Storing the hp50G

[zx_spectrum]

recently i got my self a new hp50G.
i am not intending to use this it right now as i really cannot apart with my beloved 48G.
so i need to store it to be used later when my 48G dies eventually.

1- What is the best way to store the 50G?

2- i have heard people saying that it may be better to store the unit with the keyboard facing upward so that when the internal battery (memory back-up battery) leaks, the acid would seep out through the AAA-battery door and not damage the internal PCB. so why not to store it without the battery all together, hence why not to remove the memory-back up battery before storing the unit since it will eventually die and leak and the machine would remain without a battery anyway ????

[Zaphod]

Remove all batteries - simple
Then you can store it without worries, all it forgets is any user input stuff, the firmware is obviously in non-volatile memory.

[grsbanks]

Exactly.

If there's anything in there that you want to keep then stick it on an SD card first (:3:BKUP ARCHIVE) or transfer it to your computer via USB, then just remove all batteries, no exceptions. Better safe than sorry.

CR2032 and AAA batteries are here to stay for a while longer so I wouldn't be worried about their availability (if/)when you take the 50g out of storage.

I think the 50g is going to be the next "classic" to keep hold of, so you want to give yourself as much chance as possible of keeping it in good condition.

[zx_spectrum]

actually there is nothing on it as i never used it.
thank you for the advice
i am removing all batteries.

and yes i do think that the 50G is the next classic especially that swissmicros doesn't have any planes for DM48.

[grsbanks]

Whenever I see a 50g in good condition going for a reasonable price on TAS, I snap it up. I now own 3 of them with a 4th on its way, and a blue 50g coming too

There's no such thing as "too many" 50g's

[pier4r]

I would gladly inform my brain that the statement above is a poetic license. I have enough 50g (4), I hope. I wish I would have 48 hours days to use them.

[Carsen]

(04-09-2018 06:40 PM)Claudio L. Wrote:  I have 2, one from 2006 (soon after release) and one spare I bought in 2012.
Both have been used daily at work, plus hobby programming, including on-calc coding so the keyboard was used more than average. Functionally, both keyboards are in perfect condition, all keys register, no double presses, no broken keys. The paint held very well, I can't tell the old one from the newer one when viewed from the top (from the bottom, the old one lost 2 of the rubber feet, the glue turned into a gooey semi-liquid compound a couple of years ago, and the feet just fell off).
Other than that, you can't tell which one has 12 years of use. I think that's excellent quality, especially on the paint around the keys.

Link to Claudio's post

I wouldn't say "Made in China" = Bad Quality. As you can read above, Claudio has heavily used his 2006 HP 50g and it still operates like new except for the rubber feet. That's 12 years of use so far!

[grsbanks]

(05-04-2018 02:43 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  Do you really think that any calculator made in China is going to be the next "Classic"

Empirical evidence gathered from this very forum tends to suggest that 50g units do stand the test of time. OK, they're made by Kinpo, not by HP, but would the HP of 2006 agree to slap their logo on any old piece of crap? OK, they're doing just that today but the calculator market has no doubt changed in the intervening 12 years.

(05-04-2018 02:43 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  I have a HP30B & a HP20B both of which were made in China & which are now completely dead. They both probably come out of the same Chinese factory as the HP50G using similar quality materials & processes, which would raise very big concerns about the longevity of the HP50g.

Point taken, but there are also plenty of those models still around that do work just fine.

You sometimes hear gripes about the keyboard layout of the 50g (placing and size of the ENTER key mainly) but do you hear horror stories about the reliability of the 50g that often?

Also, the HP 20B and 30B were released after the 50g, albeit not long for the 20B. Long enough for the manufacturer to find ways to cut costs (by cutting corners) maybe?

[Carsen]

(05-04-2018 03:54 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  Yet here we have someone referring to an example of a group of 4 faulty HP50g's in their possession which have obviously failed the longevity test http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-10005.html

Yes, that's correct. But how did they break? Was someone ripping them apart to see how it works? Was it traumatized by a fall? There is no proof that they didn't break simply by normal use.

[grsbanks]

(05-04-2018 04:07 PM)Carsen Wrote:  Yes, that's correct. But how did they break? Was someone ripping them apart to see how it works? Was it traumatized by a fall? There is no proof that they didn't break simply by normal use.

One thing that's clear is that at least one of them had definitely been messed with. It was a 49g+ with a 50g's faceplate on it.

