HP 48G: Repaired and Working! Free With Conditions!

[Sanjeev Visvanatha]

Hello HP Community,

I recently came across a HP-48G here on the Forum Classifieds. The gracious owner (KevGuy) listed it as not working, and it was free if I paid shipping. See this thread:

https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-16452.html

I saw it as a repair learning opportunity for my teenaged son who has an interest in HP Calculators. We received the unit about 10 days ago. Our initial diagnosis was that it needed new keyboard foam as it would not turn on without pressing below the bezel. It also had an entire column of keys that did not register at all, even if we pressed on the bezel.

We had some time this weekend to look at it closer. There was some corrosion in the battery compartment, and indeed the keyboard foam was compressed and worn. We took out the LCD and washed the keyboard assembly in distilled water many times to get rid of any contaminants (which there seemed to be a lot of), and we cleaned the corrosion with a vinegar solution. Finally, we baked the keyboard assembly under very low heat to get rid of any moisture.

Today, we cleaned and assembled the LCD and tested using clamps so as to not twist those twist tabs too many times. After realigning the LCD a few times, we had a fully functional unit that passed all the self tests. The Keyboard now works flawlessly!

The repaired and working calculator plus all the items shown in the initial thread (minus the "HP 48 Catalog", which was given to someone else) are included: Calculator, case, box, manual. In addition, the unit was originally missing the battery cover, and I had one from a 48S lying around, so that is included also. The unit came to us with many dents and dings in the metal bezel, and those are still present. You will be getting a repaired unit that works, but not one that is a museum piece.

See photos of the repaired unit here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1...sp=sharing

Terms:
1. The cost is free + shipping. However, we would like to offer it to someone who will actually use the unit - Not someone hoping to resell it immediately to make money on Auction sites (i.e. TAS)! Since I had received the unit for only the cost of shipping, and since it was repaired as a learning experience, we would like to pay the gesture forward to someone on the Forum who will actually use the unit.

2. If at any time, you do not have use for it anymore, please pass it along to another deserving individual with the same terms.

3. Shipping costs to be paid with PayPal or Interac e-transfer (for Canadian customers). Item ships from the Greater Toronto Area of Canada. Packed weight is 1.054kg. It had cost me about $23 CAD to ship from Western Canada to the GTA. Insurance would be extra if wanted. You would pay for actual shipping costs.

Reply to this thread or PM me if interested!

[rprosperi]

Super nice story, some good cleaning tips and a warm gesture to pass it on Sanjeev, thanks for all of those.

This Forum has great members!

[KevGuy]

(03-29-2021 02:47 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  Super nice story, some good cleaning tips and a warm gesture to pass it on Sanjeev, thanks for all of those.

This Forum has great members!

I would really like to see the unit go to someone who would put it to good use.
I was so glad that Sanjeev and his son could fix this unit. Let’s find a nice home for it.

[Xorand]

I don't need a 48G as I have a near mint working example myself. However, I love this whole idea of passing it along. Hope someone steps up that can really use this.

Also, props to the OP for sharing the repair experience with his teenage son. My Dad would support me in learning electronic assembly, repair and theory when I was a teenager.

[Sanjeev Visvanatha]

Thank you for the feedback in this thread and to those that replied with interest. It went to the first person that had responded.

[spiff72]

(04-02-2021 02:06 AM)Sanjeev Visvanatha Wrote:  Thank you for the feedback in this thread and to those that replied with interest. It went to the first person that had responded.

Thanks to Sanjeev for this! I am looking forward to receiving this calc to supplement my HP Prime and my 50g (which stays in my actual work office). The Prime stays at home, and this 49G will live at home in the home office along with the Prime. The Prime has been a bit of a disappoinment from an RPN programming standpoint. All those "softkeys" on the touchscreen, and NO WAY to assign programs to them!

[johnb]

(04-02-2021 02:06 AM)Sanjeev Visvanatha Wrote:  Thank you for the feedback in this thread and to those that replied with interest. It went to the first person that had responded.

Sanjeev, I just wanted to add to the kudos for getting this into the hands of someone who will USE it! I use most of my collection in rotation, and they are a delight. (I didn't need to ask for the 48-G though... I have two already, a dented one for travel or use outside the house and office, and a near mint one that stays in my home office (or pre-COVID might live for a while in my office at corporate.))

Now all I need is to befriend a young engineer who'd appreciate my collection and use it after I pass on, or at least someone knowledgable nearby who can help my wife get a decent monetary return on each piece. (She's a retired schoolteacher and has NO use for a couple dozen HPs.)