best engineers pocket calculator 6

[mcinco50]

I want to replace my old outdated engineer pocket calculator I'm using right now. Any recommended best model of a brand somebody knows?

 

[byrdj]

I found a $5 calculator in WalMarts that I use a lot for pocket field work {LeWorld 250} and if I drop it, no big loss

 

[IRstuff]

Just depends on what you need or want. Casio make some acceptably complex calculators for less than $20. TI's calculators range from around $30 to $100.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Ashereng]

I mostly just use Excel on my laptop in the field.

I don't think I have brought a "calculator" into the field in a while.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[MikeHalloran]

I just use the simple calculator in my old Palm Vx PDA. I think I've installed a slightly fancy RPN calculator in there, but I don't use it much.

If I buy a newer PDA, I'll probably select one that can deal with Excel files.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[JStephen]

I use one I bought at Eckerd's several years ago for $15 or so.

Back when I was in college, a fance calculater was a must-have. But now, anything involved goes on the computer, and some pretty cheap little calculators will handle the rest.

 

[TheTick]

Don't forget that there is a scientific calculator built into Windows. Nice thing about it is you can copy-and-paste.

 

[TVP]

Wow, until TheTick mentioned it, I had no idea that the Windows calculator also had scientific functions. And here I have been toiling away with just the "standard" view...

 

[SylvestreW]

I have a simple casio scientific calculator (non programmable, non graphics, non anything) that works for about 90% of what I do.
I also have a TI-89 with some built-in programs that I use when I need more complex things to figure out.

 

[eromlignod]

If you do anything more than arithmetic (and you probably will), RPN is worth learning. It takes one evening and will change your life if you have been storing numbers, writing them down and using parentheses. It not only allows you to work an equation of any complexity quickly and easily, it changes the whole way you think about caluclation and allows you to continue to meddle with your figures as you design.

I have been through three scientific calculators in my 21-year career. I literally wore out the first two. My favorite one was the second one: an HP-32sII. It was RPN and had all the mathematical functions you could ever need and some programming, without all the frou-frou crap like graphing, music, etc. (that's what your computer is for).

I finally replaced it with my HP-33s, which is essentially the modern version of the same calculator. One new feature that is nice is that you can switch it from RPN to algebraic, in case someone else who doesn't know RPN wants to use your calculator (which happens often).

Don
Kansas City

 

[prost]

Same topic, variation: how many here even use a calculator for anything other than the big 4 math. functions, add/sub/mult/divide? In the days before PCs, I used my beloved HP15C for quadratic equation inversion (you know, x=-b+/sqrt(...blah blah blah)). Now I just use it for the big 4, plus storage. anything more complicated goes into Excel VBA.

 

[lostsailor]

openoffice, a freeware office program, 99% compatible with MS Office, has a program called Calc that's pretty strong. There's also Calc98, google it, also free, with excellent capabilities.
Regards,
RLS

 

[arto]

hp 33s Scientific does RPN.
~$40 from wally-world online

 

[65Roses]

mcinco50:

What brand and model are you currently using? What do you mean by outdated? Does it not perform the function(s) you want or is it just a cosmetic issue?

Why is my handle 65Roses?
Please visit

http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/About65Roses/

to learn why!

 

[bluesman0007]

It seems that your original question was pocket calculator, I use a Texas Instruments 36X Solar. It has all the functionality you should want but can be a little confusing because most of the buttons have three possible functions assigned to them. I also have an old HP-20S but the batteries are a pain and expensive. I do like the solar feature of any of the calculators out there. You might keep in mind the traveling aspect of what you buy. My 36X has a cover that snaps on the front or back, an old Casio I have at home has a flip cover that is attached. A little thing but something to consider.

Good Luck

Dennis

SolidWorks 2007 SP3.0
Windows XP Pro, Pentium4 3.00GHz
1GB RAM, Nvidia FX500
Logitech Marble Mouse, CadMan

 

[joebk]

I agree with eromlignod.

I bought the HP 33s a few years ago to use on the PE exam. I am now a true believer in RPN. I used to have a TI-89 but I gave it up to learn RPN for the exam and didn't want to go back.

The HP 33s is also less expensive (and smaller) than the fancier TI/HP graphical calculators. I rarely use calc or diffeq so the graphical calculators are overkill for me.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[mrMikee]

I have used the TI calculators for many years and have gotten used to the algebraic entry and the keyboard layout. Now I use the TI-30XA which is a solar powered and costs about $12 to $14 US. Actually I have 4 or 5 of these spread around in places like the home, office, briefcase, job-site, etc. It's a decent calculator with a good feel to the keys. To me it is important that a calculator have the square, square root, inverse and pi as primary functions and not require hitting two keys to get to these functions because of the frequency which they are used.

My son has a HP-88 and 89 and these are nice machines. The 88 is much better than the newer 89 according to him, but they aren't cheap and don't fit into a pocket easily. I realize that RPN is a better system but it's not for me. I've been programing in BASIC for twenty years so have never really been interested in programmable calculators. During the last few years I have moved to Mathematica CalcCenter for almost all my calculations except for simple adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, which I use my TI-30s for.

It makes sense to me, but I'm sure there are many opinions on this subject.

Regards,
-Mike

 

[toothless]

In 1985 while in college I bought an HP-41CV. Still use it and love it. I don't take it into the field, though, and I certainly do not use all of its features.

RPN is definitely the way to go.

 

[ScottyUK]

The Casio FX-115 appears to have had a least one facelift since I bought mine, but it is a great little tool. It has a hard cover which slides over the keypad and screen, and it does just about everything I'll ever want in the field, and has never broken down on me. They're common as dirt in our place too, so no one has ever pinched it. Under £10!


----------------------------------

Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[zdas04]

I bought an HP 48G for the PE exam and used it exclusively while studying and on the test. I never got over hating RPN even though I did finally get over fumbling with it. Right after the test I put it in its case in the back of a drawer and I don't expect to ever turn it on again.

I use a TI30X all the time (I think I have 5 of them). I like that I can set up an equation and just keep going back to it with different data (the editing isn't really easy, but you can get used to anything).

I also have a TI-83Plus, but I don't really like it, it is trying too hard to be an HP.

David