Russian RPN calculator series Elektronika MK

[Eddie W. Shore]

(05-22-2019 05:40 PM)burkhard Wrote:  

(05-22-2019 01:27 PM)Karl-Ludwig Butte Wrote:  Does anybody here in the forum has any experiences in buying such devices via TAS from these countries of origin? Are the sellers trustworthy and reliable? And what about customs? Or would you recommend to wait for an offer that would be shipped from ones home country even if it is more expansive?

Last but not least what do you think how important are Elektronika RPN calculators for any serious calculator collection?

I bought one (MK52) out of Ukraine and it came in the condition promised (mint) and worked fine. The price a year ago was $35 + $20 shipping which I considered OK. I would not pay extra to get one shipped from a domestic source. These things are not very rare or expensive, so the risk is not so great anyhow. Most of the sellers sell a LOT of stuff on the auction site, so I suspect they value keeping a good reputation, just like they would anywhere.

I'm in the USA and I never seem to get charged duty for any of the overseas stuff I buy off TAS, and that has been a bunch over the years. The US customs people it seems do not concern themselves with such "little stuff".

Regular AA batteries fit the MK52 *very* tightly... stresses things more than I would like. The flat-top ones, being a little shorter, are better. I would recommend these.

These things are not up to the build quality of old HP calculators by any means, but for a serious (or even casual like me) collector are a nice piece of history and great conversation piece for the office desk. I think they are a good value.

I agree regarding the batteries, the fit isn't very good. I don't where I could find the flat-top batteries.