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HP-Collection · 09-23-2015, 07:36 AM

My unit has arrived yesterday (ok, I also live in Switzerland as Swissmicros). Here my first impressions:

Electronically the unis is full working and does 100% of his job well. Speed included I think.
The backside is rough what makes it a bit unconfortable to hold the calculator in hand. Its more a calc to put on the desk.
My brezes is also a bit rough and my HP15L logo is blue (?)
The Screws on the backside are a bit large. Are there no smaller screws?

All in all a good working machine for daily use and a fair price. Thanks Michael.

Harald · 09-23-2015, 08:14 AM

(09-23-2015 07:36 AM)HP-Collection Wrote: My unit has arrived yesterday (ok, I also live in Switzerland as Swissmicros). Here my first impressions:

Electronically the unis is full working and does 100% of his job well. Speed included I think.
The backside is rough what makes it a bit unconfortable to hold the calculator in hand. Its more a calc to put on the desk.
My brezes is also a bit rough and my HP15L logo is blue (?)
The Screws on the backside are a bit large. Are there no smaller screws?

All in all a good working machine for daily use and a fair price. Thanks Michael.

And what about the keyboard? Does it feel anything like the original HP15C keyboard?

**rprosperi** · 09-24-2015, 11:38 AM

(09-23-2015 08:14 AM)Harald Wrote: And what about the keyboard? Does it feel anything like the original HP15C keyboard?

1 +

This is THE question we are all waiting to hear about

Chasfield · (This post was last modified: 09-24-2015 12:49 PM by Chasfield.)

I just received my DM-15L today. Delivery to the UK was quick. I ordered after 17:00 last Friday, so it was received on the fourth working day thereafter. Great work, SwissMicros.

Now, to the keyboard. It works well and is a big improvement over the mini DM-15's membrane unit. The keys click very distinctly in both directions so it is hard to compare objectively with my other HP calculators. My HP30B is closest in action. The sound and travel of the HP calculator keys is comparable on the way in. The HP keys are not as loud on their return but the DM-15L keys make the same click on the way out as they do going in. The action is altogether positive and if the keyboard proves to be reliable then it will be more than satisfactory.

The DM-15L display is excellent (see attached photo). It has better contrast than the one on my mini DM-15. It is at least as good as, and larger than, the display on the HP11C. The DM-15L also has a nice solid feel to it and is around half an ounce heavier than the HP11C.

I think this is a good product. It puts a usable, high speed 15C clone in your hand for a reasonable cost. No more dreading the day when your last functioning Voyager finally wears out!

Harald · 09-24-2015, 12:49 PM

(09-24-2015 12:36 PM)Chasfield Wrote: I just received my DM-15L today. Delivery to the UK was quick. I ordered after 17:00 last Friday, so it was received on the fourth working day thereafter. Great work, Swiss Micros.

Now, to the keyboard. It works well and is a big improvement over the mini DM-15's membrane unit. The keys click very distinctly in both directions so it is hard to compare objectively with my other HP calculators. My HP30B is closest in action. The sound and travel of the HP calculator keys is comparable on the way in. The HP keys are not as loud on their return but the DM-15L keys make the same click on the way out as they do going in. The action is altogether positive and if the keyboard proves to be reliable then it will be more than satisfactory.

The DM-15L display is excellent (see attached photo). It has better contrast than the one on my mini DM-15. It is at least as good as, and larger than, the display on the HP11C. The DM-15L also has a nice solid feel to it and is around half an ounce heavier than the HP11C.

I think this is a good product. It puts a usable, high speed 15C clone in your hand for a reasonable cost. No more dreading the day when your last functioning Voyager finally wears out!

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds like I will be ordering one Smile

jebem · 09-24-2015, 09:37 PM

(09-24-2015 12:36 PM)Chasfield Wrote: I just received my DM-15L today.

Thanks for sharing your findings.
How about the labeling on the keys?
It looks like it were painted, especially those "f" and "g" keys.

Dwight Sturrock · (This post was last modified: 09-25-2015 01:24 AM by Dwight Sturrock.)

(09-19-2015 08:30 AM)Ángel Martin Wrote:
(09-19-2015 07:33 AM)Paul Dale Wrote: Feel free to offer your time and expertise to help produce the 43S hardware.
It's obviously an easy task.....

- Pauli

If I may comment, I didn't get the impression that jebem was being disrespectful to the 43S design team, but just wondering if some kind of "shortcut" could be used to boost its production.

On the other hand, there are obvious compromises made in this new 15C version by swissmicros that may not be desirable. It's hard to say just by looking at the pics, but I'm sure some folks will provide feedback as they start receiving their units...

Cheers,
'AM

Maybe a marriage between the 43S design team and Swissmicros...

Chasfield · 09-25-2015, 11:41 AM

More detail on the key labels:

The key labels are painted on. I guess that their abrasion resistance will only be determined in the longer run. Under a magnifying glass, the key top and paint textures closely resemble those of the HP30B. Specifically, the plastic top surface of the DM-15L keys has a useful matt texture, which I feel will provide good acceptance and adhesion for the glossy label paint.

See attached photo.

Sundjinn · 09-25-2015, 12:13 PM

Hello to all,

as it is my first post, I'll make a short introduction. Nowadays, I only use a 12C (unfortunately, one made in China...). When I was student I used many HP calcs: HP20S (no RPN Sad

) then 48g, 48gx (with metakernel card and B. Parisse Erable, a very nice calc!), 49g. Today I only have the 20S still working after more than 25 years, the 49g that almost runs but I hate the keyboard and the 12C at work.
Obviously, I don't need a killer calc at work, just a good quality calc for basic operations.

