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Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

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767Geoff

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Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post23 Sep 2012, 23:51

A while ago I posted an 'Eye Candy' topic in the LCD forum.

Of course it all started with LED's for me and I thought I would share them with you. Just a side note, I am writing (almost done) a book on Hewlett Packard calculator restorations including the first generation HP 35 to the HP 48 series with all families included. In fact chapter 6 is dedicated to the HP 01 restorations including dissasembly and restoration techniques.

Hence the HP 01's in the posting. Only one of the HP O1 was working when it arrived, that is the NOS in box version. The rest required various levels of restoration.

All the watches below except for the NOS HP 01 have undergone extensive case refurbishment as well as electronic fixes, quartz crystal replacements, new red crystals and etc... They all work, but some are missing the batteries. I only have a few with batteries in them, and those get checked frequently for any signs of leakage.

Hope you enjoy:

Lets start with the HP 01s:

This box contained a NOS HP 01 complete with all papers, battery holder/wrench, pen, original foam packing, as well as... well you can see it all in the picture below. It is the only NOS watch I have ever purchased. The rest were restored and refurbished:

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Of course one must open the box:

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This watch had a new lens installed. I cut it and shaped it to fit, it is also half cylindrical so in magnifies the digit readout. The watch is RGP and required some extensive corrosion cleaning, some traces touched up and an new 38.4kHZ crystal. I use it on the flight deck as I can read the LED display with the magnification!

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Compare that to the following watch with a normal lens.

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This stainless steel version came to me missing the clear plastic film which separates the keyboard film from the keyboard traces. Fortunately another unsalvageable HP 01 donated its film! The watch came from an elderly (85 years old) HP designer who worked on the HP 01 team. He stated it was a prototype as evidenced by the missing serial numbers on the rear case and the very low profile 'raised' buttons. The lens is handcut armored plexiglass as this watch was missing its crystal

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All four together:

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And now the Pulsars starting with a Pulsar 901. This is a recent aquisition and was advertised as time only. The calculator had given up the ghost and was not working. The box was from a previous auction for a Pulsar 901 in stainless. I refurbished the case. The keyboard trace film was in excellent condition as was the case and module in the watch. Using a fine camel hair brush i wiped the trace side of the keyboard film with some De-Oxit gold. I also lightly cleaned the keyboard ciruit traces, reassembled and voila, a functional calculator also:

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In time mode:

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In calc mode:

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Yes all the displays work including the negative dot (not shown here):

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And now for the others:

Pulsar P4 Classic in RGP with new red crystal and refurbished case. Electronics also cleaned.

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A stainless P2 with original module and an RGP P2 with a SASM module (thanks Hanno).

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Of course an Omega. I posted about this years ago. I purchased the red crystal at an Omega service centre. It came complete with the Omega symbol. After installation I was cleaning the lens with some Laquer thinner to remove excess epoxy and off came the painted symbol. It was not enamalled!! Oh well the case and watch look good.

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A nice Hamilton Alarm in time mode:

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In alarm setting mode. Has a nice two tone alarm!

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A Bulova driver (also have the four digit version):

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Bulova Big Block BLING!

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A digicomp DC chronograph in NOS condition:

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And a Wittnauer Polara to wrap it all up.

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There are some mercuries and a TI but thats for another time. Can't wait to recieve the Breitling 9106 in the mail and THANKS, yes a BIG THANKS to OLE Joe who happens to have a NOS module for me which he is timing to 3 seconds a year at 25C!!! :eek:

Edited to correct HP 01 crystal oscillation frequency. Thanks for spotting that LED!
Last edited by 767Geoff on 24 Sep 2012, 09:02, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series

Post24 Sep 2012, 00:21

I agree, the sensational HP-01 is definetively among the top ten in my collection :-P
Its module being quite robust and mostly repairable because the sensitive chips and bonding wiring are well sealed in a ceramic housing.

