Cheapest Scientific Calculator?

[toml_12953]

I bought a scientific calculator for 1.00 USD at a dollar store. This seems to have everything! It has all the usual log and trig (Deg, Rad and Grad) functions, including hyperbolic. It can work in decimal, hex, octal or binary, (integers only for other than decimal) It has accumulators for statistics sum, sum of squares, standard deviation, n!, it can calculate with complex numbers and generate random numbers. It also has a cube root function which is rather unusual for a scientific calc, I think. There is one memory register and the dynamic range is ±9.999999999e±99. The calculator forensic shows 8.9999998639 which doesn't match any of the calculators in the list at

Calculator Forensic List


Has anyone bought a new (used doesn't count) scientific calculator for less than that? If so, how much was it and what functions does it have?

[rprosperi]

(01-29-2018 03:32 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  I bought a scientific calculator from 1.00 USD at a dollar store. This seems to have everything! It has all the usual log and trig (Deg, Rad and Grad) functions, including hyperbolic. It can work in decimal, hex, octal or binary, (integers only for other than decimal) It has accumulators for statistics sum, sum of squares, standard deviation, n!, it can calculate with complex numbers and generate random numbers. It also has a cube root function which is rather unusual for a scientific calc, I think. There is one memory register and the dynamic range is ±9.999999999e±99. The calculator forensic shows 8.9999998639 which doesn't match any of the calculators in the list at

Calculator Forensic List


Has anyone bought a new (used doesn't count) scientific calculator for less than that? If so, how much was it and what functions does it have?

Which dollar store chain?

What is the Mfr/Model info.

How about a pic?

For a dollar, I'll go find one if I can. This sets a new metric for features/dollar, I think.

[Dave Frederickson]

(01-29-2018 03:42 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Which dollar store chain?

What is the Mfr/Model info.

How about a pic?

For a dollar, I'll go find one if I can. This sets a new metric for features/dollar, I think.

https://www.dollartree.com/Jot-10-Digit-.../index.pro

But, you need to buy a minimum of 4.

We've seen this calc before.

http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/...ead=248485

[Chasfield]

Maybe the calc. is one of those ubiquitous 56 function scientifics. They appear in hundreds of guises and are all based (I think) on an old Sharp ROM.

These devices are quite nice to use, with old-school, post-fix operation for scientific functions but keyboards are likely to be a single-piece rubber membrane.

Since they can be had for less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can take them anywhere without fear of loss.

[TheKaneB]

in a local chinese store I've found some scientific calculators branded "Aurora" which go for 4-5 Euros. They seem to match your description.

I'm tempted to get one, but then I don't have any practical use for that and also they have zero collecting value.

Anyway, a few days ago I got from eBay (still in the shipping process) an HP 39GS for 15 Euros, I bet it's the cheapest graphical calculator (brand new) that you can find.

[Csaba Tizedes]

My brand new SENCOR SEC103 was exactly 10.-USD from a calculator shop in Budapest, Hungary with manual. This is a straight clone of CASIO fx-3650p, but SENCOR faster 2.5 times and the precision is improved. If you want to buy a new programmable unit from a shop this is the cheapest - in Hungary.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-29-2018 05:30 PM)TheKaneB Wrote:  in a local chinese store I've found some scientific calculators branded "Aurora" which go for 4-5 Euros. They seem to match your description.

I'm tempted to get one, but then I don't have any practical use for that and also they have zero collecting value.

Anyway, a few days ago I got from eBay (still in the shipping process) an HP 39GS for 15 Euros, I bet it's the cheapest graphical calculator (brand new) that you can find.

I've got two of them @14€ each incl. shipping.
They arrived today from China: one has already been NewRPLled... :)

[toml_12953]

(01-29-2018 05:14 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  

(01-29-2018 03:42 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Which dollar store chain?

What is the Mfr/Model info.

How about a pic?

For a dollar, I'll go find one if I can. This sets a new metric for features/dollar, I think.

https://www.dollartree.com/Jot-10-Digit-.../index.pro

But, you need to buy a minimum of 4.

Yeah, online it's min 4 but in the Dollar Tree stores, you can buy one at a time.
Plus, you get the legendary Jot quality! (I think Jot quality is a legend anyway! )

[Pekis]

Hello,

Clone of Sharp EL-506P here in Belgium (Traffic store), 2 EUR each, in september 2017 (back to school)...

[damaltor]

I have a clone of a casio casio fx-991ms labeled Olympia when i remember right. It was a business gift, so i do not know the original price, but as a business gift it probably was far below $5. It looks like the casio fx-991ms and even has the same easter egg / test mode like the original, but has extreme low quality with badly working keys. I guess it has the same software but far inferior hardware, though it looks almost identical.

