG button. Fannying around looking for 1/x, pi, square root not so much. The same hunting for common functions applies to the FX-61F, hence I have a permanent yellow post it note in the sleeve.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2018, 11:59:29 pm
content: Ok here are some calculators that i have:- Catiga CS-121 bought in promotion ( 10 euro) . Scientific / graphic , bad typing. 2 years- Casio fx-570w : Used from college to university back from 1998. It's now on my current job and working good- Ti-89: An offer from a friend if i could repair it and another computer. it is old has 18 years Its repaired and working.- Casio SL-1000TW. Compact, basic ,big 10 digits, dual power easy to type and calculate percentages ( from measurements), has well H/M/S feature for calculating charging times of batteries . A couple of mounths .

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 01:47:05 am
content: I used to use a Casio fx-61F, bought it when I was in school 30 years ago, still working. But can't remember when I used it last. Usually I'm near a PC using any calculator that is on it, or my iPhone. For simple formulas I like to use Excel, and if it gets more complicated then some programming language like Python, or Scilab.

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 02:23:42 am
content: Quote from: DrMag on June 07, 2018, 06:19:08 pmMy TI-36X is a slightly different version, but it's also one of my favorites. It sits on my desk at the office and I use it all the time.

author: Dubbie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 03:20:19 am
content: Very disappointed to see that you're not part of the the RPN chosen ones Dave.Currently using this one..Not quite as nice as the original 42s but not too bad!

author: m12lrpv
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 05:14:33 am
content: Battle of the calculators!!!HP-32SII for me until the planet stops spinning.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 09:09:20 am
content: Quote from: Dubbie on June 08, 2018, 03:20:19 amIf you're going for RPN then the sideways format of the HP Voyagers (10C/11C/12C/15C/etc.) is the way to go, surely.I love sideways calculators. This is the calculator HP should have made...Maybe Swiss Micro could step up and release an open-source version of something like that. What does his 15C clone feel like in the hand, Dave? The original HPs are as solid as rocks.nb. YMMV but I prefer algebraic notation to RPN. There's no reason a calculator like that couldn't switch between the two, just use the "Enter" key as "=" in algebraic mode. It's what I'd do if I was boss.I have the official HP15Cappon my smartphone. It's cute. When you rotate the phone to portrait mode it changes from HP15C into an RPN 6-banger (4+reciprocal+square root), complete with RPN stack manipulation keys .

author: Dubbie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 09:10:45 am
content: I hate the sideways calculators for some reason. Maybe it’s just because I went through school with a 42s that I grew to love it.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 09:19:49 am
content: Calculator porn; so complicated I have to read the manual whenever I use it.I also have fx-991 (slightly upmarket one of what the kids use) and fx-83 (what the kids use)... quite like Casio as well as HP.The reviewed calculator looks really nice for pocket use... might be another one of those EEVBlog impulse purchases that clutters up my house.

author: meeder
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 09:21:06 am
content: Ah calculatorsMy daily beater is a Casio FX-991. This one gets a lot of work in industrial environment.For more advanced work I use a HP Prime. And I have to admit that it is a bit of a toy for me to otherwise I couldn't justify buying it.At home I always have my trusty Casio FX-115 within reach. I have this one since my school days and it was a replacement for the FX-82 I used before this one.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 10:18:46 am
content: Quote from: Dubbie on June 08, 2018, 03:20:19 amI don't think RPN vs. Algebraic is a battle that can be won. Be happy that both exist (why can't calculators be switchable between the two?)I'm a big fan of the Casio brand but their calculators haven't improved since the 1980s, they've just fitted them with worse keyboards.(and not just Casio, Sharp, etc., too)As Dave noted, things like the 'HYP' key are completely useless, there's no way it should still be taking up so much real estate after all these years when more common functions need a shift key.Quote from: Dubbie on June 08, 2018, 03:20:19 amInteresting that the Swiss Micro guy appears to be making some sales. You'd think HP would be cashing in on that.(HP still manufactures the 12C. The 15C/16C are just different keyboard/firmware, it would cost them almost nothing to make a few of each model).

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 10:37:47 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 07, 2018, 05:47:53 pmI was just looking to see if there's a really small, name-brand, scientific calculator, and ... there isn't one! What happened to the time when the Japanese tried to make everything tiny?Credit-card sized, no-name for $0.60? No problem...