[DavidM]

(05-04-2018 03:54 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  Yet here we have someone referring to an example of a group of 4 faulty HP50g's in their possession which have obviously failed the longevity test http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-10005.html

Note that the source of the "lot of 4" was a green waste disposal dealer, so the likelihood that they were in disrepair would be much higher than a random sampling of calculators.

I've given my main 50g significant use over the last 12 years, and it has no issues with keys, display, or painted faceplate/key labels. The only pending issue I foresee at present is the rubber feet, which are starting to show the tell-tale signs of "muck" where the adhesive is breaking down.

No one would argue that the construction quality of a 50g is as good as the prior models (up through the 48-series). But my 50g is considerably better built than my 30b. They're simply not in the same class.

Back to the original topic:

I have a 50g backup unit, and noticed not long ago that it had batteries which were already corroded (visible even without opening the package). That prompted me to open it and remove both the CR2032 and the AAAs. Fortunately, the AAA leakage appeared to have been contained by the shrink-wrap plastic in which the batteries were sealed.

If you have a working SD card, there should be no problem re-installing the included software at a later date (if that's even needed).

[Carsen]

I can see that this has become a friendly debate. I like that because it is good to see a different point of view and to have an open mind. However, if we are to continue this debate, we should start a new thread in order to respect this thread's topic.

As for you example for the HP-15C LE, it is a valid point. I trust Namir's testimony. However, anything about the HP-15C LE is irreverent to the HP 50g's build quality. The debate is about the HP 50g being a classic or not, unless you want to change the debate's topic.

[pier4r]

While I know that there may be more solid hp than the 50g (only time will tell) , I wish my bike would be as long lasting as my 50g.

I seem to have products from 2007 to 2013 and all them works .

Also it depends on the complexity. The 50g has surely more complexity than other models and so more can go wrong. I would expect my sharp 506w or the ti34 from 1987 to greatly outlast each of my 50g as they are simpler circuits.

Note that complexity is not necessarily a point of newer models as some old models are made by different chips connected together and not on the same PCB. That adds points of failure as well.

[Carsen]

(05-05-2018 03:01 AM)emersone12 Wrote:  The HP50g would never ever be considered a "classic" HP even after whatever timespan needs to pass to qualify as a "classic".

The HP-65 is a "classic"

It sounds like you know the future already. Anything can happen so the HP 50g technically could be a classic.

To me, the HP-65 is NOT a classic. I was born in the 90's. I never grew up with it, used it, or seen it in person. I have no attachment to it whatsoever. In fact, that large ENTER key is not a classic look to me because I grew up use to small ENTER keys. (I do favor the large ENTER key though).

I am currently growing up with the HP 50g as we speak (or type?). I am tackling university with it and constantly programming it on my spare time. You can bet I will regard it as a classic 30 years down the road.

Do you get it? What deems a "classic" is mostly a personal matter.

I believe that this post reflects your beliefs more than anything. And I disagree with it completely. However, I will approach any argument with an open mind.

[Carsen]

If the term "The Classics" is used as a title for a group of calculators, then why is this debate taking place?

I believe grsbanks was implying the HP 50g would be the next "classic" in the future. It is the last of the RPL machines after all. And that's what this debate seems to be talking about. In short, it was not a debate about the 50g being categorized in the title "The Classics (1972)". So something is amiss here.

[Carsen]

(05-05-2018 03:01 AM)emersone12 Wrote:  THe HP12c is a "classic", the later Chinese built HP-12's & LE model will never be talked about as being "classic".

Then the HP-12C is NOT a Classic. It would be a Voyager. I think there is confusion between if a HP 50g could be the next "classic" or be considered part of "The Classics", which I believe the latter would not be the topic debated.

[pier4r]

(05-05-2018 03:01 AM)emersone12 Wrote:  The HP50g would never ever be considered a "classic" HP even after whatever timespan needs to pass to qualify as a "classic".

Hmm. Thanks for the clarification. Anyway what if I consider it a classic ? I guess no one will die.
With this I mean that labels can be subjective.

To be honest I'm not interested on the fact that it is a classic or not as the 50g for me has a lot of work to do. Only I need to find the time for it.

[Carsen]

(05-05-2018 05:13 AM)Carsen Wrote:  To me, the HP-65 is NOT a classic.

However, I acknowledge that the HP-65 is under the category of calculators known as "The Classics". This sentence is acknowledging that I would not call it a classic on a personal level. That's all.

Sorry it that was not clear.