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Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
03-16-2017, 09:25 PM
Post: #41
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I defiantly wouldn't scrap it, too much sentimental value.

I'm just trying to remember how to use it again Smile
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03-17-2017, 12:19 AM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2017 02:24 AM by brickviking.)
Post: #42
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(03-16-2017 05:15 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  
(03-16-2017 05:01 PM)EugeneNine Wrote:  I've been wondering though, ... Is no one using the older models much anymore? Is my 48SX more of a collectors piece than a tool now.

I keep a 48SX with a 128 KB card in it on my desk. That one's the best I've found in terms of the balance between functionality, usability, and durability. Don't scrap your SX and give in to the cult of the new!

I must say as a HP-50G owner that I certainly appreciate the USB connectivity and the ability to use off-the-shelf (at least for ten years ago) SD cards as storage, and not have to source a diminishing stock of rare-at-the-time cards. And what modern computers have serial as standard? I also appreciate the speed of the 50G. In saying that, if classic (H48SX classic??? HA!) calculators keep doing the job you need them to do and they provide reasonable speed, I say keep with them until they eventually fall over. My, this is a diversion, isn't it.

Something else I use my other calculator for (in this case, a fx9750GII) is to provide me with a grocery totalling program. I've mentioned this somewhere else in this particular forum, but effectively I can add entries to one of five categories, sum those individual categories for a grand total, and additionally provide a tax figure for that total. The app I wrote also includes the ability to use five temporary variables for later price calculation. When prompted for a price, I can multiply by one of these variables. Check out this link for further details.

(Post 57)

Regards, BrickViking
HP-50g |Casio fx-9750G+ |Casio fx-9750GII (SH4a)
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03-17-2017, 02:02 AM
Post: #43
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I always wanted a memory card, never was able to get one, I see them on ebay or amazon but lots of $$$.

Its easy enough to make a pcb now a days I wonder if I could just make one.

Serial is not a big deal, $10 generic USB-serial adapter works fine. I use it for my tek scope too.
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03-17-2017, 09:57 PM
Post: #44
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I programmed my HP42S back in the 1990's as a text editor. I bypassed the clunky 42S alpha entry menu mode and redefined the keyboard. Output to a personal computer was via the "HookUp", a IR to serial converter. The text was stored on the HP42S in a matrix since the 42S accepts alpha characters as matrix data. Have not used this program for many years, but maybe it has a future with the Swiss Micros 42S which MIGHT have direct alpha key entry.

PHP Code:
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01>LBL "TEXT"
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>LBL A
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=Y?
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>LBL 01
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"A"
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#0?
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"."
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#Y?
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>LBL b
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09
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>LBL 38
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"'"
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"!"
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"?"
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>LBL 49
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"�"
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>LBL e
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"TXTM"
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"TXTM"
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+
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#Y?
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>LBL d
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09
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>LBL 56
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"7"
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"8"
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>LBL 58
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"9"
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"*"
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"4"
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"6"
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"/"
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"1"
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"2"
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"3"
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>LBL 69
242 1
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244 DIM 
"TXTM"
245 BEEP
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>LBL 71
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"0"
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>LBL 72
251  
","
252 RTN
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>LBL 74
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"TXTM"
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>LBL 75
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"TXTM"
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+
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81
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280
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>LBL 51
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>LBL 52
283
>LBL 53
284
>LBL 60
285 RTN
286 END 
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03-20-2017, 12:24 PM
Post: #45
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I use mine to keep coin cell battery manufacturers in business! Does that count?

;-)
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03-21-2017, 07:41 PM (This post was last modified: 03-21-2017 07:44 PM by pier4r.)
Post: #46
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(03-16-2017 05:01 PM)EugeneNine Wrote:  I've been wondering though, and I probably should have started a new thread, I see quite a bit of new posts in the Prime section in the short time I signed up for the forum but not a lot in any of the other calculator sub-forums. Is no one using the older models much anymore? Is my 48SX more of a collectors piece than a tool now.

