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Calculators: Handheld: Hanimex BCM850
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Size (approx): | 100-110mm x
160mm x 40mm(max) (w,h,d) Weight 316g excluding batteries |
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Power: |
6V DC, 4 x AA size batteries. Does accept an adapter (undefined but 4mm plug, centre positive, 6V 200mW) through socket on the left side half way down. Battery compartment has a ribbon pull to aid battery removal. | |
| Case: | Large two-piece case made from white (now cream) smooth plastic. Large wrap around display filter is printed white for model number, signage and digit number. Company name is black on a recessed aluminium panel. Long travel hollow sounding keys in bold contrasting colours. Small fold out wire leg at the back makes little difference, only tilting the calculator up by under 1cm. Good instruction panel on the back on recessed and coated aluminium panel. Moulded "on" label looks like it might have been painted. | |
| Display: | 8 digit blue VFD, with a ninth digit for memory indication, minus and error signs. | |
| Features: | Standard four functions, percentages, sign change and four function memory. | |
| Age: | 1974 | |
| Manufacturer: | Hanimex Group of Companies, made in Hong Kong. Serial No. E2-004479 | |
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Comments:
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Early solid calculator which is just about hand held, with pretty good logic apart from the negative zero error. My example has a soft tinkle when on which I think is the display tube. Pointless rear leg is a joke. |
| Components: | 1 x cpu: LC1552B (small circular
logo with diagonal mark) 7417 (date code week 17 of 1974) 40 pin DIL in
socket 1 x 9 digit round single tube VFD display (DP80A4, T4F9B2J) 1 x transistor 8 x diodes 7 x capacitors 0 x resistor arrays 23 x resistors 1 x transformer 1 x potentiometer (rather unusual) |
| Boards: | The keyboard board (Ref GICO Japan GK139-1 and sticker GiCO 49.6.26) is attached to the keys with 12 screws but floats above the main board resting on four plastic legs with rubber ends. It is connected to the main board via 13 loose wires. The latter is fixed to the back with one screw. The keyboard assembly houses the on off switch and two more brackets for additional switches. |
| Construction: | Remove screw from the back. Pull the back away using the battery compartment ribbon! |
| Logic comments: | (CE/C) is used once to cancel the last number entered and a second time to clear the whole calculator. |
| There is automatic constant on all four functions | |
| Input overflow is suppressed, inputting a ninth digit is ignored | |
| Negative numbers are shown with a "-" in the far left (ninth) digit allowing eight-digit negative numbers | |
| The change sign key can be used in mid-number entry | |
| There is a power save function that kicks in after about 20 seconds leaving a "-" in the fifth digit - touching any key continues and uses that key | |
| Divide by zero shows "C" in the far left (ninth) digit and is recoverable using (CE/C) | |
| Overflow shows the result with "C" (or for negative numbers "E") in the left most (ninth) digit and is recoverable using (CE/C) | |
| You can have a negative zero try this; (6)(-)(7)(+)(1)(=) shows "-0" | |
| Memory is indicated by the far left (ninth) high point |
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Picture on the left shows oversized, front-opening box printed in four colour. It is approximately 150mm x 190mm x 70mm (h x w x d). One end has the code no. 28-996(0) but there is no country of origin. |