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 10:46:51 am
content: Quote from: malagas_on_fire on June 07, 2018, 11:59:29 pmHere's my Casio FX-570W at my work,, very usefull . Very good for it's price:

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:04:08 am
content: Quote from: Dubbie on June 08, 2018, 03:20:19 amI own at least half a dozen RPN calculators.Even my uCalc has RPN.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:11:06 am
content: I do believe you have me to thank for the parallel button on that HP WP-34SI remember the develop of that calc and was involved in it at the time on the HP museum forum. I talked them into adding the parallel button.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:18:06 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 08, 2018, 11:11:06 amI don't even know what it does.

author: palpurul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:20:42 am
content: These are mine

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:38:57 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 10:18:46 amThe HP35S switches between the two, and I heard a few others also do that (HP49 or HP50).

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 12:12:25 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on June 08, 2018, 11:38:57 amInteresting. I can definitely see the HP heritage in that one. I might look into a new HP if my 20S ever breaks.(which it probably never will,andI've got a spare one somewhere...)

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 12:36:42 pm
content: Quote from: Zad on June 07, 2018, 10:04:13 pmThis made me.I remember doing 69! back in the '80s - we'd all get our calculators together and do 69! simultaneously to see which was fastest.Before today, though, I hadzeroidea that it was such a universal calculator benchmark.PS: 69!? Meet your nemesis: 253!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 01:17:58 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 09:09:20 amI remember that back in my HP Museum forum days, everyone would just photoshop their dream calc.My Mk2 uWatch Calc while it existed was essentially developed on the forum, and the uCalc had some design feedback on there too.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 01:22:28 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 12:12:25 pmAh, the non-RPN HP for pussies(I have one), spotted in the wild in the early days at Altium:

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 01:31:58 pm
content: Another photoshop, the HP 43S

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 01:48:16 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 12:36:42 pmWhen I found out my HP48SX could go beyond 1099I was astonished and slowly tried all factorial numbers up to this limit. It took about 3 seconds to compute this result. The HP35S takes 1/2 second, as well as my wife's HP48GX (used a faster clock when compared to the SX). In the old days, my Casio fx39 did 69! in about 10 seconds. My dad's TI-59 did not have a built-in factorial function and I had to program it - the fastest I could get in a very optimized code took about 12 seconds.Quote from: EEVblog on June 08, 2018, 01:31:58 pmTo me the display and number of display and key rows is so close to the HP48 models that I think it was actually brought to life!To me the HP48 is the Fluke 289 of calculators: very large and full featured but without the ludicrous battery consumption (unless you used the IR link all the time), but YMMV.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 03:26:26 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 11:18:06 am100 Enter 100 || gives 50I think it takes two numbers and if they are the same it divides them in half.

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 06:14:21 pm
content: Or just add conductances:press (R1)inv+(R2)inv+.....=(inv)I guess that shows the number of "engineers" these days who didn't have a formal education.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 06:33:54 pm
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on June 08, 2018, 03:26:26 pmDoes it give 18.75 if I type "75 Enter 25 ||" ?

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 06:42:49 pm
content: In case folks weren’t aware, HP have official paid for apps for IOS and Android covering the 12C, 15C and Prime.I have the 15C and Prime Pro apps on and iPhone and iPad, and they are about as good as it gets for a calculator app: they are both excellent reproductions of the real thing. I don’t know the difference between the Lite and Pro versions of the Prime, I suspect some functions are crippled on the Lite version.There is also an official PC version of the HP Prime, but I find running it on IOS a better experience.The HP Prime is an interesting calculator, you can even do Matlab style vector and matrix stuff on it which makes it useful for me. I find the keyboard on the real thing to be a failure of visible design, it’s really difficult to read the orange key functions on the physical unit, but it’s not at all a problem on the app.

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 06:45:32 pm
content: Since people are posting their collections of calculators, here is mine.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 07:01:19 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on June 08, 2018, 06:42:49 pmI mentioned the 15Cappon theprevious page.If you need a fix of HP calculator on the move then it's the way to go.In landscape mode the app is a perfect replica of a 15C.If you rotate to portrait mode it becomes an RPN "six-banger", like this:(you can lock the rotation so it's a permanent 15C but I quite like the six-banger)(nb. I don't own a 15C to compare, only an 11C, but it's enough to form an opinion)This has now turned from a Casio thread into an HP thread.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 07:05:34 pm
content: Quote from: mathsquid on June 08, 2018, 06:45:32 pmI'm not really a calculator collector. I think there's five or six in the house but nothing special apart from my 2 HPs and a green-screen Casio.As a 'collector' I'm more into analog and mechanical devices. Slide rules, Curtas, etc. I've got quite a few of those...

