Facit ESA-0: How to use

Finally, after much waiting, it's here. The Swedish-made, fully automatic calculator returns home, ready for primetime.
One of the smallest fully automatic electromechanical calculators in existence, this machine was manufactured in the shape shown during the 1950s and is as a result, rather quite old.
Works like a charm, though.

[@IvanSN]

That cannon joke was amazing.

[@metalliqaz]

"This, unlike the time that Han Solo teamed up with The Doctor to stop Dr No from taking over the Enterprise, is actually cannon." Swede has better grasp of the English language than 98% of American KZbinrs.

[@PaulFurber]

Canon. A cannon goes boom.

[@drakethorn1339]

I believe that that was intentional, so as to mark the grammatically perfect and keen pun made by the in-question Swede.

[@PaulFurber]

I believe you're right.

[@scania1982]

He sounds German

[@slowlydryingpaint6892]

Another great video. Your narration really adds an extra layer to the already interesting information.

[@DreQueary]

The sounds this thing makes sound like a true piece of human engineering. I love it.

[@davidbrown8365]

Just bought one in Oslo. 1955 year. Will be watching this video many times over to learn all the different modes. Thanks for your videos!

[@Mariedes]

Great video, never knew I could like calculators this much! Mesmerising!

[@xraptor94x]

I came here for the ASMR (When i watched the Curta I video a long time ago) and stayed for the calculators. Your collection there is quite impressive. And as someone who works more with modern machines, i think it is also really interesting to see how stuff was calculated when PCs weren't common.

[@douro20]

Automatic shortcut multiplication, as it is called, first showed up on the Hamann Automat V in 1931 from what I have read.

[@MartyrLoserKing]

Breh you have such a great natural ASMR inducing voice. These loud calculators totally fuck it up though lol

[@1stSpyGuy]

But the loud calculators are awesome!

[@MartyrLoserKing]

Understandable. Don't cater to your audience, do what you enjoy.

[@vinnieravioli4653]

Man your voice is so relaxing! Would love to see some new uploads!!!

[@TheMangoVampire]

HI BILLY MAYS HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL SHAKE EQUATE

[@Kiloburn]

2:31 might be the nerdiest sentence I have ever heard. I think we're friends now.

[@braylennasir62]

i guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost my account password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me.

[@cailean2322]

@@braylennasir62 you ever figure it out?

[@NikBarbour]

Hi, I have a CA1-13 from 1956 which I've finally managed to get going after much soaking with penetrating oil. My original capacitor could probably do with replacing though. Did you mention yours had been replaced, and if so, could you share the details? Great video for learning how to use these.

[@TinyMaths]

This is fascinating. I recently built a software calculator, a simple one, not too long ago, and it was a challenge working out the logic of when to do what; for example, how to separate your first entry from your second entry, or how to deal with repeated number entries etc. But on a mechanical machine it almost seems like 'magic'. I've got a hunch about the 'X' symbol for repeated numbers for addition; if you think about it, repeated addition of a single number is actually multiplication : 5 + 5 + 5, for example, is the same as 3x5, and repeated number division is the same, 10/10/10 is really 10 x 1/10 x 1/10, etc, so that could be their idea; just a thought though

[@1stSpyGuy]

You're very correct. :) Multiplication is just the machine doing 5+5+5 for the required amount of times. On top of that, it also uses the fact that 555*3 = 5*100 + 5*10*3 + 5*3, by stepping the carriage to adjust the 10^n factor. This way it can make 15 additions and 2 steps, instead of 555 additions.

[@TinyMaths]

@@1stSpyGuy That really is 'clever' they way they worked that out: That kind of problem just won't exist in software, at least in modern software, because even if you chose to inefficiently do 555 additions, it would be pretty quick and there's negligible wear and tear. But for machines (something that has never occurred to me before) that's an important problem right there, if your calculations require mechanical movements; you're repair guys is gonna get rich that way😄. I can imagine the inventors sitting down first and figuring out the 'abstract' side, the logic (like in the example you've just given), then ironing out flaws in the logic and then, goodness knows how, figuring out how to make the mechanical movements to produce the desired results with physical digits. I've never really thought about it, but, man, these machines are amazing. You've got me intrigued now.

[@1stSpyGuy]

@@TinyMaths Happy to hear it! Plus, to get even more complex. This machine is one of the few brands that would take shortcuts during multiplication. If you wanted to do 999x3 you could make 27 additions and 2 steps, or you could make one subtraction to produce an underflow, then make three steps and an addition to correct this underflow and be left with 999 as the multiplier after only 2 arithmetic operations and 3 steps. =)

[@TinyMaths]

@@1stSpyGuy Well, I'll have to get my pen and paper out for this one 🙂 - obviously, whoever sat down and figured out how to overcome these obstacles was not your average Joe; I totally underestimated this whole area and now I understand the fuss. I'll be watching more of your vids.

