HP 15c key assignment

[Survey Matt]

Is it possible to assign HMS+ and HMS- to certain keys. I had a HP 41 years ago and could do this.

[Namir]

The key assignment feature is not available for the HP-15C (nor for the 11c, 10c, 12c, and 16c)

Namir

[Survey Matt]

Thanks. Smallest Scientific that would allow this feature?

[Hal Bitton in Boise]

Quote:

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Thanks. Smallest Scientific that would allow this feature?

---

How about the 42S. It's not much bigger than a 15C, has HMS+ and HMS- as built in functions, and lets you put up to 18 favorite functions into a custom menu.

What more could you ask for? (except possibly that HP start MAKING THEM AGAIN!!)...ahem...sorry.

Best regards, Hal

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

If I'm not totally mistaken, you will have to program these functions anyway on the 15c. Then you can use USER mode and have them on A and B keys.

Edited: 15 Dec 2008, 11:30 a.m.

[Survey Matt]

So Namir is incorrect? Those are the only to features I would like to have readily accessible to work angles.

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

Namir is correct. There is no key assignment on the HP 15C. But you can start programs A through E with the top row keys and the f shift key. Or while in USER mode ([f][USER])you're able to start these programs with direct key presses.

Edited: 15 Dec 2008, 5:36 p.m.

[Geoff Quickfall]

Merry Christmas

;-)

[Geoff Quickfall]

There is a difference between assigning a key with a function and assigning a key (A, B, C, D, E) with a program.

On the HP 41 the functions HMS, HR, HMS+ and HMS- all exist in the catalogue and ROM as functions and can be assigned to any shifted or unshifted key location. On the HP15C the HMS and etc must be 'created' with a program that emulates the function and then assigned and used with the GSB and associated program LBL.

Hope this explains the difference.

Cheers, Geoff

[Walter B]

Nice image, Geoff, but I don't see it supporting your answer ;)

[Geoff Quickfall]

Your right, it doesn't support the answer but what the heck, the post is an excuse to exhibit the voyager series ;-)

Also not only can you use the A through E assignments but you can create subroutines with labels 0 through 9. Therefore any subroutine that emulates a function can be assigned any one of 15 different labels and executed either directly by the USER mode enabled in which case A through E excute a the press of the key or via USER mode off and then the GSB x; where x = A through E or 0 through 9

Cheers, Geoff

[Paul Dale]

Not to forget the possibility of GSB .0 - GSB .9 for an extra 10.

- Pauli

[Geoff Quickfall]

routines but only 5 pseudo key assignments; A through E.

Funny, I should have remembered that since my HP 15C is programmed with 25 separate subroutines for conversions, and etc.

[Walter B]

Geoff, your new images are better suited, because I can *read the keyboards* at least :)

[Hal Bitton in Boise]

Namir is correct in that the 15C doesn't have key assignments like the 41C does (ie, the ability to assign any function or program to any key).

What the 15C does have is the ability to assign 5 user created programs to the A through E label keys. The 15C user mode simply makes these 5 labels the primary functions on their respective keys, with (sqrt, e^x, 10^x, y^x, 1/x) being the f-shifted functions. When not user mode, the labels are the f-shifted functions.

For what you need, this would be perfect.

Best regards, Hal

[Survey Matt]

So one extra key stroke to enter user mode and then the function. That's not so bad. I am a surveyor, not a programmer. Suggestion for a good place to look to figure out how to program HMS+ and HMS- into one of those spots?

And everyone thanks for the help so far!

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

Two extra keys once to enter USER mode. Not every time you would use that program key.

The program would be the same way you would calculate it on the calculator. Put in a LBL command in front and a RTN command at the end.

Edited: 16 Dec 2008, 11:35 a.m.

[V-PN]

'You mean like:

LBL 0    (this is in the same row as +)

->H

SWAP

->H

+

->HMS

RTN

LBL 1   (row = - and ->H to remind you)

->H

SWAP

->H

SWAP

-

->HMS

RTN

Run:

hh.mmss [ENTER] h2.m2.s2 [GSB] [ 0 ]

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

SWAP is [x<>y], found on 3rd row, 4th key from the left.

BTW, Matt, you have already programmed the 15C and you have a manual, right? If not so, kindly have a look here for a pdf manual of the 15c.

[Survey Matt]

I have not even purchased one yet. I am trying to research to find the smallest RPN calculator that has angle conversions and the ability to do HMS+ and HMS-. The 15C seems like it will fit that bill. If there is another option I am open to that. Like I said I am a surveyor and my programming skills are remedial at best.

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

Try the 35s. You can get it in your nearest calculator store. It's not really as small as the 15c, but it's readily available and programmable and RPN/Algebraic. And you can get some spare ones for the price of one 15c ;-) For the money you will save on that deal you can give yourself some hours to learn a bit programming.

Apart from programing the HMS+ and HMS- functions you could even put them in an EQN equation like so:

S=->HMS(HMS->(A)+HMS->(B))

and then solve for S.

The recommendations above and below for the 42s are well to the point. It is a very good calculator. But compared to the 35s you will have to sell your kids and your wife to slavery in order to get one.

Edited: 16 Dec 2008, 5:16 p.m.

[Brent Hillebrenner]

Quote:

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Try the 35s. You can get it in your nearest calculator store. It's not really as small as the 15c, but it's readily available and programmable and RPN/Algebraic. And you can get some spare ones for the price of one 15c ;-) For the money you will save on that deal you can give yourself some hours to learn a bit programming.

---

the 35S would be a good calculator for surveying, you cold even design a COGO program that stores points. But the conversion to and from polar coordinates - very handy routine in all survey calculations - is a bit cumbersome.

If you need a cheap and readily available calculator to do simple routines like inverse, side shot, horizontal and vertical curve solutions, etc... I would suggest the 33s. It has a lot of memory. And it has a better polar to rectangular coordinate converion. No need to decompose r and theta, etc.

Anyway... my $0.02

Edited: 16 Dec 2008, 5:46 p.m.

[Walter B]

Quote:

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I am trying to research to find the smallest RPN calculator that has angle conversions and the ability to do HMS+ and HMS-. The 15C seems like it will fit that bill. If there is another option I am open to that. Like I said I am a surveyor and my programming skills are remedial at best.

---

Hmmh, I second Hal's recommendation (message #4 above). The 42S features all the functions you are looking for. So, no need for programming right now. And when you start it later on, it is far more comfortable (or should I say: readable?) than the 15C. Yes, it is slightly larger, but much smaller than a 35S (and not carrying its bugs).

Edited: 16 Dec 2008, 5:13 p.m.

[Reth]

I recomend the HP35s. Cheap, available and does the job. All it needs is better carrying case with belt clip.

[DaveJ]

Quote:

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I have not even purchased one yet. I am trying to research to find the smallest RPN calculator that has angle conversions and the ability to do HMS+ and HMS-. The 15C seems like it will fit that bill. If there is another option I am open to that. Like I said I am a surveyor and my programming skills are remedial at best.

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As usual, the uWatch is the smallest RPN calculator in the world, and it has a HMS function.

I'm not sure of its implementation as Hugh added it in a recent release and I haven't played with that function myself.

Dave.

[Reth]

I guess you took it too literally :)

Surveyor needs a lot more than that, today incorporated in every instrument