A 25 Year Old Battery

[easysurfer]

I was going through some of my stuff in my desk drawer and found an old Sharp scientific calculator. This is a battery only (non-solar) calculator that I got at a college bookstore about 25 years ago.

Much to my surprise, when turning it in, the calculator still works. Though I haven't used it in that long, I expected the calculator wouldn't turn on after all these years.

If only a battery could last so long in my LCD fever thermometer .

Update: More like about 30 years than 25. I'm older than I think

Oh, here's website down down calculator memory lane.

Calculator Museum

The model I have is the Sharp EL 506H. The main reason got this (at that time a major purchase for me) was the ability use hex!

 

[KingB]

It will be interesting to find out how much has the battery voltage dropped. Your calculator may be working at lower voltage.

 

[GrayHare]

Those calculators can operate with a miniscule amount of energy. I have one now 29 years old I use regularly and the original battery still powers it.

 

[easysurfer]

When I bought that calculator, I almost decided against the purchase (remember, I was on a college kid budget) for fear the calculator was a battery hog. Well, about 30 years later, I suppose no more need to worry .

My calculators that I use now (yes, a physical calculator and not a phone or on the computer) are a solar TI-1795 that's been going about 20 years and counting, and a combo solar/one-AA battery operated Office Depot calculator.

 

[ls99]

HP 12C I bought around 1984, last year it needed new batteries. Most impressive.

 

[folivier]

Yeah but my slide rule still works as well as it did many years ago. At least if I could read the little lines and numbers it would.

 

[ls99]

I found it hard to hold a magnifier and push the slide around, which is why I gave up the slide rule. Eventually will need calculator with bigger buttons and display

 

[Walt34]

Here ya go...

http://www.amazon.com/Calculator-Di...3110369&sr=8-1&keywords=big+button+calculator

 

[ls99]

Nice find.

I hope by the time I need it there will be one which will project through my glasses and I just have to think the numbers to manipulated and likewise for what calculations to perform.

 

[NW-Bound]

... The model I have is the Sharp EL 506H. The main reason got this (at that time a major purchase for me) was the ability use hex!

Hey, that looks almost like a Sharp that I still have, but mine got a small photovoltaic panel.

I bought it sometimes in the late 70s, when I was in graduate school. I still have it, but am on travel and cannot look to see if it has a small button battery in addition to the solar panel.

More recently, a few years ago, I saw a cheap Chinese calculator with the same keypad layout and with exactly the same functions in a dollar store. For 99c, I could not pass it up and bought it, though I did not know what to use it for.

 

[Beldar]

Thats neat.

My TI59 Battery Pack will still hold a charge if I recharge it. And the motor still works too. I might try to see if any of the magnetic cards still hold data, although I'll have to refresh my memeory on the procedure.

_B

 

[marko]

Funny. I have a digital bathroom scale that has to be 27 or 28 years old. NEVER changed the batteries even after hopping on it just about every day.

I was thinking about "how long will these batteries last?" just last week.

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