mklotz
Well-Known Member
I consider the second most important tool in my shop, after the measuring gear - calipers/mikes, to be my scientific calculator. Checking and deriving dimensions, calculating angles, and computing tap drills for odd sized taps (e.g., 3/16-40) are only a few of the jobs it's used for on a daily basis.
Up until recently, my preference has been for inexpensive (< $10) Casio calculators because they are small, rugged and have keys to perform fractional arithmetic explicitly (e.g. 1-3/4 - 15/16 = 13/16), have a key for sexagesimal arithmetic (e.g., converting 3.735 deg to 3 deg, 44 min, 6 sec) and are 'solar' powered so never need batteries. (One in my shop has been operating for over two decades without any attention at all.)
However, my real desire was to have a programmable calculator so I could do much more complex calculations at the touch of a single button. I bought a Casio programmable but the programming methodology was, to my mind, awkward. (This is not meant to disparage Casio products. Rather it's just a artifact of the way my mind works.)
This year saw the 35th anniversary of the introduction of the HP (Hewlett Packard) 35 calculator which was more or less responsible for the disappearance of the slide rule from the working engineer's desk. To celebrate this milestone, HP introduced the hp35s calculator.
Having used and loved HP calculators all my working years, I bought an hp35s (from WalMart, $60) and can say, without qualification, that it's a truly superb device. Some features:
30K of programming space
800 data registers
built-in Imperial/metric conversions
built-in physical constants
equation solving capability
and, of course, fractional and sexagesimal manipulation
HP has always used the RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) method of operation but, in a nod to the Luddites who can't master this technique, has included the ability to switch to a more conventional algebraic method of data entry. (If that so-called "feature" attracts you, chances are you don't deserve to own this calculator.)
At any rate, if you're looking for the ultimate scientific calculator to round out your complement of essential workshop tools, give a thought to HP's newest entry to the marketplace.
Up until recently, my preference has been for inexpensive (< $10) Casio calculators because they are small, rugged and have keys to perform fractional arithmetic explicitly (e.g. 1-3/4 - 15/16 = 13/16), have a key for sexagesimal arithmetic (e.g., converting 3.735 deg to 3 deg, 44 min, 6 sec) and are 'solar' powered so never need batteries. (One in my shop has been operating for over two decades without any attention at all.)
However, my real desire was to have a programmable calculator so I could do much more complex calculations at the touch of a single button. I bought a Casio programmable but the programming methodology was, to my mind, awkward. (This is not meant to disparage Casio products. Rather it's just a artifact of the way my mind works.)
This year saw the 35th anniversary of the introduction of the HP (Hewlett Packard) 35 calculator which was more or less responsible for the disappearance of the slide rule from the working engineer's desk. To celebrate this milestone, HP introduced the hp35s calculator.
Having used and loved HP calculators all my working years, I bought an hp35s (from WalMart, $60) and can say, without qualification, that it's a truly superb device. Some features:
30K of programming space
800 data registers
built-in Imperial/metric conversions
built-in physical constants
equation solving capability
and, of course, fractional and sexagesimal manipulation
HP has always used the RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) method of operation but, in a nod to the Luddites who can't master this technique, has included the ability to switch to a more conventional algebraic method of data entry. (If that so-called "feature" attracts you, chances are you don't deserve to own this calculator.)
At any rate, if you're looking for the ultimate scientific calculator to round out your complement of essential workshop tools, give a thought to HP's newest entry to the marketplace.