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 07:09:16 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 08, 2018, 06:33:54 pmMight do.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 07:18:00 pm
content: Here's an interesting one. While I do have a pilots licence, I've never bothered to try to figure out how to use its navigation functions, but I did fall in love with all those impressive looking buttons.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 07:26:17 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 08, 2018, 01:17:58 pmRPN makes a squillion times more sense if you can see the stack contents. A multi-line display on a 15C would be awesome.AFAIK the guy at Swiss Micro does his calculators via. an emulator and a copy of theoriginal HP ROM. It would be difficult for him to add new functions to a calculator but he could easily do a multi-line display directly from the emulator's copy of the CPU registers.A multi-line 15C with smooth animated up-down scrolling of the stack registers as you type? I could be tempted by that.Edit: I just joined the HP museum to post this crazy idea over there. In passing I saw a few posts by a user called "DaveJ".

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 08:16:53 pm
content: Bet you'll have difficulties to get such one now:And this one is the one I used most, but now it's out of batteries:

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 09:57:01 pm
content: How about the famous Gaxio FG-82MS?

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:25:16 pm
content: The 28S is a great calculator!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2018, 11:35:58 pm
content: What people seem to be missing is that some Casio calculators have the postfixes like n(ano), k(kilo), M(ega) which makes them very handy to use in electronics. It shortens inputting formulas and makes them easier to verify. The Casio fx-115MS has these for example. Never liked HP or TI calculators. For starters they can't keep up with my typing speed (two fingers) where Casio never has a problem.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2018, 04:17:43 am
content: Quote from: Teuobk on June 07, 2018, 05:22:04 pmI still have a TI-89 Titanium (teardown:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/teardown-ti-89-titanium/) that I use regularly when doing electronics work. Compared to the TI-83 Plus I used before that, my main complaint is the lack of a dedicated "^-1" button for parallel resistors/inductors and series capacitors.

author: Fellonium
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 09, 2018, 05:20:15 am
content: My first post here.I could have sworn I signed up over a year ago, I even still have the old registration email in my inbox and username and password in my secure account database, so I'm guessing there is some inactive pruning going on every now and then. I never did post until now. Probably won't be posting a whole lot in the near future either, I tend to lurk until I can contribute some new insight, which is rare around these parts, smart people here.I'm a computer science major who wasn't quite satisfied with that line of work. I happened to stumble upon Dave's channel and got bitten by the electronics bug, went back to university to get my electronics engineering degree while at the same time having a job as a working student. I'm not quite there yet, still have a master's thesis to complete next year, but hopefully after that I can get back to actually having a life. (I wouldn't recommend it to anyone: working and going to university in a science or engineering field at the same time, unless you have some real passion and perseverance. At university you are expected to deliver the same quality in your projects and exams as a regular student (who has nothing else to do but schoolwork and partying) while at the same time at work you are expected to deliver the same quality of work as other employees who get to relax in the evening).Anyway, I usually use a Ti-nspire cx CAS for my calculator needs, it's simply amazing and does pretty much everything you can imagine and more. Once you're used to its functioning, you can calculate most things just as fast as on any other run of the mill scientific calculator... and then some. For those occasions where I do need something else I use the CASIO fx-82solar, the European version. I spend quite some time looking into what the most convenient scientific solar calculator was, a year or two ago, and that thing is just brilliant. Who needs batteries....The reason I'm posting here now, is that my fairly recent European version (about 2 years old) seems to be a bit of a hybrid between the old version and new version Dave reviewed just now.- It has the looks of the old version- It uses plastic keys instead of rubber ones- It gets the same calculator forensic score as the solar II (9.000007164; which is what caused me to check it out a bit more, it also has very fast 69! response)- The inside is a hybrid of the old solar and the new solar II (electrolytic cap and row of ceramic caps, new chip, old lcd)When I first got it, I opened it up of course, because, you know... Don't turn it on, tear it apart... And I did briefly consider switching the electrolytic for a bigger model, but never got around to it. By default, once it's charged, it can easily go 15 seconds without light while doing calculations, it seemed futile to change it, since it needs light to turn on anyway and if there is enough light to turn it on, it'll keep functioning and if the light gets so dim it won't function anymore, another minute or two of calculation power won't save me. 15 seconds buffer time seemed plenty.I made a picture of the inside, but I don't have a great camera, you can clearly see the differences/resemblances though, to the two models Dave reviewed.

