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Calculators!!

Calculators!!

Calculators!!

(OP)
I just picked up an HP 35s, and I'm curious what kind of calculator's does everyone else use?

RE: Calculators!!

I've got my old TI-85 but the screen's going bad... I'm asking for a TI-84 plus silver for my birthday.  yep, I'm an engineer!

RE: Calculators!!

The TI-86 I use is 10 years old, and the screen is going out on it as well.  Might be replacement time.

RE: Calculators!!

HP41CX that my employer bought me in 1985.  Also has the survey pack which I have not used for ages.  Most everything done on computer these days.

RE: Calculators!!

TI 89 Titanium. Held on to my 48GX for ever. Finally had to force myself to sell it so that I would have to learn the 89 Titanium.

RE: Calculators!!

HP41CX.  Sold the HP41CV.  Should have just kept the CV too.  I do about 40% of my calcs on the CX, 50% in Excel and the rest in Mathcad.

RE: Calculators!!

hey nutte: I did a bit of poking around and we might just need to replace the lithium battery... try that before giving up on a great calculator!

RE: Calculators!!

I have (2) TI 36X's and an 85.  One of the 36x's is almost 20 years old and is still a work horse for me.  Its been in mud, in rain, stepped on, rolled over, sat on (and we're talking some weight here boys & girls) and it keeps on calculating.  I killed a 35 a few years ago by spilling soda on it but for $35 you can't beat them.

RE: Calculators!!

I also use a 35s.  Great calculator.  I went through two HP 33s in two years--that was a terrible calculator.

DaveAtkins

RE: Calculators!!

I have an 85 and an 86.  Had the 85 first, and the 86 carried over as it was a required material for a strengths class back in college.

RE: Calculators!!

(OP)
Dave,

I agree, I hated the hp33, the only reason I picked one up before was for the EIT.   

RE: Calculators!!

1985 HP11C.  When it dies I think I retire.

Here's how to decode your HP calculator serial number:

Numbers are in the format YYWWC##### where


YY
Is the number of years since 1960.
WW
Is the week (roughly) in which the unit was made. YYWW is not always exact and sometimes may have gone weeks or months without changing.
C
Is the country code: A = America (USA), B = Brazil, G = Germany, J = Japan, S = Singapore, M = Malaysia or Indonesia.
#####
The serial number within the specified week and year. (This is not included in the Earliest Serial Numbers section because all are assumed to start at 0 or 1.)
Example: The museum's HP-94F is serial number 2622J00025 indicating that it is the 25th unit made in Japan in the 22nd week of 1986.

 

RE: Calculators!!

HP 48GX and it is my work horse.  The only thing that I have ever done was change the AAA's.  It's about 15 years old and keeps on working when it dies I will be lost.  I only have a TI-30 for thwe PE test.

Chris

"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics." Homer Simpson

RE: Calculators!!

I use the TI-30 SLR every day for all of my calculations.  It's a cheap and simple calculator.  If I need something more powerful, I would probably do the calculation in MathCAD.

RE: Calculators!!

TI-89

RE: Calculators!!

After burning through an assortment of Casios and TI's, I decided to take the plunge about 15 years ago to HP's.  I started with a 32II (with a hard plastic carrying case, very slick), moved on to a 48GX and currently use it and a 35s.
The 48GX will solve equations with multiple unknowns that I can't even do on my desktop.  It's a shame that Carly Fiorina de-emphasized the HP calculator business.  It made me happy when she was fired. I think there's a still a place for top quality HP class calculators.

RE: Calculators!!

I keep replacing the batteries in my TI-30Xa.  It works great.  Has all the functions I need.  It is not a high falutin' calculator like the high end graphing jobs.  I am old school.  Used slide rules when I was in college and my first jobs.

RE: Calculators!!

(OP)
I've never even seen a slide rule.

RE: Calculators!!

HP 35s. Feels just like the old HP's except problem entering numbers. Still use it but frustrating. Should have bought a used 41 when I had a chance.

RE: Calculators!!

HP 35s and I still have my slide rule.

RE: Calculators!!

My $9.95 Sharp calculator just went out and I am bummed!

I still have my slide rule too. Y2K compliant!!!

RE: Calculators!!

Was using a TI-82 until I bought a TI-36X for the PE exam several years back.  Now, it's all I use.

RE: Calculators!!

HP-15c. Just had its 25th Birthday. Still works as well as the day I took it out of the box. If it dies, I'll have to find another line of work that doesn't require a calculator.  

RE: Calculators!!

TI-89. Great Calculator. I could never manage the RPN thing.

RE: Calculators!!

my old lead engineer use a big one for supermarket cashier who..
 

RE: Calculators!!

Have an HP 48GX and a TI89.  I actually use the TI89.  Try and I may, I just cant like the HP's.

RE: Calculators!!

I'm probably going to get the digital word beating of my life, but I really like my Casio fx-991MS S-VPAM.

I knew a 77 year old still practicing VERY experienced engineer who owned a HP that was so old all of the numbers were worn off.  I thought it was so funny that I took a photo... I'll post if I can find it.

