How do you like the HP 34C?

[Steve Simpkin]

(12-03-2017 01:11 AM)Trond Wrote:  BTW I am just curious here: how do you know if the 34c is soldered or clamped? (without opening it)

From various posts in this forum the most common way is to weigh it. With the batteries installed the original press-fit version weighs about 220-230 g. The newer soldered version is lighter and weighs around 170-180 g.

Another member writes the following:
"Pick one key (calculator ON or OFF), perhaps [ENTER] key and slowly press it till it "clicks" and stops. If the key's upper face (not the top of the key) hides itself in a way the top face almost reaches the keyboard level, then it is a solderless unit. If the key moves just a little bit and the upper face keeps half of it hidden and half appearing, then it is a soldered unit. This is because the solderless units have a single flex circuit that "plays the role" of keyboard contacts, circuit trails and IC's connectors, and the bubble caps for each key are somehow "far" from the keys contacts. The soldered units use metal caps almost like the ones used in the HP41 (and HP75C/D and HP71B) for each key, and their "moving range" is a lot smaller."