I suppose, as usual, that the last product gets more attention. Moreover for existing products a lot was written already (although new questions always exist).

My hp50g is far from being dismissed, I can barely make a dent in its math library (although I have to do my programs as well).

Once I will kow the math library of the hp50g inside out, then I will think about others. Not only hp but also, I'm interested by the nspire series. of course this means I will have to live 250 years.

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03-23-2017, 09:03 PM
Post: #47
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I remember using my HP-41CV as a text editor. Back in 1984 I needed to write a letter of resignation to my employer and my old typewriter (remember those) was out of ink, so I wrote it on the HP-41 with the full page HP-IL printer. It did the job.


Regards,
Bob
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03-26-2017, 08:31 PM
Post: #48
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I've done various non-maths stuff with my HP calculators. The most fun are probably these:
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03-28-2017, 07:56 AM
Post: #49
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
My non-math related development for HP-48/49/50 calculators:

https://www.hrastprogrammer.com/hrastwood/
https://hrastprogrammer.bandcamp.com/
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03-28-2017, 07:48 PM
Post: #50
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(03-23-2017 09:03 PM)bshoring Wrote:  I remember using my HP-41CV as a text editor. Back in 1984 I needed to write a letter of resignation to my employer and my old typewriter (remember those) was out of ink, so I wrote it on the HP-41 with the full page HP-IL printer. It did the job.

I wrote a very full-featured (for the time) text editor for my HP-71 and did an awful lot of typing of work memos and other things on it in the late 1980's, then decided I better slow down when they discontinued the 71, in case I'd wear out the keyboard and not be able to get a replacement. One of the countless things I wrote on it was a letter of resignation too.

I use the 41cx's text editor frequently, but it's so slow I can't imagine using it for something like a letter of resignation unless it was very short and to the point. At that point, you might as well write it on a Post-It note and stick it on the boss's door! Big Grin

http://WilsonMinesCo.com  (Lots of HP-41 links at the bottom of the links page, at http://wilsonminesco.com/links.html#hp41 )
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11-19-2017, 02:55 PM
Post: #51
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
Maybe someone already wrote it, but I recently realized that calculators can be used to store sensible(i) passwords (of course, unless one has many calculators, it is not good to store passwords only in them).
If they are reliable and used from time to time there is a good chance that the password will be still there after years.

This especially for systems with robust and/or external memory like the 50g.

Instead data on a computer/tablet/mobile can get lost for many other reasons (first and foremost due to technological changes, resets due to software problems, data erasure by mistake and so on).

For example I was reading about bitcoins for long time savings and bitcoins expose all the problems that one has with digital files. See the discussion here: http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-9399.html .

Now assuming that the BTC protocol won't change and BTC nodes will be more or less trustworthy (those are bold assumptions), one way to store savings are paper wallets. A calculator can be a amazing sort of "paper" wallet if it has memory that lasts long. Plus this little data could make the calculator even more worthy than it is.

(i): although the utility of the data protected by the password is subjective. One could be extra paranoid about his data while literally no one else cares about it.

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11-20-2017, 06:05 AM
Post: #52
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
Everything with numbers is math related, I use calculator with Random Function to do lottery random quick pick numbers.

Gamo
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11-20-2017, 07:25 AM
Post: #53
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I use my HP-41 to help me develop film. It tells me when to agitate and when to switch chemicals.

Håkan
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11-28-2017, 03:05 AM
Post: #54
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I've got an HP Prime that fried a several thousand dollar computer when I tried to upgrade the Prime OS. It's currently a paperweight.
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11-28-2017, 08:44 AM
Post: #55
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(11-28-2017 03:05 AM)ttw Wrote:  I've got an HP Prime that fried a several thousand dollar computer when I tried to upgrade the Prime OS. It's currently a paperweight.

ouch, and how?

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11-28-2017, 09:52 AM
Post: #56
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(11-28-2017 08:44 AM)pier4r Wrote:  
(11-28-2017 03:05 AM)ttw Wrote:  I've got an HP Prime that fried a several thousand dollar computer when I tried to upgrade the Prime OS. It's currently a paperweight.

ouch, and how?