[TheKaneB]

(01-29-2018 10:34 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  

(01-29-2018 05:30 PM)TheKaneB Wrote:  in a local chinese store I've found some scientific calculators branded "Aurora" which go for 4-5 Euros. They seem to match your description.

I'm tempted to get one, but then I don't have any practical use for that and also they have zero collecting value.

Anyway, a few days ago I got from eBay (still in the shipping process) an HP 39GS for 15 Euros, I bet it's the cheapest graphical calculator (brand new) that you can find.

I've got two of them @14€ each incl. shipping.
They arrived today from China: one has already been NewRPLled...

I'll see.. if I like the interface I might leave it as is, otherwise it will become my stable newRPL machine (I don't want to mess with my only 50G).

[rprosperi]

(01-29-2018 03:32 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  The calculator forensic shows 8.9999998639 which doesn't match any of the calculators in the list at

Thanks for pointing out this incredibly cheap (and inexpensive) little scientific calculator. I got mine today and have explored it a bit.

I get a slightly different result for the forensic test, of 8.99999986001, which happens to be exactly what the HP-33S and -35S get, though I am confidant this Chinese wonder tool was not based on a clone of either of those machines.

To be clear, my key sequence is 9, SIN, COS, TAN, ATAN*, ACOS*, ASIN*

* done via yellow [2nd F] key followed by the appropriate primary trig key.

One must then subtract 8.999999 and press [F<->E] to switch display to scientific notation to reveal the full precision.

The keys are incredibly tiny (at least for my fingers) rubber dots and labels are hard to read, but this is still a unique value for only $1.00.

Other observations:

1. One is supposed to press [2nd-F] [ON/C] to activate STAT mode. On my sample this key combination does nothing and I see no other way to access STAT mode. Bug? Can anyone else access STAT mode?

2. The 'manual' (1, 2-sided 6" x 8.5" sheet of paper) describes a [<->] key, but the actual keyboard has a [->] key.

3. Complex mode seems to be quite limited and it's use isn't explained in the manual; you can do basic math operations (+, -, /, *) but not other fucntions; e.g. square root [9,9] returns simply 3.00. Still, who expects complex support in a $1 calculator.

Geez, using algebraic machines with tiny rubber keys is difficult....

Thanks again Tom.

[toml_12953]

(02-01-2018 10:44 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(01-29-2018 03:32 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  The calculator forensic shows 8.9999998639 which doesn't match any of the calculators in the list at

Thanks for pointing out this incredibly cheap (and inexpensive) little scientific calculator. I got mine today and have explored it a bit.

1. One is supposed to press [2nd-F] [ON/C] to activate STAT mode. On my sample this key combination does nothing and I see no other way to access STAT mode. Bug? Can anyone else access STAT mode?

When I press 2nd STAT (the red ON/C key), the STAT indicator comes on in the upper right corner of the display and the ), X->M, RM and M+ keys are redefined. Doesn't it come on for you? I bought both calculators (the one I'm using and the one I bought for you) at the same store although a few months apart.

[rprosperi]

(02-02-2018 01:55 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  When I press 2nd STAT (the red ON/C key), the STAT indicator comes on in the upper right corner of the display and the ), X->M, RM and M+ keys are redefined. Doesn't it come on for you? I bought both calculators (the one I'm using and the one I bought for you) at the same store although a few months apart.

No, on mine it simply acts like the [ON/C] key was pressed (i.e. it does a Clear). Which is a little odd because the [2nd-F] key definitely is recognized (annunciator comes on) and the shift function works properly with all other keys I've tried.

So, while the feature set is remarkable for a $1 calculator, the quality is about as expected for a $1 calculator.

Another interesting thing is on the back of the package (cardboard sheet with clear bubble on the front) it lists:

Battery Manufacture Date: 06 June 2017
Battery Best by Date: 102018

I don't believe I've seen an actual battery mfr. date on any piece of electronics I've purchased before. One would not expect this on such a low cost product, as they often sit in warehouses for years, and this date right on the pkg. would show the item is no longer "best" by that time (assuming anyone would actually read it).

[badaze]

The cheapest scientific calculator I bought was a Casio FX 6800G clone. It cost more or less 6€.
I used it 5 or 10 minutes just to see its capabilities. Then I stored it. A few years later I switched it on and saw the display was missing a lot of pixels... low cost, low quality.

[NetMage]

While it is a lot more, I thought my HP10S+ for $10 delivered from TAS wasn't bad.

[grsbanks]

(03-17-2018 03:14 AM)NetMage Wrote:  While it is a lot more, I thought my HP10S+ for $10 delivered from TAS wasn't bad.

I suppose that's not too bad for a Casio knock-off

Try pressing MODE four times, then '2' to access the undocumented contrast setting adjustment (which doesn't actually do anything).