HP Forum Archive 16

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HP67 Wear--the final verdict Message #1 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 1:01 p.m. The HP67 arrived today and with respect to the cosmetics the assessment of the somewhat more optimistic Steve is, thankfully, correct. In the original listing, the thing was just plain filthy. Cleaned up pretty good with a little isopropanol and water. Yes, there is glossing around the keys, and, yes, there is some slight wear of a couple of the labels (SIN and P<>S) in particular, but in general it looks a lot better than the original flash photographs. Unlike the 65 I just got, it turns on fine, there is no slider switch contact issue, and all of the keys seem pretty good. As for the Surveyor Pac and Standard Pac cards, there are a couple of data cards missing for one the obscure survey programs, so I won't miss them. The entire set of Standard Pac cards is all there. Of course the card reader doesn't work. I am really pleased with this acquisition, and am sort of glad now the seller's original pics were so lousy. If it looked better in photos it probably would've fetched more. Now, to repack it all and send it to Randy! Les Edited: 13 Jan 2007, 2:23 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

Re: But a big problem.... Message #2 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 1:24 p.m., in response to message #1 by Les Wright The rightmost digit of the display (second exponent digit) is entirely not there! Just burnt out totally. Not a single segment lights up! I hope Randy can do something with this. This seems to be something a little less than routine. Les

Re: But a big problem.... Message #3 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 5:17 p.m., in response to message #2 by Les Wright Has anyone any clue about the underpinnings of this missing digit issue? I have sent the thing off for repair and I hope for the best, but it seems serious to me.... Les

Re: But a big problem.... Message #4 Posted by Jeff O. on 13 Jan 2007, 6:08 p.m., in response to message #3 by Les Wright Les, Going from what might be fuzzy memory, the missing digit could be due to a few possible causes: a bad LED display chip. If I recall correctly, there are three LED display chips, each with 5 digits. I believe that they can be replaced, but only with "donors" from another classic calculator. There is also an issue with getting the brightness of the digits to match in a replacement. Perhaps Randy has a stock of display chips which could be used to fix the problem if it is a bad display chip. a bad LED display driver chip. I believe this chip can also be replaced with a donor from another classic calculator, and perhaps Randy has these also. a bad connection from the display driver to the display chip. I don’t recall the exact circuit configuration, but with a whole digit out, this sounds possible. It should also be fixable. I think there are some small inductors involved in the display circuitry, but I don’t recall how likely they are to fail or how easily they might be replaced.

Re: But a big problem.... Message #5 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 6:29 p.m., in response to message #4 by Jeff O. I believe Randy buys up and cannabalizes dead Classics all the time, so I believe he will be able to fix this given any of the scenarios you offer. Les

Re: But a big problem.... Message #6 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 7:45 p.m., in response to message #4 by Jeff O. Randy's preliminary opinion, sight unseen, seems to option 1 or 2. He has the parts, and has made me aware of the intensity matching issue. What a nuisance--but I am glad it is fixable! Les

Re: HP67 Wear--the final verdict Message #7 Posted by Les Wright on 13 Jan 2007, 2:41 p.m., in response to message #1 by Les Wright Quote: As for the Surveyor Pac and Standard Pac cards, there are a couple of data cards missing for one the obscure survey programs, so I won't miss them. The entire set of Standard Pac cards is all there. Correction! Two of the cards were doubled up in slips in the case, so the sets are complete. Whether they still work is another matter.... Les

Re: HP67 Wear--the final verdict Message #8 Posted by Albrecht Brenner on 23 Jan 2007, 2:09 p.m., in response to message #1 by Les Wright Hello all, I got a HP 67 today. Got it from ebay (Germany) at a moderate price. The calculator arrived in a perfect cosmetic condition, as if it was put into an ultrasonic cleaner as a whole... Battery is missing an minor signs of corrosion at the contacts are visible. The conversion label on the backside is not damaged. Either the calculator has never been opened, or the label was replaced by a new one. However, the screws blow the rubber feet were not fully tightened, elevating visually the rubber. At a first look, the display was working ordinarily, including the exponents. But when I tightened the bolts, its brightness faded and then intermitently came back, depending on the state of these two bolts. Key clicks seem acceptable, but some of the keys do not respond at all, some give a faulty response, 9 on the display, when 8 has been pressed. As no battery is available, I can't say anything about the card reader. I bought this calculator, because I used to have one in my students time and I earned my first money with its help (producing results of lengthy calculations in a short time with the help of the programming facility). I would like to have it fully operational. Could anybody asess the chances for a reconstruction or offer help of anbody, to could do the mecanical and electronic work, as me myself do not have any experience in this field. Best regards Albrecht Brenner

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