HP Forum Archive 16

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programmable scientific calculators Message #1 Posted by cliff on 15 June 2006, 8:42 a.m. I have an old TI68 calculator that I have programmed for a couple of spherical trig formulas that I use for celestial navigation. Does HP have a calculator that I can program these formulas into using alpha/numeric notation.

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #2 Posted by Vincent Weber on 15 June 2006, 9:07 a.m., in response to message #1 by cliff HP use to have much better machines than the TI-68 for equation-based programming: the scientific 27S (Pioneer family), retired in the early 90s, and the 19BII (champion family, scientific AND business), retired around 2002. Let's also mention the business-only 17BII in the Pioneer family. These calcs allow you not only to program an equation and solve for any variable using an advanced menu; they also feature real programming capabilities: IF-THEN-ELSE statements, Summation, list access, and even loops and intermediate variables, with the use of the (undocumented) LET and GET functions. Sadely, you can't have subroutines or user-defined function, and indirect access is read-only (with the use of lists). Should these limitations be removed, you would have an easy-to-program calc which would have nothing to envy to BASIC computers. TI produced a better version of the TI68: The TI-67 Galaxy, which also allowed conditionals and branching. Difficult to find... Cheers, Vincent

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #3 Posted by Andy Morales on 15 June 2006, 12:05 p.m., in response to message #2 by Vincent Weber TI 67 Galaxy available on e-bay: 9738976066 also 9742194634 They seem to be from UK. Warmest regards, Andy RPN power user and also PURVEYOR of AOS TI logic machines which gave same answer

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #4 Posted by Ron Ross on 15 June 2006, 11:03 a.m., in response to message #1 by cliff The new Hp33s has nearly all the features of your Ti-68 plus lots more RAM and is better made. Sadly, it doesn't have built in matrix support that your Ti-68 has. It is better in all other areas though, better programming, and a solver. 26 vs a dozen or so variables. As the previous poster stated, the Hp27s is FAR superior, but even a lower end Hp 22s would be better (and the Ti-67 falls between these two in features and power). However, all would cost more than many more capable graphics would cost (but these are all nice pocket programmables). My own suggestion would be the Hp 33s as it is fairly easy to find and would be an upgrade to your Ti-68. One last suggestion to consider would be an Hp9G. It is a small graphics about the size of the Hp33s but with 400 programming steps (a bit more than your Ti-68, has 26 variables and probably has fair matrix support, guessing there as I do not have one). All of my suggestions above are algebraic (or at least offer algebraic modes). The cheapest would be the Hp9G, the best would probably be the Hp33s for your needs. Good luck.

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #5 Posted by GE on 16 June 2006, 6:49 a.m., in response to message #4 by Ron Ross Hello, are you sure the TI68 has matrix functions ? Note also that this machine is known to be fragile. The HP33S would be a good solution. Too bad it looks like a toy...

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #6 Posted by Ron Ross on 16 June 2006, 5:57 p.m., in response to message #5 by GE Cahpter 7 of the owners manual explains how to solve for 3, 4, or 5 unknowns with as many equatiions. It may not have much in way of matrix functions but it can do that. I feel an Hp20s is a much better calculator quality wise, but the Ti-68 has many loyal followers.

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #7 Posted by Les Bell on 15 June 2006, 6:52 p.m., in response to message #1 by cliff Quote: I have an old TI68 calculator that I have programmed for a couple of spherical trig formulas that I use for celestial navigation. Does HP have a calculator that I can program these formulas into using alpha/numeric notation. Virtually all of HP's programmable calcs can do what you want. The HP-65 had a Navigation Pac, so that you wouldn't even need to write or port your code. So did the HP-67 and the HP-41C(V/X). You could probably pick up a 41CX off eBay, along with a Nav Pac, to do exactly what you want and more. In addition (but I'm going on memory here) there are a number of celestial navigation related programs in the library here and on the museum CD-ROM/DVD. If you just want a new calc that can handle your own code, then - as others have stated - a 33S would do what you want. Best, --- Les Bell [http://www.lesbell.com.au] Edited: 15 June 2006, 6:53 p.m.

Re: programmable scientific calculators Message #8 Posted by Palmer O. Hanson, Jr. on 17 June 2006, 3:04 a.m., in response to message #7 by Les Bell If someone is considering purchase of an hp33s it would make sense to try some shopping. During a recent trip from North Carolina to Florida and back I looked in the clearance racks of about ten different Wal-Marts. Most were offering the earlier versions of the hp33s (with the unreadable decimal point) for a reduced price of forty-one dollars. The Wal-Mart in Perry, Georgia had several of those for twenty dollars, but also had three with 5..... serial numbers and readable decimal points for twenty dollars. I purchased one of those (the only 524... unit) as a spare. Many of the stores were offering the hp10B-II for fifteen dollars. Some TI and Casio products were discounted as well, but not the TI-83 Plus. I did purchase a TI-89 in the St. Petersburg Wal-Mart for seventy dollars. There is a new programmable scientific graphic calculator model in the non-clearance display at all Wal-Marts offered at the unbelievably low price of twenty dollars. I haven't purchased one yet but it appears to have a programming function. I couldn't tell if it offers AOS or EOS. It appears to be smaller than the 33s but with more capability. The Wal-Mart name is on the card inside the bubble pack. Maybe it is the right answer as a replacement for the TI-68. The wrong answers for a replacement for a TI-68 are the HP-65 or HP-67 with preprogrammed navigation algorithms on magnetic cards or the TI-59 with the navigation solid state module. Those are all dinosaurs from the dark ages which offer all the disadvantages of card readers that fail and rechargeable NiCad battery packs requiring frequent messing around with recharging. Who needs that in the twenty-first century? In addition they all use lower order languages while the TI-68, the HP algebraics, and the TI graphics all use higher order languages that allow the user to enter the equation as it is seen in print.

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