32E battery availability

[DaveJ]

Hello, there!

I have this "like new" 32E breaking my heart, as I no longer have a battery for it.

To the best of my knowledge, this calulator has never been used without the battery in place (using only the recharger) - although I do not know for sure.

What are the chances of:

1. Obtaining a replacement battery
2. Getting the calculator working again (if someone plugged in the charger without the battery, is it, in fact, ruined?)

Thanks to all in advance for your input - I would indeed be a very happy individual if I could get my 32E operable again!

Dave

[db (martinez, ca.)]

You don't need nicads.
Use slightly used alkalines. The top (screen end) contact is negative. The bottom (r/s key end) is positive. Put a piece of aluminum foil at the other side to connect them. You can also use rechargable nicad or nimh cells like this. Norm does this and it does work.

[Ed Look]

If I recall correctly, the 32E should have the same power requirements as my 34C. For my calculator, two AA sized Ni-Cd rechargeables from Radio Shack, catalog number 23-191 does the job nicely.

HOWEVER- they have to be arranged bound together with the terminals opposite each other and the terminal extenders in electrical contact ONLY ON ONE END of the oppositely arranged cells. The battery compartment has an end that has a small raised ridge; that is the end that the connected end of the batteries goes into. The "free" end obviously goes on the other side.

And just to check me, I believe there might be a page on this site that can give you the details on how to do this.

[DaveJ]

Amazing!

It actually has sprung back to life after about a twenty-five year hiatus!

Thanks again! For a more permanent replacement, I'll certainly look into the Ni-Cds. Hopefully, they'll be able to be recharged by the wall charger...

Dave

[db (martinez, ca.)]

Dave; The good thing about using loose rechargeables is that you can charge them outside of the calculator. What makes this good is that it is safer for your calc. Most spice series deaths are due to pluging the charger in with no nicads in place or just having a bad connection. This fries the brain and that part is irreplaceable and un fixable.

The only place that one NEEDS nicads is in a 33, 34, or 38 "C". With nicads you can charge them in place and keep your programs. For an "E" model alkalines are fine. I wear glasses before i put new batteries of any type in.

Was the 32e the first hp with hiperbolics on the keyboard?

[DaveJ]

With regard to being the first hp with hyperbolics on the keyboard: I'm afraid I cannot answer this question - no doubt, the answer is somewhere on this website.

Again - excellent ideas on preserving my 32e. Rest assured, I'll never plug the charger in without a re-chargeable battery pack in place; better yet, I'll simply recharge them externally. I wanted to use rechargeable if for the only reason of keeping the voltage (2.4Vdc vs. 3.0Vdc) as close as possible to reccommended specification.

Get this - I even found my original box and manuals! Stayed up all night working all of the sample problems - without a mistake! It's a shame that RPN doesn't make a comeback - although I've heard that Apple Computer's latest version of OS X (Tiger) allows its Calculator app to be run as such - way to go Apple!

All the best!

David