HP 32SII double shot keys + bug questions.



#2

Hi all,

I picked up a 32SII on eBay recently for a reasonable amount of money.

I have read in relation to the variants of the 32SII around and the desirable double shot type keys.

I am not entirely sure whether I have one of these models. Here are some details about it that may help identify whether this has the double shot keys or not...

1. Singapore made (CE 91)
2. Serial number: 3316S032xx
3. Brown(ish) bezel.
4. Light blue/pink colouring for shift keys.
5. The manual is 3rd Edition June 1992.
6. The ex key has an e that is larger than the x.

There does seem to be a very fine channel along some edges of the lettering for example on the R/S key the slash has a definite edge.

Can anyone shed any more light on this?

Also what are some tests I can do on it to check if it has the known bugs?

Thank you for your help.
Ben


#3

Well a little bit of self help goes a long way.

I've determined that this was made in 1993, 16th week.

I've examined it with a loupe and find little clubbed serifs at the end of the E's and the R in the enter key. To my untrained eye this seems too regular to be paint and I suspect is double shot/moulded.

I've done the self test and it checks out.

I've also done the fraction display checks on Risneth's site and it checks out OK - ie. no bug.

All for $96 US and I had no idea about any of this when I won the auction. Great resource here. I would have been totally ignorant of all this without it.

I'm wondering whether I should use this one at all and not get another less nice one as a user?

I also have a 33S which I could use as a beater; so maybe I could just use it sparingly like I do anyhow. In any case I think the value of these is on the way down because the 33S seems to have really gained some traction in the market.

Regards.


#4

Quote:
... the 33S seems to have really gained some traction in the market.

Regards.


No kidding?! That's nice to hear; let's hope it continues. Oh, and congratulations on your bargain of a good find! Use it and your 33S in good health.

In fact, that is what I do, I use my 32SII (brown bezel; I got it new back a few years for $60, at MicroCenter of all places) sparingly at home only. For work, I use my 33S. It has grown on me and might have eclipsed the 32SII except that the feel and look of the 32SII is in my opinion much better.


#5

I am opposite.

I use my 32sii at work, because the display and feel are nicer.

But if I leave my 33s at home, then when I run out of memory I wish it was in the office. (Or I pull ot the 48, or the 27s, or the 11c, or the shapr pc-1250 or the hp 59gx....).

#6

I agree, I think you have one with the double shot keys. Treasure that baby. $96 is a great deal in my opinion. Mine cost me almost $160 about a year ago.

I use a combination of my 32sII and 33s at work. I feel like it would be a shame to have such a well-built machine like a 32sII from 1993 just sitting idle and collecting dust. My 32sII doesn't leave my desk, and I often use it when I don't need to run any programs. I break out the 33s when I do need a program, or when I an calculating away from my desk. The 33s has been growing on me though, since I have a version with the improved display and keyboard. Too bad I consider it so aesthetically challenged.


#7

I have a 32sII, serial ID 9 20xxxxx. What's a double shot key?

tm


#8

"What's a double shot key?"

The outer part of the key has been molded around the inner number part which began as a separate piece of plastic. The inner part then extends throughout the length of the entire key piece. The advantage is that the number can not wear off. As the key wears down, both the inner and outer parts wear together.

Clearly, more expensive to make, though.

You can see the same effect if you buy a tube of valentine slice and bake cookies at the super market! The red heart is surrounded by the regular dough for the entire length of the cookie tube.


#9

How do they do that with the "o" in "Cos", or the parts of some other characters that completely enclose a region?

#10

Here's what I'd do-

Use the calculator, if you like it. Let's be realistic about the intent of these machines. They are meant to be used!

Second, if you are unsure of the keys being painted or shot, why not simply try to scrape a corner off one of the letters? I tried it with my ENTER key. Guess what? They were painted. Big deal.

Just my opinion.

ECL


#11

Quote:
Use the calculator, if you like it. Let's be realistic about the intent of these machines. They are meant to be used!

Plus, they won't last any longer when not in use. @OP: Have fun with it while it works. The only argument not to use a calculator would be that it's a (worthy) collectible. I'd never dare to use calcs in a condition as shown at MoHPC.

Thomas


#12

Quote:

Plus, they won't last any longer when not in use. @OP: Have fun with it while it works. The only argument not to use a calculator would be that it's a (worthy) collectible. I'd never dare to use calcs in a condition as shown at MoHPC.

Thomas


I guess that makes sense if you plan on selling them for a profit in the future, otherwise they can be considered collectables or just electronic junk.

I agree ECL. Use the things for their intended function. I now have a 15c, 16c, 27s, 42s and 41cx which I use almost every day.

Put them on display when they no longer work or use them for parts, but is seems odd (IMO) to just put a bunch of calculators in a glass case and just looking at them.

It would make more sense for someone to buy up 5 to 10 of their favorite machine...15c, 42s, etc. and use them for the rest of their days (if they want to spend the money).

Edited: 9 Feb 2006, 9:18 a.m.


