Hello Old Friend

[aurelio]

(04-13-2017 07:50 PM)Gerson W. Barbosa Wrote:  

(04-13-2017 07:25 PM)pier4r Wrote:  Anyway it was exactly the same model that you have on the left.... no wait, it was a TI calculator, I remember the logo. Did the TI have a similar model?

This one, perhaps? 'Similar' might sound heretic, though.

[pic removed for heretic reasons]

I agree, "heretic"

so I say all the people who ask me "TI?" when I start to talk about my love for handeld scientific calculators .....

[John Smitherman]

For some reason the pattern in the OP's faulty LCD reminds me of a Don Quixote statue.




John

[DavidM]

Old thread, but there's an update.

Some time back I acquired a 39g to act as a donor for a display replacement for my damaged 48sx, and I finally decided to get it off my "todo" list -- by sending it to Adam Jones (museum member aj04062) for repairs.

Adam did a great job, and I'm happy to share that my old friend is feeling (and looking) much better now. Thanks Adam!

@John Smitherman: I felt like the "splotch" had a familiar shape, but wasn't able to recall the source until you mentioned the Don Quixote connection. Nice.

[aj04062]

Looks awesome! I think the SX look better with the Black LCD than the original GX!

[brickviking]

(11-25-2017 12:19 AM)aj04062 Wrote:  Looks awesome! I think the SX look better with the Black LCD than the original GX!

I've always thought that, since I saw the screenshots of the SX/GX LCD screens. The screen from the 39G was a good choice.

(Post 133)

[Garth Wilson]

(11-24-2017 11:53 PM)DavidM Wrote:  and I finally decided to get it off my "todo" list -- by sending it to Adam Jones (museum member aj04062) for repairs.

Adam did a great job, and I'm happy to share that my old friend is feeling (and looking) much better now. Thanks Adam!

Does Adam Jones have a repair service for these things, or was this just a one-off, a personal favor?

[AndiGer]

Adam Jones' offer in classified section:
http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-9068.html

[pier4r]

Nice and what a nice contrast!

Can I achieve the same on the 50g?

[rprosperi]

@Garth - Adam does all kinds of repairs, including things not mentioned in these posts. Contact him and ask about whatever you would like done.

@pier4r - The 50g already has a very high contrast black LCD, so no you can't improve it by swapping with other donor machines; there are no machines with better contrast LCD of the same size/resolution. But I find the 50g very clear and easy to read as-is; if you have trouble, try tweaking the contrast with [ON] [+]/[-].

[DavidM]

(11-25-2017 10:58 AM)pier4r Wrote:  Nice and what a nice contrast!

Can I achieve the same on the 50g?

I believe part of the enhanced contrast of the replaced 48sx display is due to the fact that it has less on top of it now.

It's been a while, but I remember removing the display cover of my 49g+ once to remove some debris and noticing how much better the contrast was while it was off.

The new display on the 48sx definitely has the best contrast of any of my 48-50's. But I suspect it also has the least protection. With the black LCD, it is now the best overall combination of form factor/color scheme/key feel of my RPL units (IMHO). The noticeable delays in responsiveness that I was easily able to ignore in 1990 are a bit more obvious now, though.

[rprosperi]

(11-25-2017 02:26 PM)DavidM Wrote:  The new display on the 48sx definitely has the best contrast of any of my 48-50's. But I suspect it also has the least protection. With the black LCD, it is now the best overall combination of form factor/color scheme/key feel of my RPL units (IMHO). The noticeable delays in responsiveness that I was easily able to ignore in 1990 are a bit more obvious now, though.

I agree, the black LCD SX has by far the best appearance and 'feel' of any of the RPL family, but the lag is surely noticeable, especially when having just used a 50g. And although highly subjective, with this superior display the SX seems somehow more reliable; I guess since I don't have to work as hard to read it, I'm more confidant in its results.

[pier4r]

(11-25-2017 02:21 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  But I find the 50g very clear and easy to read as-is; if you have trouble, try tweaking the contrast with [ON] [+]/[-].

did not know [ON] [+]/[-]. It helped, well I had already the best contrast.

The point is that I should really stop to use the calculators with dim lights. I should do like when I read books, opening a light for it. (Imagine a cloudy and rainy day, and I have no light open)

Somehow I have the funny idea that LCD are always retro-illuminated.

[brickviking]

(11-25-2017 04:41 PM)pier4r Wrote:  Somehow I have the funny idea that LCD are always retro-illuminated.

Not when the lights are out. Normally, light comes in the front, is reflected off the backplane (taking a 90 degree phase change in the process), and back out to the eye, obscured by whatever pixels and annunciators get turned on. So in a way, it's "back"-lit. If you have no light, it can't be retro-illuminated. (unless I've got a incorrect understanding of LCDs)

(Post 134)

[EugeneNine]

They actually make front lit LCD's, they are usually used when you want something that readable outdoors like a handheld GPS for hiking. They have a special reflective layer in front that directs a side light down into the back reflector. My old Garmin is setup that way.