TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-59 VINTAGE PROGAMMABLE CALCULATOR (1977)

[Master Tasuke]

**** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-59_/_TI-58 ****


hi all. i happened across this old beauty about 6 years ago or so at a thrift for like, $3.00? something close to that, anyway.

this 1970's model was supposedly the most advanced of it's day, or, at least, among the most advanced. unfortunately,
it was designed to be dependent upon a NiCAD battery and accompanying AC supply, and mine lacked that power supply and further it's NiCAD pack was BAD.

so, i tucked the thing away and promptly forgot about it. in the intervening years,
i came across several lesser model 1970's TI calcs at various thrifts and the like, at least two of which were powered by a 9v battery.

just recently, due to my recent move, i unearthed that TI-59 and several of those other, similar calcs in my collection, and, it up and dawned on me,
why can't i just do a quick mod on the 59 so it can run off of a 9v like those lower-end models can? well, here are the quite successful results;

it's a bit of a forced fit, but a 9v stripped of it's outer metal casing JUST BARELY fits the NiCAD compartment;

 

[Lazarus Short]

​Being a collector of vintage calculators myself, I am most impressed.

 

[NavLinear]

Nice job. How did you remove the metal casing from the 9 volt battery? Cool stuff.

 

[Master Tasuke]

Nice job. How did you remove the metal casing from the 9 volt battery? Cool stuff.

simply pried/peeled it away. in any case, it certainly came off easily enough. i guess modern 9v don't have the metal shell glued on in any way? at least the DURACELL PRO CELLs that i have do not seem to...

 

[MarkWComer]

Is that the one that stores programs on magnetic cards? We had one in our camera department, densitometric measurements were taken of a photo and the thing provided highlight, shadow, and bump exposures for halftones.