Author Topic: The inside of a cheap calc  (Read 9120 times)

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Offline Spyro543

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The inside of a cheap calc
« on: December 23, 2011, 10:49:46 am »
My friend had a Sentry CA756, but the EXE button stopped working, and he gave it to me (but I can't fix it). These graphing calcs are about $20, with a very small screen and only 10 program spaces. Yes, 10. You reference them by using Prog, like Prog 1. It's looping capabilities are lbl, goto, ISZ, and DSZ. Sad, isn't it? And it doesn't even have a function catalog! You have to access function with a Shift- or Shift-Alpha- key sequence. To change the calc's mode, you have to press MODE, MODE-SHIFT, or MODE-ALPHA and a number.  D: This thing is awful! So, without further ado, here are some pix!

Here's the awful small screen and the label that tells all the calc modes.



Sorry about this one being blurry, but here's the keyboard. As you can see, almost all of the keys have SHIFT, ALPHA, and SHIFT-ALPHA labels on them.



Here's a close-up of the arrow keys. Notice how they stole the "REPLAY" and "EXE" from Casio. :P



The "screenshots" on the quick reference aren't even screenshots. They didn't even attempt to make them look real.



The battery. Notice how the calc only needs one battery to work, so they just glued foam to the other contact!



This is the inside of the calc.



The main (and only) chip is, of course, buried under epoxy.



Here you can see that foamed-up battery slot also has terminals running to the circuit board, just like the other one!



The only thing holding the LCD in is the back cover pressing against it. I can freely pull it out of its slot (that is too big, the LCD can wobble all around in the slot).



Another shot of the calc, this time with the LCD flopping.


You have just witnessed how awful this cheap, $20 calc actually is. It's definitely worth less than $20 :P
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 11:02:09 am by Spyro543 »

Offline Sorunome

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Re: The inside of a cheap $20 calc
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2011, 10:53:43 am »
No, it's defiantly worth $20.....it is worth far less money......

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Offline Spyro543

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2011, 10:54:52 am »
No, it's defiantly worth $20.....it is worth far less money......
Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Should have made that clearer.

Offline saintrunner

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2011, 11:50:18 am »
woah...well when all you have is twenty bucks, and you need to graph... GO TO GOOGLE!!! your better off just google-ing the equation lol
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Offline Nick

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2011, 12:30:36 pm »
true :) but it's a miracle that this calc can run progs, isn't it? i've seen other ones (casio and ti lol ) from that price that couldn't do that
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 12:30:56 pm by Nick »

Offline saintrunner

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2011, 12:31:59 pm »
Most TI calcs around $20, don't even run graphs!
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Offline Jim Bauwens

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2011, 03:09:39 pm »
This calculator actually looks quite interesting ;)
I wonder what architecture it is.

Offline Juju

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2011, 03:27:29 pm »
Yeah, the insides of a calculator is pretty interesting. Especially when you want to figure out how this works.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 03:28:02 pm by Juju »

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Offline Spyro543

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2011, 03:28:10 pm »
I couldn't peel off the epoxy if I tried so...yeah. To Google! ...er maybe not.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 03:28:23 pm by Spyro543 »

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2011, 03:29:27 pm »
Nope, you can't. You could tore it apart more though.

I could post pics of my destroyed calc.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2011, 03:29:55 pm by Juju »

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Offline saintrunner

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2011, 03:29:36 pm »
Google does EVERYTHING these days...
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Offline parserp

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2011, 03:31:26 pm »
I could post pics of my destroyed calc.
:D please do

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #12 on: December 24, 2011, 01:07:58 am »
Wow, the way this calc software works is like if they ripped one of Casio's oldest graphing calc models. My FX-7000G operated in a similar way and you even had the MODE legend on the case like on this one.

Nope, you can't. You could tore it apart more though.

I could post pics of my destroyed calc.
The one I gave you? O.O

Offline Juju

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #13 on: December 24, 2011, 01:10:49 am »
Nope, you can't. You could tore it apart more though.

I could post pics of my destroyed calc.
The one I gave you? O.O
Yep. It was already pretty much destroyed anyway. Well, I tore every part apart, it was kinda easy.

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Offline saintrunner

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Re: The inside of a cheap calc
« Reply #14 on: December 24, 2011, 01:10:59 am »
I WANT TO POST PICS OF DESTROYED CALCS!! 

*saintrunner goes to find hammer*

....jk :)
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