author: EvilDNA127
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 09, 2018, 07:16:07 pm
content: Quote from: meeder on June 08, 2018, 09:21:06 amThat is what my first scientific calculator was. I still have it and use it, but it is retired to desk duty these days. It is quite a bit worse for ware than yours. I might try to get some high resolution pictures of it.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2018, 07:37:30 pm
content: Do any Casios offer a persistent ENG mode?

author: BloodyCactus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 12:03:38 am
content: upgraded my sharp a while back, $15.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 03:04:39 am
content: Quote from: Fellonium on June 09, 2018, 05:20:15 amWelcome to the forum.QuoteYes there is. Every now and then the membership database is gone through to do a bit of a clean up.QuoteYour photo is actually quite reasonable - you just need to pay more attention to the lighting. On camera flash is not the best for shiny surfaces.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:35:06 am
content: Quote from: Fellonium on June 09, 2018, 05:20:15 amYes, a purge of zero-posters occurs occasionally.Given that this forum is fully public and searchable, there is no real reason keep zero poster accounts (which are mostly spam accounts anyway).

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:37:04 am
content: Quote from: Fellonium on June 09, 2018, 05:20:15 amInteresting. Casio do do lots of weird region specific stuff though.QuoteYeah, it's really just for kicks.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:39:25 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on June 09, 2018, 07:37:30 pmYes, plenty of them, maybe too many to list.They have offered this in many models since the 80's.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:42:11 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on June 08, 2018, 11:35:58 pmOnly quicker for negatives and 10^12 or bigger.e.g. EXP 6 for Mega (2 keys) or SHIFT M for Mega (also two keys)

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:45:45 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on June 08, 2018, 11:25:16 pmExcept for the dicky battery door that always broke, and it wasn't the fastest thing going around. I used a 28S at uni, still have it.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 06:34:30 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2018, 09:45:45 am...And it wasn't a 48SX!(although the separate alpha keyboard made quite a difference for typing)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 08:26:24 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2018, 09:42:11 amYeah but 1/(2π*2u*10k) is much easier to comprehend compared to 1/(2π*2e-6*10e3)

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2018, 09:10:57 pm
content: Quote from: malagas_on_fire on June 07, 2018, 11:59:29 pmOhhh crap the ti-89 just got weird, it only powers up if applying the reset ram keys  + [<] +[>] and  simultaneously , and after release it powers on but all contents in ram go away :S I have replaced the batteries and its a persistent behavior... well usually is 6 mounths waranty after repairs.... this has lasted 1 - 2 years extra...

author: hayatepilot
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 12:36:20 pm
content: For daily number crunching I use a HP-35s. RPN is unbeatable for relatively simple numeric formulas.For more advanced stuff, such as equation solving, integrals, differentials and curve plotting, etc. I use my trusty Ti Voyage 200.The QWERTY keyboard is brilliant for a CAS Calculator.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 01:16:31 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on June 10, 2018, 08:26:24 pmYeah but this is a not VPAM "natural textbook" display calculator, so the only thing that really matters is number of key presses, you can't verify the formula on the display.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 01:20:46 pm
content: Quote from: malagas_on_fire on June 10, 2018, 09:10:57 pmUpdate: In order to proper power up, i have to remove the backup battery, apply the key combo mentioned above . The combo alway's works without the backup battery so i suspect that the circuitry of that may be damaged... More work..

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 04:16:58 pm
content: If we're posting photos then here's my green-screen Casio and my RPN HP11C:My HP is one of the very early ones and has thebackspace bug!I love the horizontal format of those HP calculators but I've never been convinced that RPN is better. For daily use I'm torn between that one and my (non-RPN) HP20S (they're both on my desk).nb. That's pretty much my entire calculator collection right there. As a collector I'm more into the older analog stuff.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 06:09:48 pm
content: I have a couple of HP11Cs, but I didn't know about this bug - I'll test them later tonight.The one thing these HP vintage calculators have that ticks me off is the "CHS" for "Change signal" - IMHO the + / - symbol is easier to catch the eye when looking for such operation.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 06:57:46 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on June 11, 2018, 06:09:48 pmMine is serial number 2144Axxxxx. That's week 44, 1981.Quote from: rsjsouza on June 11, 2018, 06:09:48 pmYou only need to use it twice to learn it.One of the interesting (to me) things about these calculators is if you look at HPs very earliest desktop calculators you can see an almost identical design to the 11C.eg. If you look at the keyboard of the 1960sHP9100Byou can see the same functions, the same "ABCDEF" programming model, the same conditional expressions, etc. as the 11C. I'd be willing to bet the 11C could run a lot of the programs written for the 9100 (assuming they were small enough - the 9100 had optional memory expansions).And, yes, there's a "change sign" key right next to the "7" key!HP must have had a bunch of loyal customers who were resistant to changes in function, they just wanted smaller and cheaper.(nb. I like the thumbwheel to set the number of displayed decimal places - more calculators should have those!)

