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Siegfried · (This post was last modified: 10-18-2023 02:40 PM by Siegfried.)

For those still interested in building a WP34S (or simply having a HP30B), there are some on EBay offered NIB for 25$ plus shipping. I am not affiliated with the seller in any way. (International shipping is $31.20 for up to three units.)

floppy · 10-18-2023, 04:30 PM

(10-18-2023 02:35 PM)Siegfried Wrote: For those still interested in building a WP34S (or simply having a HP30B), there are some on EBay offered NIB for 25$ plus shipping. I am not affiliated with the seller in any way. (International shipping is $31.20 for up to three units.)

I got one in a box one day and reselled it: no connection to PC and amount of work to update it made it less attractive for me.
Any reason to buy this? Except some programming hobby for a WP34S.
Perhaps I missed something.

Maximilian Hohmann · 10-18-2023, 05:53 PM

Hello!

(10-18-2023 04:30 PM)floppy Wrote: ... Except some programming hobby for a WP34S.

That is about the only reason to buy one. Unless you want/need a financial calculator with a good keyboard and decent display.

But if you want a WP34s (or the much more uncluttered WP31s), re-purposing an HP30b is one of only three options. The second is getting an HP20b as a platform, which I think is the prettier machine, but unfortunately with a poorer keyboard. And otherwise you will have to use an emulator on your mobile phone or tablet.

Regards
Max

Didier Lachieze · 10-18-2023, 07:54 PM

(10-18-2023 05:53 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:
(10-18-2023 04:30 PM)floppy Wrote: ... Except some programming hobby for a WP34S.

But if you want a WP34s (or the much more uncluttered WP31s), re-purposing an HP30b is one of only three options. The second is getting an HP20b as a platform, which I think is the prettier machine, but unfortunately with a poorer keyboard. And otherwise you will have to use an emulator on your mobile phone or tablet.

There is a fourth option which is to run the WP34S firmware on a DM42:
WP34S for the DM42

Maximilian Hohmann · 10-18-2023, 08:33 PM

(10-18-2023 07:54 PM)Didier Lachieze Wrote: There is a fourth option which is to run the WP34S firmware on a DM42:
WP34S for the DM42

Interesting - I haven't come across that yet! But this of course is by far the most expensive variant (unless you buy a new iPhone for the only purpose to run WP34S on it), about ten times as expensive as getting one of those HP30b calculators from eBay.

Didier Lachieze · 10-18-2023, 08:54 PM

Expensive if you buy a new DM42, but if you already have one it comes with no additional cost as you can easily switch between the DM42 and WP34S firmware.
And a WP34S overlay is not needed as Nigel cleverly mapped the WP34S functions to the DM42 keyboard and menus.

floppy · 10-19-2023, 08:33 AM

Nice ideas / exchange.
I realize:
- since I have HP41CX, no reason to have WP34S (time and effort to be spent on 41 platform)
- anybody needing a cheap extensive hardware calculator can buy a HP30b and reform it in WP34s (but would be better not to do it on its own but ask a friend to make the WP34s since the time investment is big).
So now, for christmas time, where to buy a wp34s ? for a nephew.. or others.
(we could find an hp30b on our own like the thread creator, but who/where would transform it to wp34s for what money).

Maximilian Hohmann · 10-19-2023, 10:27 AM

Hello!

(10-19-2023 08:33 AM)floppy Wrote: So now, for christmas time, where to buy a wp34s ? for a nephew.. or others.

Occasionally they pop up on eBay, one at a time. Prices are usually in the "hurts really bad"-range. Often a lot more expensive than the DM42, which is equally well suited to be converted to a WP34s as Didier pointed out. And you will have the benefit of getting a "free" DM42 as well which is said to be an excellent calculator on it's own (I don't have one so I can't really tell).

As for converting an HP30b into a WP34s: I will be happy to do the flashing for you for free because I still have the necessary cable somewhere. Unless you live on a different continent which would make shipping and 2 times import and export a lot more expensive than the calculator is worth.
But under no circumstances, for (almost ;-) ) no money in the world, will I undertake the task of cutting out the key labels from a sticky sheet of PVC foil and stick them onto the keys and faceplate. Anyway, ou will have to locate someone who still has or makes those sheets in the first place.

Regards
Max

floppy · 10-19-2023, 10:39 AM

(10-18-2023 02:35 PM)Siegfried Wrote: For those still interested in building a WP34S (or simply having a HP30B), there are some on EBay offered NIB for 25$ plus shipping. I am not affiliated with the seller in any way. (International shipping is $31.20 for up to three units.)

In 2021 I bought (and resold) one for 69Eur in Germany. My feeling the price looks fine for a small calculator.

spiff72 · 10-19-2023, 03:40 PM

I see that listing shows a 4CY05... serial number on the box.

I posted a thread a while ago (and I am too lazy to search for it now) asking if there were any of the 30b calcs with "decent" keyboards. As a result of that thread, I decided that the OLDER serial numbers seemed to have better keyboards. The ones I had tried before were notorious for missing keystrokes. I ordered one with a 4CY02... serial number and that one seemed better to me, but I'm sure it's luck of the draw, to some extent. The KB wasn't perfect, but it seemed more reliable to me.

A surprising side-benefit of the older serial number model was that the display was much nicer than the newer ones I had.

Dang it...here's the thread:
https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-19914.html

The last post there shows the difference in displays.

I had no idea that the WP34S was ported to DM42 - I will have to check that out!