Cleaning an HP 32S

[Dennis Brunnenmeyer]

Help....!!!

One of my precious HP 32s calculators was subjected to a full load of cafe latte (coffee and milk) last week. I quickly rinsed it with water and dried it off as best I could. Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough. It's now deader than a door nail.

I'm convinced that, if I could open the case, I could clean it. Is it possible to do this without damaging it? Anybody's help would be appreciated.

Thanks....

[db (martinez, ca.)]

Several people who know more than i do have suggested :

1) Remove the batteries.

2) Soak it in distilled water and then shake it out. Ultrasonic cleaners have also been advocated.

3) Repeat this several times with fresh water each time.

4) Let it dry at least three days before powering it up. Drying it in an oven with only the pilot light burning has also been tried with success.

5) I'd carefully blow it out with canned air too, to help speed the drying and get any last poop out of it. Good luck.

Edited: 17 Apr 2004, 10:32 p.m.

[Randy Sloyer]

If you didn't remove the batteries while it was wet no amount of cleaning will bring it back to life. Electrolysis from the combination of liquid and voltage destroy the on/off traces in the otherwise sealed keyboard.

Once the traces are open, replacement is the only solution. It can be done but it takes a lot of time and a good keyboard circuit from another Pioneer series calculator. Replacing the entire calculator is usually the far easier method.

If you had the foresight to remove the batteries, DB's post is the normal cleaning method. Opening the calculator is not needed, there is nothing more you can do with the unit opened from a cleaning standpoint.