#13

Hi, Joe:

Joe posted:
"Put them on display when they no longer work or use them for parts, but is seems odd (IMO) to just put a bunch of calculators in a glass case and just looking at them."

    You've never collected valuable stamps, say ? Would you consider
    odd to just look at them stamps in some album, instead of attaching
    them to a letter and mail it ? :-) What about valuable coins ? Would you consider best to spend that old silver dollar in some candy ? ;-)

    The point is, once you realize that vintage HP calculators are valuable collectables (look at eBay if in doubt) then it's pretty normal to handle them as such, glass-case treatment included.

    Also, by having them in a glass case you ensure that the visual pleasure and cozy feeling you experience when looking at an immaculate, pristine HP-15C of yours will be repeatable for many years to come, instead of looking at a progressively worn-out one.
    Once you begin to use it frequently, its pristine status will be lost very soon and there's no way to regain in, except to acquire another one at utterly outrageous prices and swear to yourself that this one will get the glass case treatment to begin with.

"It would make more sense for someone to buy up 5 to 10 of their favorite machine...15c, 42s, etc. and use them for the rest of their days (if they want to spend the money)."
    A reasonably cared HP-11 or HP-15C will last decades, till their internals begin to decompose by age alone. Buying many will be no use, because by the time the 2nd one is also failing, all remaining ones will be the same old age, and thus decaying as well. That is, unless keeping them on a freezer for uninterrupted decades is any use.
Best regards from V.

#14

Hello, Valentin!

In response to,


"Put them on display when they no longer work or use them for parts, but is seems odd (IMO) to just put a bunch of calculators in a glass case and just looking at them."

you posted,

Quote:
You've never collected valuable stamps, say ? Would you consider odd to just look at them stamps in some album, instead of attaching them to a letter and mail it ? :-) What about valuable coins ? Would you consider best to spend that old silver dollar in some candy ? ;-)

The point is, once you realize that vintage HP calculators are valuable collectables (look at eBay if in doubt) then it's pretty normal to handle them as such, glass-case treatment included.


Ah, but the flaw in that analogy is that stamps and coins are intended to be spent, whereas calculators are intended to be kept and used as tools. If a rare or distinctive stamp or coin is not to be used for its intended purpose, then it makes perfect sense to sheath it in a protective case to allow for viewing enjoyment without further degradation.

A fine calculator that is always handled and stored with care can retain its "mint" appearance, even if directly touched. I bought my HP-10C and HP-16C used on eBay, and both were functionally perfect and cosmetically near-flawless. The owner of the 10C claimed to have used it for his work related to designing a new major airport in the US. My only HP-15C, on the other hand, has not been so fortunate. I bought it new in 1983, lugging it all around campus in a backpack through three degree programs, and (unfortunately) dropping the pack at least twice. Small dents and a deep scratch on the bezel resulted, but no functional problems or damage to the display.



How about rare, classic automobiles? Some people think it is a shame to keep a vintage restored classic car "under wraps", trailered to every show it is entered, or maintained as a static display in a museum, garage, or warehouse. However, a car cannot be driven on the roadways without suffering mechanical wear and cosmetic damage.

Being a confirmed pragmatist, I've never quite understood the appeal of stamp collecting ("philately"), except in terms of the fundamental reason for almost any form of collecting -- to have something that few others do. A stamp collection requires little space and maintenance, but what you see is all there is: "a certificate of postage paid, issued in this year by this country for this amount, in this design." Coins often incorporate more historical and political significance, but their intrinsic value beyond metal content is mainly their desirability to other people. As an objet d'art, only a "proof" coin can fully show the fine detail and sophistication of the coin's design and manufacture.

By contrast, a quality working calculator is not only useful, but can exhibit an entire package of fine period-specific engineering technology (software, mechanical, and electrical), as well as the specific implementation of mathematical algorithms. Some people (including HP Forum readers) value such things; most, alas, do not.

Quote:
A reasonably cared HP-11 or HP-15C will last decades, till their internals begin to decompose by age alone. Buying many will be no use, because by the time the 2nd one is also failing, all remaining ones will be the same old age, and thus decaying as well...

If this is true (and it probably is), all the more reason to use them while you can! It might even be that occasional use, to energize the circuits, will help slow the process of degradation.

My oldest is a 1971 HP-35, which still works perfectly. My two early (non-soldered) HP-34C's need service; the two fullnut HP-41's
I received were successfully restored to perfect operating condition by cleaning and soldering from www.fixthatcalc.com. All my other HP's are newer and still work great; I hope they will for another several decades...

Regards,

-- KS


Edited: 12 Feb 2006, 3:23 a.m.


#15

Whenever the post office raises its rates, I use 70 year old 3 cent stamps to make up the postage increase over current stamps. I couple of postal clerks did notice and were shocked that somebody would do such a thing. They can be bought for less than their face value (I got several sheets for free). No all things that are old or collectible are vauable (or will ever be valuable). Besides, the Zepplin on the front was printed upside down ;-)


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