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Full Name (family, given): Easterling, Stephen
Email: s_easterling@earthlink.net
Location: Melbourne, FL
Entered: 6 Dec 2005, 9:28 p.m.
My exposure to HP calculators came during Christmas of 1989 when I received a 28S. Being a Freshman pre-engineering major, I took advantage of the Christmas break and read every 28S manual cover to cover and programmed 30K out of 32K of available memory. Prior to this I was using a Casio scientific and a Casio fx-7000G. Because the 28S seemed somewhat fragile to me at the time and since I was not allowed to use it on exams, I continued to use the Casio for many years until its death in 1997. (This was 10+ years of service from a solar-powered Casio!). The good part was that I was forced to do all of my calculus by hand, including extremely long problems encountered in partial differential equations.
While in college, I made what I believe was a great decision to switch from pre-engineering to physics. So I got my B.S. in physics and M.S. in radiological medical physics. Along the way I continued to use the 28S for math and physics homework and general programming to make my life easier. (Isn’t that what programming is all about!) I also used the 28S professionally (along with another backup Casio scientific) until just recently when I retired it. I recall many times when I delayed purchasing a new 32SII figuring they’ll always be available. When I learned that production of the 32SII had ended and I realized how expensive they were to buy (from Ebay), I was astonished. At the same time I was about to undertake a large project at work that required a high-end calculator. I immediately thought of the 48GX, but then after taking note of just how expensive they were to acquire, I turned to the 49G+. I ended up trying out two 49G+ only to be disappointed with the keypad response. So I bought a 33S for daily use to replace the aging Casio and I started seeking out a 48GX. It was when I was looking for the 48GX that I realized just how collectible these pre-Kinpo models where. This is when I got bitten by the bug! So I found a new 48GX and every conceivable accessory for it. I also tried another 49G+, but this time I installed the new ROM 2.00 and, to my surprise, it cured the keypad response problems I was experiencing before. I didn’t stop there, but continued to collect these older models. I began having fun finding the strengths and weaknesses of each model and rotating them in / out of home and professional use. To date, I have collected the 35, 55, 22, 25, 97, 33E, 34C, 41CV, 41CX, 10C, 11C, 12C, 15C, 16C, 10B, 14B, 17B, 17BII, 20S, 21S, 22S, 27S, 28S, 32S, 32SII, 33S, 42S, 48SX, 48GX, and the 49G+. I’m having a blast! My favorites are the 55, 41CX, 12C, 32S, and 33S.
Professionally, I am a medical physicist certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiological Physics and licensed in the State of Florida. I presently serve the community of Melbourne, FL at the MIMA Cancer Center where I work closely with radiation oncologists to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. We do this using radiation from medical electron accelerators and radioactive sources. Our center is a very progressive show site for Varian Medical Systems. Other centers in America using similar technology include Emory, Duke, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and M.D. Anderson. We currently have the only accelerator in the world with two different image-guided radiation therapy systems working in concert to improve the accuracy of patient treatment. Lastly, some of my hobbies include photography and drag racing. I also have a wonderful wife and a five-year-old daughter.
Edited: 8 June 2006, 12:44 a.m.
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