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HP Forum Archive 14

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HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #1 Posted by Chris Catotti (Florida) on 25 Mar 2004, 10:35 a.m.

Has anyone seen a precission die-cut card-stock overlay for the HP-41C before? I believe they came in a tablet, and each overlay is about the thickness of a 3 x 5 inch index card. Does anyone have any idea what it would cost to make more? It looks like:

      
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #2 Posted by bill platt on 25 Mar 2004, 10:50 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Catotti (Florida)

These days, you see CNC type or even LASER CNC used for jewelry and trinkets---these sorts of devices should not be very expensive.

regards,

Bill

      
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #3 Posted by Raymond Del Tondo on 25 Mar 2004, 11:38 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Catotti (Florida)

Hi,

back in the eighties these precision cut paper kbd overlays were available here in Germany, too. However, I more like the plastic ones because their stability and nicer look.

Raymond

            
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #4 Posted by Bill Wiese on 25 Mar 2004, 3:14 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by Raymond Del Tondo

I went to college with this dude who created these!!

The guy is John Hudson, who came up w/the idea. John wanted these for experimentation/development, etc. and didn't wanna use up his existing 2 plastic overlays which were all set up for his USER-key profiles. I think it was around 1984?, and I believe these even got into the EduCalc catalog.

I've lost contact w/John for ages now, but he was the dude!

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA

                  
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #5 Posted by Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz on 27 Mar 2004, 9:01 p.m.,
in response to message #4 by Bill Wiese

I think several people had the idea of card overlays independently, not only John Hudson. The blocks of overlays were sold by a company called Star Fleet Engineering by someone who was also a PPC enthusiast so they were available via PPC as well as EduCALC. I think it was David Shier, but would be happy to be corrected. These overlays had two double-size holes in the row where the ENTER key was, so they could be used either way round - an idea that Richard Nelson pointed out HP had missed when designing their plastic overlays.

Wlodek

      
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #6 Posted by David Yerka on 26 Mar 2004, 1:22 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Catotti (Florida)

I still have some blank ones. Got mine through PPC when I was a member. I came accross them in a file folder with sheets of rub on letters a few weeks back. As I remember it was some kind of deal because I think I got a couple of hex table/byte code reference cards for synthetic programming as well. I still remember painstakingly rubbing on discriptors for keys then spraying on several coats of fixative-top & bottom-to preserve them. Susprisingly, they held up pretty well & I remember how impressed engineering students were that I had a "customise-able" calculator.

            
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #7 Posted by erik jones(9122) on 26 Mar 2004, 2:37 p.m.,
in response to message #6 by David Yerka

I got mine from the PPC as well-that as I recall was one of the many products-applications the club or its members suggested that other members made happen. The hp-41 answering machine was one of the ones that floored me as a high school student..anything seemed possible with the 41. oh yeah 9122 my PPC member # ->- ->-

                  
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #8 Posted by Veli-Pekka Nousiainen on 27 Mar 2004, 7:52 a.m.,
in response to message #7 by erik jones(9122)

I'm not sure if I understand correctley, but I think I have a few HP-41 plastic overlays stashed somewhere. How many do you need?
The price is: HP-15C
[VPN]

      
Re: HP-41C Card-stock Paper keyboard overlay
Message #9 Posted by Giuseppe Marullo on 28 Mar 2004, 4:29 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris Catotti (Florida)

Chris, there are cheap services that cut plastic sheets with a laser beam for few bucks, and in low qty. It is a useful service for hobby robots builders.

            
Do you have the link ?
Message #10 Posted by Artur - Brasil on 28 Mar 2004, 8:06 p.m.,
in response to message #9 by Giuseppe Marullo

Hello Giuseppe

Could you inform some address of this kind of enterprise? Artur

                  
Re: Do you have the link ?
Message #11 Posted by giuseppe on 29 Mar 2004, 12:32 a.m.,
in response to message #10 by Artur - Brasil

Check your email, Artur :)


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