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2018, 09:19:39 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2018, 09:39:25 amThe FX-260/82 SOLAR II for example? I have the 82 SOLAR mk 1, it doesn't seem to support persistent ENG. SCI and FIX yes, not ENG as far as I know, happy to be re-educated!

author: DrMag
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2018, 05:09:18 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 11, 2018, 04:16:58 pmI'm right there with you on RPN -- Between RPN and standard AES (with order of operations and parentheses), I think it's a wash. Everybody gets hung up on keystroke comparisons, but those are only significant compared to VPAM. I'm not a fan of VPAM, but overall I think which notation you prefer is just based on which you learn first. For me, that's AES, ideally on that lovely TI-36X of mine.Maybe the best way to describe the mode of thinking between RPN and AES is that RPN thinks like a computer works, while AES thinks like math works. VPAM doesn't seem to think at all--it's just "copy the formula from the book".

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2018, 06:15:19 pm
content: Quote from: DrMag on June 12, 2018, 05:09:18 pmYep. Both work. I have a preference for AES but YMMV. I'd stay out of any vote/debate on that subject.Quote from: DrMag on June 12, 2018, 05:09:18 pmI sort of am when I see the results on screen but not while I'm typing it in.It's obviously a big deal if you're typing in integrals and complex formulas (which I never do). For ordinary adding and multiplying? It seems more of an impediment than a help. eg. When I press the "sin" key I want to see the sine of the number that was on screen, not the word "sin(".VPAM peeve: I know you don't have to type closing brackets, I know that the calculator is perfectly happy with "sin(30", but my OCD screams whenever I see it.Maybe things would be different if I'd grown up with it.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2018, 07:40:25 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 11, 2018, 06:57:46 pmNot when this is not your main calculator and the key is immersed among many others with various acronyms. YMMV, though.Quote from: Fungus on June 11, 2018, 06:57:46 pmCertainly interesting; not only HP but TI used the same model on its first handheld programmable calculator SR-52.The earlier Olivetti Programma_101 used "VWYZ", but I guess the Italians weren't as trendsetters as the yanks.Quote from: DrMag on June 12, 2018, 05:09:18 pmEven the AES calculators have operations similar to how a computer expects the instructions, especially when using a function that requires a number before it (30 Sin, for example). But I agree with Fungus that VPAM is better suited for visualization, not data entry.

author: electronupdate
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2018, 07:33:38 pm
content: For a detailed look at the controller silicon I put up this video:https://youtu.be/HrsT1v34TH8

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2018, 06:49:54 am
content: Quote from: electronupdate on June 17, 2018, 07:33:38 pmNowthat'sa teardown - right down to extracting the glass from the fiberglass PCB.(Hope it all went back together OK)

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2018, 09:05:58 am
content: That was a great teardown, electronupdate!

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 03, 2018, 06:31:40 am
content: Maybe I should use a real calculator again, looks like calculators on PC gets worse:

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 11:18:02 am
content: There are some knockoffs of the fx 991 EX Classwizz. Yeah....https://ebay.us/U9EZlr

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 11:29:17 am
content: Quote from: malagas_on_fire on September 04, 2018, 11:18:02 amI wonder if they are an exact clone of the processor and code etc, or just a functional clone. i suspect the later.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 11:57:19 am
content: From the description and images of the calculator it has less functions, a dual display screen . Good luck on drawing a QR code on that display