[@clodoveu]

Great video! I am in the process of restoring a FACIT NEA, which is not fully automatic. I'd like to know the small silver lever to the right of the master control lever is actually used for anything in the ESA-0. Is it just an indicator of position? In the NEA it seems to have a function, since it can be positioned independently from the main lever.

[@esa062]

I have used that machine the first time about 45 years ago. And when I say "used", I mean press some keys and not understand what happens, but like the sound it makes. I was about 7 at the time. There was one in the shop where my mother worked. I bet forgetting to set the mode lever was a common mistake on that machine.

[@demetriusbraz3405]

Hello. Hello. I have an Esa-0 calculator that I purchased recently but it was locked I decided to disassemble it. And after a few days I was unable to assemble again I would like to ask for help from you if there was a manual or link so I could finish assembling this beautiful machine

[@Lunarl4ndr]

How do you go about getting all these old calculators?

[@1stSpyGuy]

I tend to get them primarily from Germany. There was quite a healthy calculator industry going on there after the war. In America there's mainly three kinds of machines. You have the Monroe, Friden and Marchant-style calculators, quite similar on a surface level. Then there's a lot of adding machines on the market. I'm personally not a super fan of adding machines, since they're very simple in concept (only do addition and subtraction).

[@Lunarl4ndr]

1stSpyGuy yeah, I live in the US so I'm sure the field of machines is a little smaller. I just love the complexity of these calculators and the mechanical sounds are so amazing.

[@514232415]

Stunning

[@clodoveu]

Shouldn't the rightmost button be a PLUS (+)? What is its function, since there is an ADD button as well?

[@1stSpyGuy]

It's a plus on earlier generations of the machine. It's the Repeat ADD button, so it will not clear the setting register and can be held down to add continuously, useful if you're tallying stuff and you run into multiples of one quantity. Another prime example is in the conversion of pounds, shilling and pence, which you'd do by adding complement numbers until the number can no longer be divided.

[@robertlozyniak3661]

I notice that sometimes register I does not clear properly. (Maybe needs more lubricant?) Also, I do not understand your compound interest calculation. Where does the number 092 come from, and why the leading zero? Also, why use 360 for the number of days in a year?

[@1stSpyGuy]

Yeah, it seems like something doesn't latch as it should. Some lubricant would probably be good. As for the number 92, I didn't quite explain the setup, I figured I would go based on a coupon period where the day count convention would be modified following, resulting in a 92 day coupon term. The leading zero was a bit of a misstep on my end - that was supposed to assist in a shortcut, placing the final sum at the left of the accumulator, but I didn't end up using that method. As for 360 days in a year, it's quite common for coupon payments on bonds to use Actual/360 as the method of interest computation, so I went with that. Should've explained the setup in more detail than I wound up doing.

[@robertlozyniak3661]

So, for a full year you would use 365/360 or possibly 366/360 ? I wonder who invented this method and what kind of mushrooms they were eating.

[@1stSpyGuy]

This won't happen as often, though. Normally with A/360 you only adjust the coupon period accounting for bank holidays, so if one gets extended, the following one is shorter. With the other common option 30/360 you end up not adjusting for bank holidays, but do the actual payment on the first available business day.

[@XMarkxyz]

Really an excelent video, I was just asking myself what happened to this machine after seeing the "restoration video". Anyway do you think you will ever buy an Olivetti? I find them very intresting, also because they write the result on paper, and as an italian I'm pretty proud of Olivetti's history.

[@1stSpyGuy]

Hehe, it's generally not an issue with the machines. Most often the issue is me and finding time to record / edit something. I think I saw a particular model of Olivetti that I found quite interesting. It looked like your run of the mill adding machine, but it had a number wheel, much like on old rotary phones. I presume it was for multiplication, but I don't know and I'd be thrilled to find out.

[@Vivalarizza]

Can’t wait

[@glswenson]

I was wondering, do you also have an interest in typewriters?

[@1stSpyGuy]

Typewriters are quite neat machines and I do have a couple. Although, there isn't so much variance in functionality between them. I have a hammer-style typewriter and an electric daisy-wheel design. Since those are the most common designs I haven't really gone out of my way looking for others to collect. Although, truth being told, I do want a Selectric II with the golf ball. That machine does fit the bill for quirky and interesting in my book. I also found one with a built-in plotter. I've been fixing for that machine for quite some time now.

[@eotsdev]

Just bought one of these for 75 sek but it's jammed and lacks the power chord..

[@scania1982]

An older engineer told me that he made one of these divide by zero which resulted in noise and complaints.

[@1stSpyGuy]

A division by zero is really quiet compared to an actual division because the accumulator mechanism is never engaged. Though it might be harmful to the motor to run for a longer time than expected.

[@tamlu6794]

Where do you get it????????????

[@milestailsprower4555]

Not SURE

[@nathanpratt3058]

To me it doesnt have as much charm as the more manual version But it's much faster

[@1stSpyGuy]

I think it's plenty charming, because it's practically unique among the electromechanicals, not to mention one of the smallest and lightest fully automatic ones.

[@TheDavo10001]

Haha cannon