HP 35s A Brief Introduction to RPN

A brief introduction to Reverse Polish Notation (RPN). There are plenty of videos and websites which will explain it more fully, but it's really quite simple and I wanted to show how intuitive the operations on the keys are once you understand what is going on.

[@dylantreschl3996]

I found an HP-35 in an e-waste bin a few weeks back. Research tells me that it’s a version 2, and was manufactured in November of 1972 - so it turned 50 last year! No battery & a broken charger. Luckily, for now, I can run it off of my variable power supply; all I had to do was open it up & clean off the coffee from the on-switch contacts. I was born into the age where I used a TI-nspire to get through my high school & college math/engineering courses, so I had never dabbled in RPN before. Thank you for the explanation; I’m super excited to get to put this amazing piece of history to use once more!

[@west]

Wow, what a great find! RPN is actually pretty fun to use. I've really enjoyed making the switch and wouldn't go back now.

[@gregorydaley9496]

Thanks so much for your excellent videos Logan. I love how unexcitable you are. That’s what I need. I got a degree in engineering, I passed the EIT back in 1999, I want to get back into doing engineering work. I just dusted off my HP 35S and your videos are a big help. Thanks so much

[@west]

Ha, "unexcitable". Love it. Good luck with your studies!

[@EfieldHfield_377]

Looking for a video to explain RPN to my daughter. Good start. I love RPN so when I explain it I get too excited - you are much calmer than I.

[@west]

Ha, yes I'm not a very excitable person, but hopefully not too boring for your daughter, either :)

[@gulzhanakaliyeva4040]

apps.apple.com/kz/app/rpn-30/id1451413517 kindly look at this rpn 30 app what you think ?

[@sirmorph1857]

Gracias Bro, esto me va ayudar entender su uso.

[@west]

De nada mi amigo.

[@danielwalker5682]

Excellent.

[@walnuthills11]

How do I set the number formatting the way you have it (integer entry, full scientific output with all viewable digits)?

[@walnuthills11]

Never mind - I got it. DISPLAY ALL :)

[@west]

Abraham Moller Glad to hear. I do have a video on that :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYOpamCgnJZ_iJY

[@michelebender9361]

By pressing the blue arrow key, clear and "3", does that erase all programs on the calculator?

[@west]

If you mean "clear all" then yes, that will clear everything including programs. You should be able to clear individual programs though.

[@darioeufrausinodesousa4055]

Good vídeo👍👍👍👍

[@mayranavarro6638]

how do i find the the scientific notation using mode 4?

[@Klassenfeind]

Very nice voice, I must admit.

[@west]

Ha, thanks!

[@commtechengineer612]

RPN is king!

[@amaxamon]

What mechanical pencil are you using?

[@west]

amaxamon Pentel Sharp Kerry, it's a great pencil.

[@amaxamon]

@@west That's what I thought it was, it's on my wishlist, thanks! Great vid btw - I'm mathtarded, I just never learned it, even on a basic level, I'm trying to brush up - obviously the uses of this device are beyond my level, but I have a thing for calculators (being dependent on them) so this interests me.

[@LIKEABOSSS20]

Hi! Do you know how I convert the programming into exponential notation?

[@west]

I don't understand the question. What are you trying to do?

[@jmfa57]

One comment, the inclusion of parentheses might change your answers a bit. This was one of my determining factors in migrating from the Texas Instruments SR-51 that I started college with to the succession of HP calculators (HP-45. HP-25, HP-67) that I ended college with, back when the climate-change folks were warning of impending ice age, rather than the current concerns over increasing global temperatures. I'm not a dinosaur, but I do remember them from my youth.

[@west]

Ha, that's funny.

[@vartikcsaba]

Pentel Sharp Kerry! How it holds up, and how this calculator holds up?

[@west]

Excellent on the Pentel Sharp Kerry! I've had it for about seven years and it's been all over the country with me. The 35s on the other hand...I ended up falling in love with the 42s, and more recently with Swiss Micros' modern version, the DM42. I have heard instances of the 35s keyboard starting to miss strokes prematurely but never experienced it in the mere six months I owned it. One of the nice things about the DM42 is the ability to connect it to USB and back up your programs.

[@AkhtarAli-eb2cg]

Verrygood

[@Crazytesseract]

@@west Many people must have received defective 35s units from a single bad batch.

[@reymitonovas3800]

Ily

[@amramjose]

Unfortunate this was the last good, non-graphing, RPN calculator HP made. To go from the maker of test equipment and the finest calculators in the scientific and engineering world, to a pc/laptop and printer company is sad.

[@west]

Yes, it is truly sad. Blame Ms Fiorina. Moving HP into the arena of trying to compete with race-to-the-bottom printer prices was a huge long-term mistake.

[@JeffHochberg]

It's a crying shame that HP decided to get out of the calculator business. At the very least, they should have spun the calculator division off to a separate entity. If they thought hat people using smartphones in place of a calculator was going to be the end of them, then it's obvious the bean counters were more involved in the decision process than anyone else. OK - I feel better now! :-)

[@west]

Agree so much!

[@ibnewton8951]

You do sound coherent, but I cannot get past the reflection on the calculator.

[@west]

Sorry?

[@ibnewton8951]

Logan West : You have the voice of a knowledgeable professor, so no trouble there, but to the right of the display screen there is reflection from a lamp/sun that makes viewing difficult. FYI.

[@west]

@@ibnewton8951 Understood, and I was aware of it at the time. But what you wouldn't know is that because of noise, the only location I could record was at the place I work, and I was arriving at 5am to make these videos before anyone else showed up. Yet because of suspended lighting being directed up toward the white ceiling, it creates a uniform whiteness that is impossible to get rid of without say, lying on my back. The part of the screen that doesn't have a glare is because I put up a a stack of old textbooks two feet high and my camera on a slight angle so I would block as much as I could. So the screen is at least readable but yes, I was and am aware of the glare. Also note that I've never made a cent off these videos, so...it is what it is.

[@ibnewton8951]

Logan West :-- Thank you for the explanation Sir. Apart from the reflection issue, you have produced a good video. Thank you for that too. Also, you have a baritone voice which is easy to listen to and perhaps you should consider reading novels out loud for Audible and others. BTW, you get into your place of business a lot earlier than I do.

[@west]

@@ibnewton8951 Thank you. I do read and record books for my kids :)