Tindie

Avatar

HobbyStone

250 orders since Feb 17, 2021

Hidalgo, TX, United States of America

Ships from United States of America.

Custom Work Available

View Store

Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

5
13 4
3 3
1 2
0 1
0

Average Ratings

Product: (4.94)

Documentation: (4.76)

Shipping: (4.82)

Communication: (4.88)

All Reviews

Garry | Feb. 7, 2023

Excellent HP15C kit

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I bought this kit both for soldering practice and as an affordable alternative to buying a real HP-15C from eBay.

It arrived quickly and was easy to assemble, with great instructions provided. The trickiest part actually turned out to be fitting the case, which requires a bit of fiddling with long-nosed pliers to manoeuvre the washers and posts into place. It looks very smart when finished.

The firmware has some nice touches, with optional backlight and a clock display. The best new feature is undoubtedly the way that program mode shows each step as readable text as well as the original's keycode display.

Guido | Oct. 13, 2022

The PX-15C is not just a toy. It works well.

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

The PX-15C is really a usable calculator. It's not a toy of some sort. I have used this calculator now extensively for several days and I have not yet made a single typing error. The keys have a nice tactile click and they register properly.

Michael | June 19, 2022

Just great!

For PX16C an HP16C Programmers Calculator Emulator

This kit is really impressive. The aluminium rear and front panels are beautifully made and have a superb finish. The LCD is first class with good clarity and a wide viewing angle. The backlight is nice and even. The included 3D printed bumper and 2032 cell holder really finish off the looks.
If you have experience with soldering, assembly is totally painless, particularly if you use the top panel to make sure that all of your switches are straight and level. You can also use the front panel to make sure that the display is perfectly positioned so that there won't be any nasty surprises when you finish assembly.
It took me about three hours to assemble mine and everything fitted together perfectly. All the parts are individually bagged and labelled and supplied in a sturdy cardboard box for protection. It was a real pleasure to build. I'm really pleased to finally own my first ever RPN programmer's calculator.

Aly | May 7, 2022

A DIY kit for an old friend the HP voyager series

For PX41C an HP41C Hardware Emulator

Alex provides excellent support even for a DIY kit. Thank you. Will buy from again for sure.
Shipping was immediate so is the support

Martin | April 14, 2022

Stellar product!

For PX16C an HP16C Programmers Calculator Emulator

I absolutely love, when a manufacturer gets it totally right.
This little calculator is a genius device both as 'consumer product'/'tool' and as educational object; it's delivered to you unassembled, but with components in individual, labeled plastic bags accompanied by a tiny, yet well-made instruction. Were I a computer-science teacher, I'd distribute this kit to my students, acquainting them with both the HP16c-functionality AND the sensation of 'I-made-this!'.
One note: When assembling, why not use the aluminium front panel as guide to ensure all buttons are aligned properly? I've managed to mess up two, and it's not easy to fix-it. Buttons not installed ab-so-lutely straight will catch on the front panel holes.
Avatar
Response from HobbyStone | April 15, 2022
Using the aluminium front panel as a guide, Great Idea!

Portero | April 11, 2022

A wonderfull project !!

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I've bought hp35s but i was regretting the hp11c ; now i ve this really nice hp15c which is working fine !! Thanks for all

John | Feb. 16, 2022

Great Kit and Finished Product- love it

For PX41C an HP41C Hardware Emulator

I'm of a certain age having graduated with an EE degree in 1982- my graduation gift was a then brand new and expensive HP-41CV from my dad. I banged on that machine for a decade or more and I still have it and it works fine. This little HP-41 simulator project is really well done, I thought it would be a nostalgic trip but the finished product is very useable. The display, keyboard and overall function is great and very useable. It will be a main stay on my desk.

The pc board is perfect, the silkscreen keyboard legends are completely legible and useable, the aluminum covers are just that much better. I had no problems at all putting it together and it worked perfectly instantly. It has kind of renewed my interest in these classic old calculators and programming them. The language of these old calcs was like a floating point assembly language with a good math library. The looping and control structure are somewhat like assembly but you have all these rich precise mathematics that makes a great combination.

Its a very faithful simulation of the real thing and I am really impressed. Thanks very much for your hard work. If you even know what an HP-41 is, you should get one, you won't be dissapointed.

Nate | Jan. 30, 2022

Great kit for fans of the HP-41 series

For PX41C an HP41C Hardware Emulator

Great kit for intermediate or experienced kit builders as you do need attention to detail with the many parts to solder in place that need to be aligned and flush with the board, and the documentation is a little bare for a beginner. I really like that the firmware is available to flash to the -15C or -16C and with the 3D printed case you can just print and attach the new key layout overlay.

Owen | Jan. 19, 2022

What an excellent and fun device, and fully useable

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I am thoroughly delighted with this product. Like others, I was interested in the 15C but the prices on eBay here in Europe are really high, the 15C would be thirty years old with all the issues that come with that and the 15C is no longer updated.