Make no mistake, this only shows that the Prime power has to be taken seriously Smile

Jose Mesquita
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11-28-2017, 04:13 PM
Post: #57
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
My 41 makes my married life easier.

I make my coffee using a stove top Moka Pot - on a glass topped electric stove. When I first bought the pot I didn't bother reading directions, I just turned the burner on HIGH, thinking the quicker the better. What got me to read the directions was forgetting the pot was on the stove while I was off doing something else. I ended up doing a nice heat treat to the stainless steel bottom when all the water boiled away, it is now a permanent straw color. More dire, the glass top on the stove cracked from the excessive heat. That mistake cost me a new stove top and an evening's install to make the wife happy again.

The directions for the Moka pot say to run a medium heat and to turn the heat down before it starts gurgling at the end of the brew. So now, when making a pot, I turn the heat to 5. (I just noticed the stove dial goes to 11! ;-) It starts at LOW, then 1-9, and HIGH.) I then run a timer program on my 41-CX:

01 LBL 'MOKA
02 STOPSW
03 'HEAT=5: R/S
04 PROMPT
05 -0.0745
06 SETSW
07 RUNSW
08 END

When the countdown alarm sounds, I lower the heat and shortly thereafter the pot gently gurgles, indicating the coffee is ready. The coffee tastes better and the wife is happy!

Steve
In order of appearance: HP 41CV, CMT-MCGPS, HP 41CX, DM 41, DM 42
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11-28-2017, 07:06 PM
Post: #58
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
I mentioned this here when it happened (probably on the Prime subforum). I inserted the usb cable into the Prime then put the other end into the usb port on the computer. There was a flash and the computer was dead. Some searching on the internet claims that this is not uncommon (not necessarily just with the Prime) when trying to power a device from a computer. It seems that the protection on the computer and the device may not be enough to prevent a short. It was a shocker.

Thus I did order another HP50g (which is bein used so much that the letters are wearing off) for preliminary work (successful ideas transferred to the PC).
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11-28-2017, 07:57 PM
Post: #59
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
(11-28-2017 04:13 PM)4ster Wrote:  My 41 makes my married life easier.

<snip>

The directions for the Moka pot say to run a medium heat and to turn the heat down before it starts gurgling at the end of the brew. So now, when making a pot, I turn the heat to 5. (I just noticed the stove dial goes to 11! ;-) It starts at LOW, then 1-9, and HIGH.) I then run a timer program on my 41-CX:

01 LBL 'MOKA
02 STOPSW
03 'HEAT=5: R/S
04 PROMPT
05 -0.0745
06 SETSW
07 RUNSW
08 END

When the countdown alarm sounds, I lower the heat and shortly thereafter the pot gently gurgles, indicating the coffee is ready. The coffee tastes better and the wife is happy!

You can use XYZALM instead, and then you won't be not taking the 20mA of battery current to run the stopwatch. Do something like:

Code:
.0745   \ (for 7 min, 45 sec)
TIME
HMS+
0
0
0
R↑
XYZALM

Then you can even turn the 41 off, and when the time comes, it will turn itself on and sound the alarm, which you clear with <shift>C.

It could be re-arranged to get rid of the roll-up instruction, but I have it in a subroutine so you start with the desired delay in X and call it.

http://WilsonMinesCo.com  (Lots of HP-41 links at the bottom of the links page, at http://wilsonminesco.com/links.html#hp41 )
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11-29-2017, 08:09 AM
Post: #60
RE: Have you used your calculator for something that was not really math related?
Good point. I find I am much better at remembering to run the program again at the end to stop the timer than I am at remembering to turn off the stove. So the clock is only running for less than 8 minutes drawing 20ma. It saves me having to remember to clear past due alarms. Thanks for posting that though, makes more sense to do it that way.

Steve
In order of appearance: HP 41CV, CMT-MCGPS, HP 41CX, DM 41, DM 42
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