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Calculators: Handheld: Texet Pocket-8
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Size (approx): |
78mm
x 140mm x 23mm (max) (w x h x d) |
| Power: | 3.0V DC using 2 x AA size batteries. It accepts an adapter (3V DC) through a socket on the left side to the top. | ||
| Case: | Two piece matt black plastic case with rounded, but not symmetrical, top and bottom. The front is dominated by a gold coloured brushed aluminium panel which is inset, follows the contours and printed with black text for the on/off switch label. Through this protrudes a display escutcheon in black plastic with a ridged design and raised lettering painted silver with the brand and model number. An angled green plastic display filter sits flush in its surround. The Casio-like keys are medium travel with a soft click. | ||
| Display: | 8 digit green VFD with a ninth digit for negative and error indication. | ||
| Features: | Standard four functions with percentages, change sign and square root | ||
| Age: | 1975 | ||
| Manufacturer: | Texet, Douglas, Isle of Man, made in Japan, serial number 8405416. | ||
| Comments: | Not often seen Texet model with a design that reminds me of the Casio pocket range with the ridged plastic area. The logic is poor with no recovery, negative zero bug and Texet's annoying change sign key. The original case is soft black plastic with open top and Texet printed in silver. The gold colouring tends to wear off around the power switch. |
| Components: | 1 x cpu: Hitachi HD36290 5K 51
(date code October 1975),
28 pin DIL 0.6" width black plastic 1 x 9 digit VFD unit: single glass tube round face 2 x transistors 4 x diodes 3 x resistors 2 x resistor arrays 6 x capacitors 1 x transformer module |
| Boards: | The main cpu board (800501A) sits face down and lose above the keyboard assembly which are joined by 15 short strong wires. The keyboard is attached to the front with nine screws. |
| Construction: | Remove the small screw inside the battery compartment. Held together by internal lugs which can be difficult to open without damaging. If you must try then I found the easiest way was to lever apart the top edge and then travel down the sides. Eventually the back lifts away, hinging to the right. |
| Logic comments: | The (CE) key is used to clear the last entry whilst (C) clears the whole calculator. |
| Input overflow is suppressed, keying in a ninth digit is ignored | |
| There is automatic constant on multiply and divide only | |
| Negative numbers are indicated by a “-“ in the far left (ninth) digit thereby allowing full eight digit negative numbers. | |
| Overflow shows the result and “C” (“E” if negative) in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable. | |
| Divide by zero results in zero and “C” in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable. | |
| Negative square roots are not allowed and show the result and “E” in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable. | |
| Square roots are only given as six decimal digit numbers | |
| The change sign function (CS) can be used in mid number entry but not before | |
| It suffers the negative zero bug: key in (1)(-)(2)(=) to give "-1" now (+)(1)(=) will give "-0" | |
| It suffers the divide to negative zero bug (once): key in (1)(CS)(/)(1)(0)(=)(=)(=) etc until you get "-0" when one more (=) will give zero |
