HP-41CX ... with HP-42C Label

[CY-CL]

xxxxxx

[RMollov]

I strongly doubt this one would fetch more than the fair enough price of < $100. Let alone the laughable asking price of $2000.
It's not like a rare coin or a post stamp from the distant past.

[Geoff Quickfall]

Yes franken by intent or by HP at repair centre.

The 42c label does have me wondering about the label. I have checked my 14 41c’s as well as the web but cannot find a reference to the label.

Doesn’t preclude hp using up a lot of miss printed labels. After all, who checks.

They repaired my 25 in 1977 and sent it back to me with a 25C label.

They repaired my 1980 HP 41 in and sent it back with a CX keyboard in 84.

My 1979 41C tall keys now sports a CL label.

But still, the 42C (miss typed) or poorly struck has me guessing.

Geoff

[CY-CL]

(01-28-2019 11:13 AM)Ángel Martin Wrote:  Where do you guys see the HP-42 on the label? The auction pics look plain normal to me...

[jonese]

This looks like a typo on early production polycarbonate labels that was corrected by HP.

I thought the eBay listing was talking about the brand marking on the front lower face of the keyboard, guess not.

[Thomas Klemm]

(01-28-2019 07:20 PM)jonese Wrote:  This looks like a typo on early production polycarbonate labels that was corrected by HP.

There's a lot more different than only a typo:



What about:

←12 12→
[EXIT] [ ←1 ] [ 1→ ] [ALPHA]
INSERT GTO REC↑ [REC↓] -REC +REC↑ [+REC↓]


Cheers
Thomas

[Dave Frederickson]

(01-28-2019 08:01 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:  

(01-28-2019 07:20 PM)jonese Wrote:  This looks like a typo on early production polycarbonate labels that was corrected by HP.

There's a lot more different than only a typo:



What about:

←12 12→
[EXIT] [ ←1 ] [ 1→ ] [ALPHA]
INSERT GTO REC↑ [REC↓] -REC +REC↑ [+REC↓]


Cheers
Thomas

That's a 41C label. The calculator is a CX.

[rprosperi]

It's a frankencalc for sure, as this is a 41CX label, on a (very early) 41C plastic back.

It's unlikely that, even if owner sent his 41C in to HP for service, they would have upgraded his machine to a 41CX, and then replaced the original rear label with a new 41CX-style label.

Also, note in photo#2 that the "HP-42C" is in a totally different color/ink than the rest of the label markings.

So either some prior owner, or maybe even the current seller, added the HP-42C mark onto the label for fun. Or profit. Seems to have used small rub-on characters, similar to the type used to mark 41C mag cards. They were a real pain to apply perfectly straight, but if done carefully, were quite nice. Competing solutions were debated endlessly at PPC meetings about the best way to prevent the letters from streaking when fed through the card reader (nail polish, varnish, etc.) but in the case of a label like this, there is no wear as the feet prevent contact with the applied letters, so covering likely wasn't used. Still, nice job applying the HP-42C characters.

[Geoff Quickfall]

Well spotted Bob!

[Jlouis]

(01-28-2019 11:09 PM)Geoff Quickfall Wrote:  Well spotted Bob!

"Elementary, my dear Geoff", said Bob "Sherlock" Prosperi.

[abalasa]

I am the seller of the item. I obviously do not want to sell at this price, I may not even want to sell at all therefore the outrageously high price. I am merely attempting to get some information since the label advertises it as a precursor/prototype of the never released HP-42C. I personally doubt it is an error and the label does not look altered under magnification. The label was dirty when I received the calculator and I did use an eraser to clean the grime in that area only, I was extremely surprised to see that. I got the calculator in a lot of 3 machines with another weird one, that one had no serial number at all and half the case is sawed off, two screws are inserted like someone was preparing to swap boards a lot. I hope someone has information about this, I received one message from a guy who said he seems to remember a PPC meeting early 80s where bootleg images of the HP-42C were shown. I have added to the eBay item two images of the second weird HP-41CX https://www.ebay.com/itm/273675277632 and here they are also.

[abalasa]

Also regarding the possibility of the HP-42C being applied after the fact: it is not so, I am almost sure of it, especially that the label is different than other HP-41CX labels in other areas. As I said, I have actually RUBBED the area with an eraser, and not lightly, any lettering applied after the fact would have rubbed off or shown some marks, that is one of the first things I thought about also. But when it did not come off... I also used a jeweller's magnifier to look at it, it is definitely not different than the rest of the letters. And the color does not really seem off to me when compared to the rest of the writing.

Again, I am merely trying to get info, not get rich :-) Not that there is anything wrong with being rich. But if it really proves to be a HP-42C prototype, it would really be one of a kind. I was actually planning to ask the HP Museum group after the eBay auction runs its course, it seems someone did it before me.

[jlw]

The Living Computer Museum (+ Labs) in Seattle had a 42C in their calculator display, under glass so I could not get a S/N. Besides the 42C label, it had the membrane keyboard overlay that I've seen here occasionally. I took a couple photos. I even found them just now.
Whatever will become of it should the museum reopen is anybody's guess.    

[Steve Simpkin]

A bit more information on the above two calculators:

https://vintagecalc.com/hp-42c-41cx-protytype/

[Martin Hepperle]

The HP-42C from the Living Computer Museum was part of the first auction at Christies as part of a lot of calculators.

The whole lot (6 "calculators") brought 52000$ - but it also included a rare Wang LOCI and a LGP-30 which are a bit more than calculators.

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/first...crumb=back

Martin

[abalasa]

Thank you; I was wondering what happened to that calculator.

(09-16-2024 12:49 PM)Martin Hepperle Wrote:  The HP-42C from the Living Computer Museum was part of the first auction at Christies as part of a lot of calculators.

The whole lot (6 "calculators") brought 52000$ - but it also included a rare Wang LOCI and a LGP-30 which are a bit more than calculators.

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/first...crumb=back

Martin