Two kinds of HP-41 Blanknuts?

[Joe Horn]

AFAIK, the HP-41 "Option 001" (AKA "Blanknut") was internally a 41C, never a CV or CX. But some photos of Blanknuts have the 41C's silver border around the keyboard, and some have the gold CV/CX border. So ... are there two different versions of the Blanknut (other than the color of the keyboard border!), and if so, what are their differences? My searches have come up empty. Thanks in advance either for an answer or for a pointer to an answer.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(12-01-2020 05:44 AM)Joe Horn Wrote:  AFAIK, the HP-41 "Option 001" (AKA "Blanknut") was internally a 41C, never a CV or CX. But some photos of Blanknuts have the 41C's silver border around the keyboard, and some have the gold CV/CX border. So ... are there two different versions of the Blanknut (other than the color of the keyboard border!), and if so, what are their differences? My searches have come up empty. Thanks in advance either for an answer or for a pointer to an answer.

Definitely not.
Here is one of my blanknut CVs.

   

[Joe Horn]

(12-01-2020 07:27 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  Definitely not.
Here is a CV blanknut.

Aha! Thanks; good to know. Both MoHPC's '41 writeup and Craig Finseth's HPDATAbase imply that blanknuts are all 41C's inside, but those writeups are very old. Anybody have a non-frankencalc CX blanknut?

[Sylvain Cote]

(12-01-2020 09:19 AM)Joe Horn Wrote:  

(12-01-2020 07:27 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  Definitely not.
Here is a CV blanknut.

Aha! Thanks; good to know. Both MoHPC's '41 writeup and Craig Finseth's HPDATAbase imply that blanknuts are all 41C's inside, but those writeups are very old. Anybody have a non-frankencalc CX blanknut?

Hello Joe,
I think I have all or most blanknuts versions (C, CV & CX with FN & HN variants)
I am at work now (GMT-5h), I will check when I am back home and post my finding then.
Sylvain

[PeterP]

here is my CX Blanknut HN

Cheers

PeterP

[Joe Horn]

Thanks, Sylvain & Peter!

Anybody have a 41CL Blanknut? That would be unique!

[rprosperi]

(12-01-2020 09:08 PM)Joe Horn Wrote:  Thanks, Sylvain & Peter!

Anybody have a 41CL Blanknut? That would be unique!

Heh, heh... I suspect more than one person is already scheming to be the first CL-BN owner... well played!

[Sylvain Cote]

(12-01-2020 03:13 PM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  ... I will check when I am back home and post my finding then.

These are the blank-nuts that I have ...

[rprosperi]

@sylvain - none of your Blanknuts have the bar that covers the USER & PRGM keys?

Is that bar removable?

[Sylvain Cote]

(12-02-2020 04:04 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  @sylvain - none of your Blanknuts have the bar that covers the USER & PRGM keys?

Is that bar removable?

Sure, easy to install and remove, it is only a small clip over plastic cap.

[hth]

I find it weird that HP did not have the backarrow key visible on the keyboard. It should be more useful than the +-*/ keys, to indicate how to correct an incorrect key press in a multi digit entry?

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(12-02-2020 06:32 PM)hth Wrote:  I find it weird that HP did not have the backarrow key visible on the keyboard. It should be more useful than the +-*/ keys, to indicate how to correct an incorrect key press in a multi digit entry?

Or ENTER^, for that matter.

[rprosperi]

From a manufacturing point of view, it's (much) easier/cheaper to suppress printing entire horizontal lines. If you include the [CHS] and [EEX] labels, in order to retain the [ENTER] and [<-] labels, you really do lose the 'generic/simple' appearance that the BN has, and you need to explain what those mean, etc.

For double-shot keys, I assume the problems are similar, but honestly never was involved with that mfg. process.