As the 12C is showing signs of wear off (some key labels are cracking and peeling off), I started looking at alternatives (HP still manufactures the 12C, but made in China with US cost...) and thanks to your forum discovered the swiss micro clone of the 15C. I ordered one following the positive comments on the keyboard.
I hope others will benefit from sharing our experience with this DM-15L so I'll keep you posted when I receive it!

Sundjinn · (This post was last modified: 09-25-2015 02:20 PM by Sundjinn.)

update from my post: I just received a mail from swiss micro stating that the dm-15l deliveries are stopped for the moment as a potential issue has been found on the design.
So I'll probably have to wait a bit to get my hands on it Sad

more info here:
http://www.swissmicros.com/DM-15L_recall.php

Chasfield · (This post was last modified: 09-25-2015 03:32 PM by Chasfield.)

I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. At the moment, my early issue DM-15L is working well and all keys sound and respond the same. It will be interesting to see what improvement the replacement PCB brings with it.

Sundjinn · 09-25-2015, 03:36 PM

yes I think the way swiss micro handles the -so far potential- problem is quite reassuring and shows that they really care about quality/durability.

but I can't wait to get mine Smile

CR Haeger · 09-25-2015, 03:50 PM

(09-25-2015 02:17 PM)Sundjinn Wrote: update from my post: I just received a mail from swiss micro stating that the dm-15l deliveries are stopped for the moment as a potential issue has been found on the design.
So I'll probably have to wait a bit to get my hands on it

more info here:
http://www.swissmicros.com/DM-15L_recall.php

Is it the diesel powered DM-15L units that are stopped...?

Steve Simpkin · 09-25-2015, 06:30 PM

(09-25-2015 03:50 PM)CR Haeger Wrote: Is it the diesel powered DM-15L units that are stopped...?

Groan... That was actually funny Smile

thunder422 · (This post was last modified: 09-27-2015 01:52 PM by thunder422.)

I received mine (S/N 00493) Sept-23 (PA/US), two days before the recall email. My 15C (purchased in 1983) has held up well and has been my go to calculator - the back writing is mostly worn off, the silver metal on the top/front is dented, the display has dust in it, the keyboard is grimy, and it's missing one of the rubber feet, but the writing on the key tops show no wear. I would have loved to have gotten an HP15C-LE, but by the time I found out about it, it was already out of production (but considering the negative feedback I didn't feel too bad). Since then I got an HP35s (which is a nice calculator), a WP34s (display not the best, not sure the durability of the key labels, and I'm not a fan of where the f/g/h keys a placed), and a DM15 (nifty gadget, but not for regular use).

I jumped at the chance to get a DM15L. I like it, though prefer the keys of the original 15C, they are plenty acceptable (I really like the "HP" trapezoidal [?] keys, which the DM15L does not have). It would also be nice if the f and g keys were a solid color like the 15C, but this is an insignificant complaint. Having more memory and speed is also nice.

Until I got the email, I didn't notice anything amiss with the keys. However, when I checked all the keys, I noticed that the Y^X key does not make the same noticeable click as all of the other keys. I'm guessing this is the problem, but won't know until the replacement PCB arrives. The ON key also doesn't make a loud click, but this key is also lower than the rest (similar to the 15C), so this may be intentional.

The slip case is also not as nice as the 15C's where it is much stiffer than the nice soft one with the 15C, and it is a little more difficult to pull the calculator out. Again, this is hardly worth mentioning.

Dave Britten · 09-27-2015, 05:10 PM

Based on the initial reviews so far, if they do a DM16L, I'll be jumping on that promptly. I'd rather go with a prefab, as opposed to attempting to reflash a 15 and relabel the keys. My 34S isn't exactly the prettiest thing I've ever made. Smile

toml_12953 · (This post was last modified: 09-28-2015 06:20 AM by toml_12953.)

(09-27-2015 01:39 PM)thunder422 Wrote: I received mine (S/N 00493) Sept-23 (PA/US), two days before the recall email. My 15C (purchased in 1983) has held up well and has been my go to calculator - the back writing is mostly worn off, the silver metal on the top/front is dented, the display has dust in it, the keyboard is grimy, and it's missing one of the rubber feet, but the writing on the key tops show no wear.

It might have double-shot injection molded keys where the letters are actually a different color plastic molded on a separate piece that runs all the way through the key so no matter how much you wear away, the character remains legible. You could take a sander to it and the character would be visible until the key actually came apart. They don't build 'em like they used to!

ttw · 09-28-2015, 05:11 PM

(09-25-2015 03:50 PM)CR Haeger Wrote:
(09-25-2015 02:17 PM)Sundjinn Wrote: update from my post: I just received a mail from swiss micro stating that the dm-15l deliveries are stopped for the moment as a potential issue has been found on the design.
So I'll probably have to wait a bit to get my hands on it

more info here:
http://www.swissmicros.com/DM-15L_recall.php

Is it the diesel powered DM-15L units that are stopped...?

Perhaps not so farfetched; there are Diesel watches.

Harald · 09-28-2015, 05:20 PM

(09-28-2015 05:11 PM)ttw Wrote:
(09-25-2015 03:50 PM)CR Haeger Wrote: Is it the diesel powered DM-15L units that are stopped...?

Perhaps not so farfetched; there are Diesel watches.

Hopefully those don't have emission problems - this might cause serious health issues when worn daily ;-)

Massimo Gnerucci · 09-28-2015, 06:39 PM

(09-28-2015 05:11 PM)ttw Wrote:
(09-25-2015 03:50 PM)CR Haeger Wrote: Is it the diesel powered DM-15L units that are stopped...?

Perhaps not so farfetched; there are Diesel watches.

And Diesel jeans, of course...