I also have a couple HP-65 calculators which I could not afford when I studied electronics in 70s... All working fine after I repaired the infamous gummy wheel syndrome you're probably familiar with - and partly other smaller issues ;-) One of them is in ordinary usage after I pushed the display brightness for better daylight readability.

Btw, AFAIK the HP-01 quartz crystal should oscillate at exotic 38.4 khz - unless you own some rare prototoypes ;-)
Last edited by LED on 24 Sep 2012, 00:46, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 00:42

Chapter one of the book is all about the HP 65 45 and 55 restorations including the gummy wheel!

That even occured in the 41C series. The pincher is a natural rubber compound and it gets attacked by bacteria resulting in the following:

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You will recognize the above LED!

Here is the cover of the BOOK!

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with a chapter on the HP 01:

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And here is the 65 chapter"

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Cheers, Geoff

LED, thanks for the quick pm response!
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 00:56

Yes this 70s Hewlett Packard stuff is addictive :O`~
I replaced the HP-65 gummy wheels by well centered silicone tubing, should last forever :-)

Interesting book of yours, will it available?

I'm still looking for a steel HP-01 case only as I could complete it by a spare module and a bracelett from my stock.
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 01:08

The book was supposed to be ready for an HP conference being held right now in Nashville. Unfortunately what was supposed to be finished isn't :cry:

Missed the conference, to answer your question it will certainly be available in the large format that you see. When done there will be over 400 how to figures and around 300 pages.

We are renovating the house and my of HP 01 parts in storage. Let me check them in the next week as I think there is a case in there with back.

Cheers, Geoff
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 02:06

What a pitty you missed the conference :-( , was it a collectors convention? Will there be another one next year, so could finish the book by then?
Very kind of you to check your stock for a spare case :-)

Did you increase the brightness of the one with your custom made crystal (fantastic job!), if so how did you manage it?

Cheers
Juergen
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 03:15

What started as a club in 1973 with the HP 65 became an international annual meet for computer nuts from around the world. HP supports it and actually sponsors many of the meetings. We sign NDA's and are introduced to new systems as well as beta testing them.

The book was supposed to be completed but this year got too busy.

The brightness is in part due to the magnification and the clarity if the lens material. I think the large resistor that spans the base of the LED panel might control the brightness of the LED's.

Cheers, Geoff

P.s. I will be in London to present some of the book to the English chapter.
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 07:50

What a beautiful collection Geoff, most of those models can be only pipedreams for me. Love all those HP-01, you surely have done an excellent job at restoring them, they look like new. The book about the restoration of the HP calculators can also come in handy for all the people who want to restore their old HP calculators and watches to their former glory. Beautiful eyecandies!
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 16:27

I have a fully working HP-01 which looks a little used and could be improved by having a cosmetic makeover. Looking at the construction of the watch it does not look to be an easy restoration as it has lots of fiddly parts made of various materials, what sort of results could be achieved with a good cosmetic restoration - does anyone have any before and after photo's?
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post24 Sep 2012, 17:46

A before and after from 2007 posting I did.

http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=2038&p=12379#p12379

Repeat of Mr Frequencies HP 01 work I did, again in 2007

http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=2253&p=13333#p13333

The prototype back case showing no serial numbers. Subsequent to the posting I installed a new quartz crystal and got the original module working.

http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=2112&p=12703#p12703

Cheers, Geoff
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post25 Sep 2012, 17:22

WOW very impressive work 8-)
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post27 Sep 2012, 21:32

Amazing collection, thanks for sharing :)
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Re: Eye Candy! another in a series (more pics added)

Post27 Sep 2012, 23:25

Thanks!

Missing is a SASM Synchronar mark III; Synchronar Legacy mark IV (at Howard's for repair); another 901 pulsar but in RGP; a 902 pulsar; a bigtime pulsar in SS; two mercury digitals, one bar segment and one dot, a TI and soon, a 9106.

The next big project will be a restoration of the 9106 Breitling.

Cheers, Geoff

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