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HP Forum Archive 18

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HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #1 Posted by Ignazio Cara (Italy) on 6 May 2008, 3:14 p.m.

Hello guys, I recently purchased one HP-42S on e. ... Y. I have believed to make a deal... but the calculator returns an error at self-test (FAIL 00004) and not show the numbers in FIX notation but only in SCI and ENG mode. Can somebody tell me something to understand if it can be repaired? Randy, what do you think? Thank you very much.

Ignazio

      
Re: HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #2 Posted by Randy Sloyer on 6 May 2008, 4:02 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Ignazio Cara (Italy)

Turn it on.

Press and hold down the E+ and XEQ keys. Press and release the ON key. Release the E+ and XEQ keys. You should see "Memory Clear".

If the behavior is not correct after a reset, the only solution would be a replacement logic board :(

            
Re: HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #3 Posted by Ignazio Cara (Italy) on 6 May 2008, 4:31 p.m.,
in response to message #2 by Randy Sloyer

Thanks Randy, is exactly what I feared after running the same reset. Sob, :(

                  
Re: HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #4 Posted by Dallas Osborne on 7 May 2008, 10:58 a.m.,
in response to message #3 by Ignazio Cara (Italy)

Lucky for you, of all the 42s parts to replace, the logic board is the easiest. (...as well as being nearly bomb-proof). As Randy pointed out to me a while ago, the keyboard is the weak link; you still have a bit of luck on your side. If your wallet can handle it, I would recommend buying another 42s and keep the one you have right now as the replacement keyboard/(LCD). In 22 years with my 42s, I have replaced the LCD once and relocated the logic board to a new shell twice. (Maybe I am too heavy handed with the keys though).

                        
Re: HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #5 Posted by Ignazio Cara (Italy) on 7 May 2008, 1:19 p.m.,
in response to message #4 by Dallas Osborne

Hi Dallas, thank you very much for your valuable advice.

Kinds regards from Italy

Ignazio

                              
Re: HP-42S without FIX notation. Very strange.. or not?
Message #6 Posted by Dallas Osborne on 8 May 2008, 10:56 a.m.,
in response to message #5 by Ignazio Cara (Italy)

No worries. I have to wonder; with all the new calculators that HP is creating with the similar keyboard lay-out as the 42s, if an updated version of the 42s is around the corner.

I still suspect that, similar to the 35s' issues, we will all be clutching our 42s' until we are comfortable with any bugs/idiosyncrasies of a possible new unit.


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