HP65 reassembly

[John Robinson (Australia)]

After many months of repair/restoration, my HP65 is nearly ready to be reassembled permanently. I have a new replica back label. I am thinking about only using four screws to hold the case together, and not using the screws behind the label, just in case it has to come apart again. Does anyone have any thoughts on why I shouldn;t do this ?. Thanks - John

[Glynn]

Ummm, because fewer screws means more stress on the remaining screws and the plastic they bite into?

Or maybe because future collectors would like to have the screws and unless you tape a bag of screws into the soft-cover case, they'll prolly get lost like so many battery-doors?

Or because I would think more of a restored calc (just MY personal druthers) in which you had affixed that replica label with a gummy glue-stick like kindergartners use, since the look would be the same but the screw ports Would be accessible AND a future collector could be aware of the restoration/replica nature of the label?

Hey, if it's only for you, I have no qualms about you doing what you suggest. For marketability's sake, however, which is presumably why you would care about the LOOK of your machine and not just the functionality, then you do need to ask collectors how they will perceive your machine with/without label, with/without screws. I am not a collector, as such, but the screws, to me, serve a useful ruggedizing structural function. At least, that is what *I* believe. And the label is a neat part of the look, BUT personally I would prefer to know if it wasn't OEM.

[Glynn]

I just have a dumb thought on a way to do this:

What if you affix your replica label to a fairly thin aluminum or steel plate of appropriate size... enough to stiffen the thing so a light pry or two won't ever be a visual calamity? Then use your double-sided sticky tape or ATG adhesive-transfer tape to put the plate into place?

Well, no it would not look "stock".... but it would add a convenience factor and allow screws to remain.

Ok, enough meddling. :-) I'll get back to my last-minute X-Mas shopping now...

[Mike]

The 2 screws at the top and the 2 screws in the middle assure fairly good spacing of the PC board and the switch contacts for the card reader.

Have you ever tested the card reader without putting the screws in? I have. I assembled everything and just applied pressure to the back of the battery to hold things in place and have found that the card reader is less reliable. Probably something to do with switch contacts.

I'm not sure you are really gaining anything by leaving these two screws out (since you are using a replica label anyway). And you might be making your card reader less reliable (who knows).