HP-41 display units Message #3 Posted by Karl Schneider on 11 Mar 2006, 1:50 a.m., in response to message #1 by Andreas Terzis
Andreas --
Yes indeed, the displays on the older "Fullnut" HP-41's from 1979-1985 are more legible than the later "Halfnut" units from 1985-1990. In fact, the characters are most "solid" on the earliest US-made HP-41C and HP-41CV models from 1979-80(?), presumably until manufacture shifted to Singapore.
The Singapore-made Fullnuts have characters that are less bold, but taller, and are still pretty good.
The Halfnut display characters, though, are terrible, with wide spaces between segments. I don't know why the changes were made, other than perhaps cost-cutting.
I have one of each (1980 41C; 1984 41CX; 1986 41CV).
If the characters are faint with poor contrast at normal viewing angles, there may be an internal problem. I once saw a Halfnut 41CX with those kind of symptoms. Halfnut display contrast is settable using certain non-HP ROM's, to my understanding.
-- KS
|