Step in the PX-15C, as far as I can tell a completely faithful recreation of the 15C, with extras. The kit was straight forward to construct if you have basic soldering skills, follow the instructions precisely and take your time. The instructions were very clear, as was the silk-screening of the PCB. The components came well packaged in clear plastic envelopes, and every envelope had a label stating what was inside and where in the PCB it should go.

It fired up first time, the display is lovely and clear and it has an adjustable backlight. Manuals for the 15C are available on-line and appear to apply to the PX-15C in every respect. The extras are covered by links from this site.

The seller's communication was excellent, and he helped with the construction when required.

Fel | Jan. 2, 2022

Fantastic emulators!

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I bought the HP-15 and the HP-41 emulators assembled and ready to go. They worked perfectly as soon as I inserted a battery. I really like that they’re backlit and the buttons are even more satisfying to push than the original calculators they emulate. Even though I didn’t order them, both came with very nice looking 3D printed cases and button overlays. If there’s anything to complain about is that an HP-11C isn’t being offered. I would love to see an emulator version of that calculator since that was the calculator that got me through semesters of chemistry, biochem, organic chemistry, and semi-micro quantitative analysis. Other than that, well done and I’ll be enjoying these devices for years to come. Thanks for making such a great product. I’ve been raving about these on r/calculators on Reddit.

Frederic | Dec. 30, 2021

Thank you very much

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

Amazing kit
Wonderful seller
fedex also did a great job

All I need now is to take my soldering iron and print the case

Frederic | Dec. 30, 2021

Thank you so much

For PX41C an HP41C Hardware Emulator

Amazing kit
Wonderful seller
fedex also did a great job

All I need now is to take my soldering iron and print the case

Paolo | Dec. 26, 2021

Love it

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

Got the 15c preassembled, arrived with the printed case and everything works perfectly. Now I just have to see how to write the 41 fw :)

For Mark in the review above, if you ever read this, where did you get the manual printed?

Daniel | Oct. 24, 2021

Love this thing! It's my new goto calculator

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I learned of the PX-15C on hackaday, and ordered one as soon as they were back in stock. I am a fan of HP RPN calculators and of electronics kits, and found this to be a super easy, fun build. In addition to being a fun project, the calculator is useful too!

Sean | Oct. 22, 2021

Best DIY HP calculator emulator kit (PX-41C variant)

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

For the last 5 years, I've been trying solder-your-own calculator kits. The easiest ones are usually basic algebraic calcs with limited functions. But in this case, I ordered the HP-41 variant and was very impressed. I've never owned a true HP41 but I knew how powerful they are. This kit combines the function catalog and keystroke programmability of the HP41 with an extraordinarily well designed through-hole PCB. I had the soldering done in under two hours with only one mishap caused by my impatience when I bent a lead on one of the tactile keys. The component spacing and clear labeling printed front-side made soldering child's play.
The kit worked correctly as soon as I inserted a new battery. If you have the enclosure and overlay, finished product looks very nice and can be pocketed without fear of damaging anything. If not, there is still a very attractive PCB with printed key labels and rubber feet so it will rest on your desk without wobbling. The backlit display is a real delight. So, you don't have to sacrifice power for ease of assembly. You could teach a middle-school or high-schooler to solder with this kit and then teach them the power of RPN on a classic device with a rich history and readily available programs found on the internet.

Sani | Sept. 29, 2021

A Lovely Calculator

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I got the assembled version and it works very nicely. It is a bit smaller than the original (I have an HP 12 and can readily compare). The software is rock solid and I have not had any issues with it. I have not tried programming the calculator, however, which I suspect would be a tougher test.

I had a friend print the 3D case based on the STL files provided, and -alas- the case does not fit. I tried dremeling off some of the excess material to get it to fit, but was not successful.

For someone who likes calculators, a definite good find here.
Avatar
Response from HobbyStone | Sept. 29, 2021
There are 2 different displays. One has a black metal bezel and the other doesn't.

As such there are two different cases.

For display with bezel: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4969303
For display without bezel: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4936677

The printed 3D case will vary depending on the printer used and the filament type and brand. The source files are includes so that you can adjust them to match you needs.

Mark | Sept. 25, 2021

Superb!

For PX-15C an HP15C Emulator

I've wanted an HP-16C for years but never been able to afford one. The other versions seem to pop up on auction sites regularly at fairly reasonable prices but not so the programmer's version. As soon as I saw this, I ordered it. Delivery from the USA to UK took about a week, much quicker than I expected. I built the calculator in less than an hour and it worked as soon as I switched it on. I managed to have the original HP manual printed using an online service which cost me £8.53 (UK prices) including postage. This was much less than I could buy a used manual from an auction site. Now I have the manual, I can try to learn RPN and put the calculator to some serious use. I asked a few questions to "HobbyStone" before placing my order and they were answered very quickly, something I really appreciate. I'm absolutely thrilled to finally own something that I've lusted after for years.
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more.