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 12:00:37 pm
content: Not only that, but the keys remind me of a US$0.49 cheapie on the local store that had terrible rubbery keys that couldn't decently acknowledge keypresses.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 01:21:11 pm
content: I am sure I'm not the only one, but I did a list a while ago of what I'd like to see on a calculator as an embedded systems type of a certain age. So, I do both programming and hardware. I'm not looking for anything more than the ability to make quick and basic scalar calculations. For anything more than that, I'll use a spreadsheet or program something up on the computer.EssentialHex conversions and basic calculations (easy to use, not some of the half-arsed implementation)Persistent engineering mode (preferably persistent over a power cycle)Dedicated single press keys for: 1/x, x<>y, sqrt, x^2, x^y, log, ln, sin, cos, tan, piLogical layoutEither immediate execution algebraic or RPN, none of this formula or VPAM nonsense.Very usefulDual power (battery plus solar, persistent memories and settings, operates in low light)BackspaceDirect display and calculation of HH:MM:SS for your timesheetsNice to have10+2 displayConversions (easily accessible)Mostly uselessComplex (usually just too hard to usefully use)Multiple memoriesFractionsProgrammabilityBuilt in functions (needs a manual)UselessStatisticsProbabilityHYP functionConstants (often needs a reference card)Anything that means I need to open the manualI also did a video, sorry it ended up being about five times longer than I wanted, maybe playback at 1.5x!

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 09:01:40 pm
content: What about a casio FX 850p which has programming built in ,,, moreFX-5800PFX 3650P

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 09:13:54 pm
content: Quote from: malagas_on_fire on September 04, 2018, 09:01:40 pmOoopss the 3650 has the hyperbolic function .... sorry. bad call.here is the fx 570 spx ii for replace the beaten ti 89It is the one without solar panel so it's for AAA nigthtriders .. off course it had battery inspection

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 09:55:07 pm
content: I much prefer immediate execution or RPN, none of this new fangled VPAM nonsense! It’s a personal choice of course, biased by what I was brought up with.As for a programmable calculator, if I’m going to do programming, I’ll do it on the computer. For me, a calculator is for getting small, quick back of the envelope calculations.Back in the 70s, programmable calculators were a real wonder, I had several. Practically speaking, I have no use for them now, other than for personal interest’s sake and a bit of good old fashioned nostalgia.The HP Prime for example is an amazing bit of kit, but to be proficient at using it takes very many hours. As an experiment I did do some fairly heavy vector maths on it a couple of years ago, seeing how I got on with it as an alternative to Octave or Matlab. While it certainly worked in this practical use case, I found its biggest drawback is the keyboard entry, not being QWERTY (not to mention a terrible colour choice for the secondary key functions, rendering them unreadable for my old eyeballs). It’s actually easier to use the PC emulator for the HP Prime, but as you’re using a PC, you might as well open up Excel, Octave, or your favourite IDE and hack something together there.I just use the tool I find most convenient for the job. Personally, I find using Windows’ calculator to be frustrating tomuse in comparison to a desk calculator. I also find calculators on smartphones to be less than optimal, probably due to the lack of tactile feedback from the touchscreen when you’re keying in stuff quickly. That said, if I were to select my favourite useful calculator app it’s HP’s own HP 15C app. Their HP Prime app is pretty good too, but you’ll need to be prepared to spend quality time learning how to use it, and frankly as I mentioned earlier, practically speaking you’re almost certainly better off doing stuff you’d do on an HP Prime on a PC.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2018, 10:33:34 pm
content: Even use the bash to calculate is the last resort availableAlso i don't like much the windows calculator, and even the galculator on lunix...meh i find myself using my oldest fx 570w and yes its a s-vpam . I think is the typing in the keys that makes the difference or the abstraction from the computer to the calculator and notebook, handwritting, even with the newer model

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2018, 12:59:13 pm
content: The HP50g is an adequate replacement for the HP48. My only complaint is that a 75 MHz 32-bit ARM is slower than the 4 MHz 4-bit Saturn because of poor hardware and/or software design. Battery life is acceptable although lower than the HP48; what makes up for it is using standard AAA cells instead of the embedded rechargeable lithium trash which is common now.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2018, 07:26:09 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on September 05, 2018, 12:59:13 pmWow, I didn't know that about the speed. Too bad. I have used the SX and curently have a GX which is a bit faster, but none of them can compare with the emulator I have on my cellphone (although I still prefer to use the calculator itself).

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2018, 09:31:38 pm
content: Some of the Ti calculators had a linux port since they had ARM processors built-in and hacking available..https://hackaday.com/2014/11/18/running-debian-on-a-graphing-calculator/and this was on 2014imagine now a HP 50 running OpenWRT and framebuffer drivers

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 11:43:31 pm
content: Check outANOTHER RIPP_OFFX-991EX Advanced Scientific Calculator 552 FUNCTIONS Count Examination Blackhttps://ebay.us/64b35EShe will do it right