Homeland 810

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Calculators: Handheld: Homeland 810

		Size (approx):	87mm x 134mm x 29mm (max) (w,h,d) Weight 138g excluding batteries
		Power:	6V DC using 4 x AA size batteries. It accepts an adapter (6V 500mW) through a socket on the top side to the far right. The on off switch is also on the top side, in the middle.
		Case:	Two piece plastic case in gloss off-white and matt brown. The top is dominated by an oversized green plastic display filter that gives a clean bright image. A black printed metallic sticker sits in its own recess in the filter. The display is gently tilted up for desktop viewing. The keyboard is surrounded by an inset aluminium panel boarded by brown plastic. The bold large keys are squishy and wobbly with a soft bounce click and work very well. The rear has a very large black printed metallic sticker with specifications.
		Display:	8 digit green VFD with a ninth digit for negative, memory and error indicators.
		Features:	Standard four functions, percentages, square root, change sign and four function memory.
		Age:	1975
		Manufacturer:	Manufactured by Toshiba Business Machine Co., Ltd., made in Japan. Serial number 011952.
		Comments:	High quality, solid feeling calculator that was built to last. Good logic with only the lack of recovery letting it down. I like the range of odd symbols but the lack of a clear entry function is unusual – just about everyone else has a (CE) function of some sort even though it may not have been labelled as such.

Components:	1 x cpu: Hitachi HD36260 5D41 (week 41 of 1975) 28 pin DIL 0.6" width black plastic 1 x display: 9 digit VFD round faced glass cylinder 2 x transistors 3 x diodes 7 x capacitors 5 x resistors 2 x resistor arrays 5 x transformer: DCT 046 TDK
Boards:	The main board (81H 32) sits lose in the lower section (on plastic pegs) of the case whilst the keyboard assembly (GICO GK251-17) sits above it (resting on the battery compartment) and is joined by 14 stiff wires. The keyboard has a QA sticker OGK 50.9.13 (like the GICO stickers this is 13 September 1975).
Construction:	Very difficult to open as the plastic case is quite thick and stiff. I would not recommend trying. Best way I found was to level apart the top edge to pop the internal lugs and then work down the sides. Two piece case of white and dark brown plastic.

Logic comments:	(C) is used once to clear the calculator there being no cancel entry function.
	Input overflow is suppressed, inputting a ninth digit is ignored
	Negative numbers are shown with a minus in the far left (ninth) digit thereby allowing full eight digit negative numbers.
	There is automatic constant on all four functions.
	The change sign function can be used in mid entry of a number
	Divide by zero shows zero and “E” in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable
	Overflow shows the result “E” in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable
	Memory store is indicated by the two upper vertical segments of the far left (ninth) digit.
	Overflow in memory results in the display of “H” in the far left (ninth) digit and the recalled result is usable though has shifted decimal places.
	Square roots of negative numbers are not allowed and show the result and “E” in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable


The instruction manual measures 128mm by 85mm and is 12 pages. In the English language only and it is printed in black throughout. Printed in Japan.	The UK guarantee registration card shown here states that is to be sent to Sanyei Corp. (UK) Ltd. 94, Gloucester Place, London W1H 3PD, presumably Toshiba’s distributor in the UK at the time.	This scan shows the large rear sticker of the calculator stating the link to Toshiba – but notice the spelling error!
	Once the front case section is removed you can see the clever construction: keyboard assembly that sits on top of the battery compartment above the main board. Compare this to the very similar Decimo Vatman series calculators (opens a new window).