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HP Calcs - was RPN - was FORTH

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Daniel Reynolds-2

HP Calcs - was RPN - was FORTH

I know that this is very off topic - but since we all seem to have case of
geek-itis (one of it's symptoms is reminiscing of old sliderules, calculators,
computers, radios)...

The original HP-48's (I had a 48SX in college 92-94 before I broke the large
display - I was young and 'stupid') have a serial connection. I actually had a
simple terminal program running and cluged a serial connection (before I
actually bought the official DB9 serial cable) and ran a TNC off of it. To help
keep this posting on topic - it is technically feasible to write a program for
the 48 series that would allow you to interface with the K2 if you had the
time, but with the palm pilots larger display - I would think that the user
interface on a Palm would be 10x better (except that graffiti is a poor
replacement for a keypad/keyboard).

HP left the scientific/graphing calculator scene for a few years and returned
with a new model (HP-49/49G+/49GII) that is actually emulating the original 48
processors. Some (all?) of the 49's even have the capability of expanding
memory with one of those 512 MB memory cards (which blows the socks off of the
original 32KB my 48SX had built in).

Here's a few links link to all things relating to HP scientific graphinc
calculators:
http://www.hpcalc.org
http://www.hpmuseum.org/

The major complaints with the newer 49 is that the keys no longer have that
solid tactile feel (i.e. it feels cheap). I think they've also pulled the IR
port since there was concern about students utilizing that port to cheat during
exams. You can still sync up calculators through a wired port.

When I recently returned to the college scene - I longed for my old 48 - but
ended up buying a TI-89 for my Statistics class (the instructor as well as 99%
of the students in the class were 'stuck with' TI's). It did the job well, but
it just didn't feel the same - and everytime I pick the thing up now, I still
scratch my head trying to figure out how to do some of the simple things I
could do very quickly with the 48. (It's sort of like MS Word 2000 - it does
too much for you - it kept my decimal inch calculations in fractions for me...
but made it difficult to get the whole number with remainder ... a mixed
fraction - and since I didn't have time to dig out the manual - I had to do it
by hand).

Anyhow - in my opinion - HP really has lost its lead in the calculator world in
the last 10 years as is evident in the price of their used calculators which
are worth their weight in gold.

... after further browsing ... check out this calculator they're developing
independent of HP!!!

http://www.hpcalc.org/qonos.php

If this thing takes off - you'll have linux in the hand - plus a an HP/TI
emulator. Read a little further and you'll see that it has an AUDIO I/O port
and a SERIAL port... who will be the first to make this thing sing and dance
with their K2 and do PSK-31 at the same time?!

My 2 cents,
Daniel AA0NI

--- [hidden email] wrote:

> I'm holding on to my HP15C which I bought in college in 1987, still have the
> receipt. My boss here was looking for a good RPN calculator and figured he
> might find that one on eBay cheap. WRONG! Turns out that very good examples
> of it, complete with manual and case are about $300 to $400. Even one with a
> broken LCD display was still over $100, more than I paid for it new. Not
> sure when (or why) HP discontinued it. They still make the financial version
> (HP12C) which is the same form factor, just different button assignments.
>
> I also have an HP48G+ which is still RPN. Not sure if it is still made or
> not. I got the '48 about 5 years ago. Some of the '48s have expandable
> memory slots, however, mine has 128k fixed RAM. I've seen where people have
> programmed it to use its IR port as a remote control!
>
> Hmm, wonder if the HP48 can be used to control the K2?
>
> Mark, NK8Q
>
>
> >From: Chris <[hidden email]>
> >Date: Mon Apr 18 07:54:35 CDT 2005
> >To: Jessie Oberreuter <[hidden email]>
> >Cc: Elecraft <[hidden email]>, Kevin Rock
> <[hidden email]>
> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FORTH
>
> >Are there any decent modern RPN calcs? I had a much loved HP32SII but I
> >lost it when I moved house and have not been able to find a decent
> >replacement. I have soft RPN calc on my palm, but I like proper buttons
> >to push.
> >
> >Chris - VP8BKF
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> and it will pring 27! Every modern RPN calculator should come with a
> >> built in FORTH :).
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Elecraft mailing list
> >Post to: [hidden email]
> >You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> >
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> >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
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> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>

Jeff Burns-3

RE: HP Calcs - was RPN - was FORTH

Look in the archive. I posted K2 control programs for the HP48 about two
years ago.