BUT, funny or not, I learnt my lesson.  I own six of aforementioed Casio; three open (work desk, briefcase & home desk) plus one replacement for each.

I can completely see myself fifty years from now still using one of those six, long after the others have died, and giving some kid as yet unborn 'til 2025 the word-lashing of his/her/it's lifetime over a holographic projection of an undersized portal frame...  My greatest aspiration is to be the old guy at the end of the hall.  Unfortunately it's a position that take a lifetime to get in! ;0)

Cheers,

YS

B.Eng (Carleton)
Working in New Zealand, thinking of my snow covered home...

RE: Calculators!!

HP 28s and I still have all my slide rules, two 10 inchers and a 5 inch and a couple of small things I used in high school.

I dropped my hp 28s on the tile floor and all the keys on the left hand side popped off but that was OK because if I ever inadvertently touched any one of those keys I had to go get the manaual to get myself out of it.  The right hand side is intact and functions perfectly.

The slide rules; well ever now and again I get one out and throw it up on my desk just to humble myself a little bit.

rmw

RE: Calculators!!

My Casio is good enough for me, but the keys do stick a bit after I spilled my Coke on it.  May have to invest another $20 or $30.  Had a Canon which I actually preferred, but they don't seem to be making many calculators these days.

RE: Calculators!!

My HP41CX is still alive and kicking after 20+ years, but the card reader and thermal printer are history.  I wish they still made them.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

RE: Calculators!!

Thermal printer - that reminds me of my old TI-35 or something - programmable, program cards, and the thermal printer.  I think I used it through most of college, it broke, and I remember buying a Casio with a QWERTY keyboard and I could program in Basic and calculate slope stability in seconds.  

That was the cat's meow until I bought a new toy my senior year - IBM PC jr.  Doubling the RAM to 128 KB and getting the second 360 KB, 5.25" floppy drive made me the envy of my soils class, setting up PC Calc (spreadsheet program) to do flow nets a breeze.

(thinking of dyeing my grey beard).
  

Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com

RE: Calculators!!

HP48G and HP35s.  I've had the 48G for 12-15 years (forgot) and bought the 35s last year not long after they came out.  I really like the 35s layout and keyboard feel, but I've had plenty of trouble with it missing keystrokes.  Oddly enough, it seems to be working ok now, but I don't know if I have subconsciously changed how I strike it or if it's actually better.  My 48G has NEVER missed a keystroke.  It's inexcusable to have problems with something so basic.  That makes the 35s no better than a TI with its mush "did I really push it" keys.

I had a 33s and literally threw it away a while back.  Unbelievable piece of junk.

RE: Calculators!!

What wrong with the 33s, I got it and have no problems with it. It does the job.

Tell me whats wrong with?
 

RE: Calculators!!

Well I still have my Canon F-800P for some 20 years now and only replaced the battery once.  Its a ripper of a calculator for me but looks like I may have to upgrade to a HP 35S from what I read here.

Cheers!

RE: Calculators!!

nicam,

After less than a year, certain keys on my HP 33s lost their "springy" feel.  This messed me up, because I type in numbers fairly quickly, and numbers were not registering on the screen.

This happened to both HP 33s that I owned.

DaveAtkins

RE: Calculators!!

Microsoft Excel when in the office and my Texas TI-84 when I'm out, the color is baby blue...imagine pulling that out on-site.

RE: Calculators!!

Just heard about the HP 35s and ordered one.  I have also burned through 2 HP33s.  What a terrible calculator.  The seven on one of them doesnt work, and the 5 on the other works half the time.  Also have HP 48g and HP 20s.   

RE: Calculators!!

Looks like you guys really like the HP 35S and so I may order one too (about $120 here).  But my canon just goes on and on.

 

RE: Calculators!!

civeng,

If you decide to buy the HP, please consider me if you want to give away the Canon.  Do you know if they still make calculators?  I haven't seen one on the shelves in ages.

RE: Calculators!!

OK... My first programmable was the HP33E, then the HP41C, HP41CX, then the HP48GX, which I never used, but my son did.

Thank God for Reverse Polish!

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

RE: Calculators!!

Hokie66

I must say that its been a long time since Ive seen a scientific canon calculator now that you mention it, plenty of canon desk calculators !

Ive had my canon for close to 20 years and its a work horse.

Would kind of miss it !

But I'll let you know if I replace it !

Thanks Jed

I see here in Australia the best price is about $105 (Aust)
about $84 US.  Thanks for the link.

RE: Calculators!!

Reverse Polish Notation was invented by God because as we all know God was a Mathematician.  I have an HP48SX, and 2 HP48GX's.  I gave my brother my HP48G and he recently brought it to me to ask if I could fix it because it isn't working, I can't and he has been lost every since then...  One would think "Hey, it's your brother, you should help him in his time of need..."  Maybe for his birthday...  I love to tell people that "This calculator has more memory than that of the Lunar Modual".  I don't know if it's true but chicks really dig it...  

Interesting to know that Carly Fiorina is largely responsible for destroying such a great calculator.  I may have to write her a strongly worded letter.

