HP 50G question

[hp41cx]

Does the HP50G in its packaging come with the batteries installed? I bought some sealed and I have this doubt

[Carsen]

Every new sealed HP 50g I have ever received had the CR2032 & 4x AAA batteries taped onto the plastic covering that enveloped the calculator case. In short, they were not installed in the calculator.

[hp41cx]

Thanks for the answer. I wanted to keep them for an extended period, do you think it would be dangerous for the batteries to leak and damage something?

[John Keith]

Alkaline cells can leak after extended storage. Heat and humidity exacerbate the problem. It would be advisable to remove the batteries from the package if "extended" means more than a year or two.

[ijabbott]

I bought a cheap, "new old stock" TI-89 Titanium where the alkaline batteries had leaked inside the blister pack. (I can't remember if the batteries were also wrapped in cellophane or not.) It didn't do any permanent damage other than the inside of the packaging and the outside of the calculator being covered in magic pixie dust. (The pre-installed, lithium memory back-up battery was also dead, but hadn't leaked.)

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the battery leakage also stained one edge of the pages of the manual, but as the pages are coated and tightly bound, it didn't penetrate into the pages.

[Carsen]

I am pretty sure the calculator itself will be protected from the batteries. This is because the AAA's are wrapped tightly in plastic packaging & taped to the back of the black cardboard that separates the calculator from the rest of the package contents.

However, if the AAA's leak out of the plastic, it'll probably leak on the quick start guide & cable. Again, I think the calculator will be fine because of the black cardboard. Also, the calculator case should be fine because of the plastic it's wrapped in. I don't think a CR2032 will leak out of it's plastic packaging but I've never seen a button battery leak before.

If these were my calculators & I wanted to sell them as an unopened unit in the future, I would take the risk of leaving the batteries in the package.

Here's a video of someone unboxing the 50g on YouTube. It might help form your own conclusion on what to do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WgCrclUUc8

*I am assuming your 50g units are coming in the newer packaging. It's all black and has a cardboard back

[jlind]

Alkalines will eventually leak. It's not a matter of if but when. Cool, dry storage will extend their shelf life. Storage in a refrigerator is best (but not in a freezer; freezing batteries is bad for them). Warm, humid storage will shorten shelf life. I've seen packaging of "new old stock" of calculators being sold on eBay of calculators that are several years old, where the AAA cells are visible in the bubble pack, and one or more of them have obviously leaked. The Lithium coin cell shouldn't leak. That would be extremely unusual, but would test one that's been sitting on a shelf for a long time and wouldn't trust it. If you plan on long-term storage, it should be in a cool, dry place and you should be checking on them every year. If you cannot see the batteries from outside the package, it's unfortunate.

John