American 1776

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Calculators: Handheld: American 1776

	Size (approx):	65mm x 118mm x 23mm (w,h,d) Weight 70g excluding batteries
	Power:	9V DC using 1 x PP3 size battery. It does not accept an adapter.
	Case:	Constructed from two-piece black matt plastic the case is made so cheaply that it does not even have a battery compartment – you remove the rear section. Compact but quite thick, brick-shaped design. The red display filter is level but convex to give additional magnification of the bright but limited viewing angle display. The upper section has a black printed metallic sticker that sits in its own recess whilst the keyboard surround has another sticker that sits slightly proud. The tiny keys are short travel and squishy and reminiscent of miniature Commodore keys.
	Display:	6 digit red LED with bubble lens but no seventh
	Features:	Standard four functions; no decimal point
	Age:	1976
	Manufacturer:	No manufacturing name but the warranty leaflet mentions servicing by Fantasia Calculator Corp, 1098 Randolph Avenue, Rahway, N.J., USA. The box boasts “Made in the USA”. No serial number.
	Comments:	Compact but basic calculator that I’m surprised has survived so well as you have to expose the circuitry to get the battery in. Perhaps as it was so basic, nobody ever used my example! RPN logic is a pain but explains the lack of an equals key. Six digit display with no decimal point is useless.

Components:
Boards:	The main board floats above the keyboard assembly and is permanently joined by soldered wires. The whole assembly is glued to the front so you cannot get at the board.
Construction:	Access the calculator is by levering off the back using the coin slot.

Logic comments:	(C) clears the last number entered whilst a second press clears the whole calculator
	Input overflow is not suppressed, inputting a seventh digit creates and error which is not recoverable
	Negative numbers are shown with a minus in the immediate left hand digit, which has no seventh digit to travel into so you are limited to five digit negative numbers
	There is automatic constant on all four functions
	Divide by zero shows "EEEEEE” and is not recoverable
	Overflow shows the first five digits of the result and “E” in the far left (sixth) digit and is not recoverable
	Reverse polish logic is used; to perform 3-2 key in (3)(+)(2)(-) and to perform 6x5 key in (6)+(5)(X)
	It suffers the negative zero bug; (1)(+)(2)(-) gives “-1” now key in (1)(+) will give “-0”
	It deals with integers only – no decimal points can be entered or are ever shown. Numbers are always rounded down.

	The scan on the left shows the box which measures approx. 80mm x 135mm and is 28 mm deep, which is barely bigger than the calculator. Printed in bold red and blue it states Made in the U.S.A. on the front and 100% American Made on the back - okay we get the point!		The manual is not even worth scanning as it is a two side, printed red, single sheet with examples on one side and instructions on the other. It measures 63mm by 115mm.