Oh, and the best part of this was HP48GX #2, I found it in a pawn shop for $4.25, I'm not kidding... I still feel like I should turn myself into the police.

RE: Calculators!!

civeng80,

I'm going to look for a Canon, as YS says they are available in NZ.  Otherwise, another Casio will have to do.

If you have been using the Canon for 20 years, there will be an adjustment period if you decide to go to the HP Reverse Polish style.  I used them a long time ago, but wouldn't go back now.  

RE: Calculators!!

Hokie66

Sounds abit like me.  My very first calculator was a HP 25 using reverse polish notation and if my memory serves me the very first programmable calculator, this is way back in 1975 in my first year of engineering at the University of Melbourne.  We eng students really treated our calculators as calculators back then.

Your right don't really know if I'd like to go back to reverse Polish notation.

Let me no if you find a canon by the way.

Cheers!

RE: Calculators!!

Casio CFX-9850G.  Can't fault it.  10 years old and still going strong.

RE: Calculators!!

Wow.  Lots of HPs.  Love my Casio fx-5000F from 1988.  I even keep a back-up at home.

RE: Calculators!!

I used to use a Sharp Calculator when I was younger.  I quite liked it, but someone sat on it and I moved to the Casio.

RE: Calculators!!

Casio CFX-9850G. I got it as a freebie 12+ years ago when I was in school and it's performed well since, even though it's seen plenty of abuse.  

RE: Calculators!!

Ussuri
I trust the Casio wasn't as painful as the Sharp one to sit on.

RE: Calculators!!

I've enjoyed 20 years with a HP 15C.  

RE: Calculators!!

HP33s, I hated it for a while, but it carried me through the PE, I got a 35s and thought it was much cooler. But I find myself going back to the 33s for a few simple reasons:

-it has an x^2 button without shifting,the 35s has an 'i' button instead, who uses that outside  physics or EE?

-the 33s buttons have a nice hard click every time you push them, the 35s is almost squishy like a TI :^(

The 35s is much better looking though


 

RE: Calculators!!

apsix

Certainly not, the casio has rounded edges making it posterior friendly.

RE: Calculators!!

DaveAtkins, ok I must be luckly, I've had mine for 4 years and haven't had that problem.

RE: Calculators!!

HP 42S          3% of the time
Microsoft Excel 90%
My right thumb  7%

Although, my 42S screen is full of dust.  Any ideas on how to clean this?

tg

RE: Calculators!!

I have a HP 33s and the  buttons around the "2" went goofy. I had a HP 32s, which I've used since 1990...but an exploded can of soda killed it.  I just bought a $10 Casio. I have my ear out for a decent HP replacement though, and I've read some decent reviews in this post.   

RE: Calculators!!

In college: HP 22s (stolen), 48SX, 48GX (still use it at home)
After college I bought the upgrades that came out but they were terrible (49G and 49G+), so I bought a 48G to use at work and keep another 48G as a spare.

That 48GX at home looks rough (beaten up in a booksack, then dropped from desks for years) but has never given a problem.

I recently converted a college intern that works for us to RPN.  Once the light bulb went on, he said he'd never go back.  He has a 50g that is quite nice and I'm actually considering one...



If you "heard" it on the internet, it's guilty until proven innocent. - DCS

RE: Calculators!!

I see that the HP 35S is a programmable calculator.  But does anyone here ever program their calculators these days?  Spreadsheets and computers would be far easier right?

So wouldn't a cheaper scientific calculator like a sharp or casio about $30 be better value than a $110 HP 35S ?  

What do you guys reckon?

RE: Calculators!!

I programmed my 48GX.  I've got concrete working and ultimate stress calculations.  I have to enter bar sizes, thickness, cover, width and a couple of other parameters.  For me, it's quicker than a spreadsheet.  Plus, I've never figured out a good way to include the spreadsheet in my design notes.  Since I have to transfer the formulae and values anyway, I'd rather do it from my calculator.

RE: Calculators!!

When I was denied MathCad, I used string commands in my spreadsheet to write out the formula.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Calculators!!

equations can be written in Excel (for documentation) by inserting a microsoft equation object.  This provides a much more readable formula.

RE: Calculators!!

Can you link the Microsoft Equation object to the values you calculate?  I thought it was just basically a fancy word processor and you had to type in all the numbers by hand.

I'm talking about something like

=concatenate(A2,"+",B2,"=",C2)

where A2 & B2 are values to be added and C2 has the formula =A2+B2

It's inelegant, to be sure.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Calculators!!

no, it is not linked to spreadsheet cells - just a way to display a complex mathematical equation. It seems like your concatenate function is requiring a lot of hand work also and not able to show some of the symbols such as square roots, stacked fractions, powers, subscripts etc.

see example spreadsheet

RE: Calculators!!

I agree, my concatenate function is ugly and not very versatile.  However, there are ugly ways of putting most formulae in one-line formats, and it's the only way I know of to have formulae written out in a updatable spreadsheet.

Better would be to use MathCad.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

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