HP Forum Archive 07

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HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #1 Posted by Eric Edwards on 15 Mar 2002, 8:36 a.m. I have a HP-32s that has all the rightmost keys not working. Since I have never opened a calculator like this before I was hoping that somebody here had done it and knew how to do it without damaging the calculator. I see no screw holes like the Hp 12C etc. Does anybody know what could be wrong with the keys? Do you think it would be fixable when/if I can open the calculator. Eric :-)

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #2 Posted by Ron Ross on 15 Mar 2002, 8:42 a.m., in response to message #1 by Eric Edwards Read Paul Broggers articles on RAM upgrade for a 42s. (only need to read the part on opening the calc) His instructions are flawless. (Same housing). Good luck,

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #3 Posted by Larry on 15 Mar 2002, 10:14 a.m., in response to message #1 by Eric Edwards You will find Paul Brogger's ram upgrade article at: http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/articles.cgi?read=199 also see Paul's HP-42S repair article at: http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/articles.cgi?read=5 Larry

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #4 Posted by Eric Edwards on 16 Mar 2002, 6:37 a.m., in response to message #3 by Larry Thank you all! I took it apart as described by Paul Brogger. (Couldn't have done it without his help, thanks Paul.) After a little bit of fiddling taking out the PCB I found the error. All keys are working again!!! Actually I had two HP-32S with excatly the same problem and they both were fixed the same way :) But how do I put the casing back together again? Preferably so it can be openened without too much difficulties in the future! Any ideas? Eric

Re: HP-32S: How do I close the casing again? Message #5 Posted by Paul Brogger on 18 Mar 2002, 11:15 a.m., in response to message #4 by Eric Edwards Mr. Edwards: I've taken apart just about every Pioneer model I own. They're easily made to stick back together, if you haven't drilled the upper heat stakes too deeply. I just trim the mushroomed ends of the four lower heat stakes so they're just slightly larger than the posts themselves, and pop the sides back together again. (Don't cut the mushroomed ends off or shorten them -- just trim their widths so they squeeze back into the holes in the metal backing plate.) The friction bond seems to stand up to most normal use. I dropped one once and one side separated slightly, but the halves didn't come completely apart. If the top end doesn't stay together satisfactorily, you may use a soldering iron to melt the posts and holes together again. The 32S is easily my favorite HP model for daily use. They're definitely worth the effort to keep 'em running. I hope things work for you -- good luck!

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #6 Posted by Eric Edwards on 16 Mar 2002, 7:11 a.m., in response to message #3 by Larry One more thing. I have never used the HP-32s and have no manual. Doesit have a selftest like the HP 15C? Keyboard and CPU? I could not find anything on the HP-32S article itself, maybe it is somewhere else? Eric

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #7 Posted by Eric Edwards on 16 Mar 2002, 8:21 p.m., in response to message #6 by Eric Edwards My mistake. Found it under: http://www.hpmuseum.org/features/32sf.htm See: notes as I guess with all featured calculators at the HP-museum "press and hold the yx key and press the ON/C key" etc... One past without problems but the other still have some problems, needs a litle bi uo adjustment I guess. Eric

Re: HP-32S: How do I open the casing without damaging the calculator? Message #8 Posted by David Smith on 15 Mar 2002, 5:27 p.m., in response to message #1 by Eric Edwards These machines were never meant to be opened or repaired. Once you open the machine, repairing the keyboard is just about impossible. It is heat staked down with a zillion melted plastic rivets. Even if you cut them all loose, getting the keyboard back with good feel is highly unlikely. I have had some success by imersing the machine in an ultrasonic cleaner. Repeat three times with distilled water. Dry for 24 hours in an oven on low (< 140 F) heat. Since this is a risky operation, only recommended as a last resort... like a dead row of keys.

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