Jeff Burns
AD9T

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Daniel Reynolds
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 11:03 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] HP Calcs - was RPN - was FORTH

I know that this is very off topic - but since we all seem to have case of
geek-itis (one of it's symptoms is reminiscing of old sliderules,
calculators,
computers, radios)...

The original HP-48's (I had a 48SX in college 92-94 before I broke the large
display - I was young and 'stupid') have a serial connection. I actually had
a
simple terminal program running and cluged a serial connection (before I
actually bought the official DB9 serial cable) and ran a TNC off of it. To
help
keep this posting on topic - it is technically feasible to write a program
for
the 48 series that would allow you to interface with the K2 if you had the
time, but with the palm pilots larger display - I would think that the user
interface on a Palm would be 10x better (except that graffiti is a poor
replacement for a keypad/keyboard).

HP left the scientific/graphing calculator scene for a few years and
returned
with a new model (HP-49/49G+/49GII) that is actually emulating the original
48
processors. Some (all?) of the 49's even have the capability of expanding
memory with one of those 512 MB memory cards (which blows the socks off of
the
original 32KB my 48SX had built in).

Here's a few links link to all things relating to HP scientific graphinc
calculators:
http://www.hpcalc.org
http://www.hpmuseum.org/

The major complaints with the newer 49 is that the keys no longer have that
solid tactile feel (i.e. it feels cheap). I think they've also pulled the IR
port since there was concern about students utilizing that port to cheat
during
exams. You can still sync up calculators through a wired port.

When I recently returned to the college scene - I longed for my old 48 - but
ended up buying a TI-89 for my Statistics class (the instructor as well as
99%
of the students in the class were 'stuck with' TI's). It did the job well,
but
it just didn't feel the same - and everytime I pick the thing up now, I
still
scratch my head trying to figure out how to do some of the simple things I
could do very quickly with the 48. (It's sort of like MS Word 2000 - it does
too much for you - it kept my decimal inch calculations in fractions for
me...
but made it difficult to get the whole number with remainder ... a mixed
fraction - and since I didn't have time to dig out the manual - I had to do
it
by hand).

Anyhow - in my opinion - HP really has lost its lead in the calculator world
in
the last 10 years as is evident in the price of their used calculators which
are worth their weight in gold.

... after further browsing ... check out this calculator they're developing
independent of HP!!!

http://www.hpcalc.org/qonos.php

If this thing takes off - you'll have linux in the hand - plus a an HP/TI
emulator. Read a little further and you'll see that it has an AUDIO I/O port
and a SERIAL port... who will be the first to make this thing sing and dance
with their K2 and do PSK-31 at the same time?!

My 2 cents,
Daniel AA0NI

--- [hidden email] wrote:
> I'm holding on to my HP15C which I bought in college in 1987, still have
the
> receipt. My boss here was looking for a good RPN calculator and figured
he
> might find that one on eBay cheap. WRONG! Turns out that very good
examples
> of it, complete with manual and case are about $300 to $400. Even one
with a
> broken LCD display was still over $100, more than I paid for it new. Not
> sure when (or why) HP discontinued it. They still make the financial
version
> (HP12C) which is the same form factor, just different button assignments.
>
> I also have an HP48G+ which is still RPN. Not sure if it is still made or
> not. I got the '48 about 5 years ago. Some of the '48s have expandable
> memory slots, however, mine has 128k fixed RAM. I've seen where people
have

> programmed it to use its IR port as a remote control!
>
> Hmm, wonder if the HP48 can be used to control the K2?
>
> Mark, NK8Q
>
>
> >From: Chris <[hidden email]>
> >Date: Mon Apr 18 07:54:35 CDT 2005
> >To: Jessie Oberreuter <[hidden email]>
> >Cc: Elecraft <[hidden email]>, Kevin Rock
> <[hidden email]>
> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FORTH
>
> >Are there any decent modern RPN calcs? I had a much loved HP32SII but I
> >lost it when I moved house and have not been able to find a decent
> >replacement. I have soft RPN calc on my palm, but I like proper buttons
> >to push.
> >
> >Chris - VP8BKF
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> and it will pring 27! Every modern RPN calculator should come with a
> >> built in FORTH :).
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Elecraft mailing list
> >Post to: [hidden email]
> >You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> >
> >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>

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Elecraft mailing list
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_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com