OT disposable moment

[Stormin Mormon]

Battery went dead on my calculator.

Cheaper to go to DT and buy a new one.

That offends the frugal in me.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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[Mayayana]

| Battery went dead on my calculator. | | Cheaper to go to DT and buy a new one. | | That offends the frugal in me. |

I bought a Texas Instruments solar calculator in 1985, at CVS for $10. It still works fine, except in the dark. Though I wonder if the same thing bought today would be so dependable.

[Don Phillipson]

Contrast:

1. Fishing reels used to be made to last a lifetime, and reparable by owners (e.g. if one of the brass cogwheels lost a tooth and had to be replaced.) Fishing reels nowadays are made with no provision for lubrication -- not needed, because their components are made of cheap white metal, not designed to be maintained and repaired by owners during 6 or 7 years of use.

2a. Essential car components (e.g. brake components, exhaust systems, headlights) now usually last 4 to 6 years. In the 1970s we had to replace them every two years or so. 2b. Much bodywork (e.g. fenders) is now made of plastic, thus breaks or scratches much more easily than metal components, and cannot be repaired or repainted.

[Stormin Mormon]

I wonder if TI was really made in T? Guess I can find out if I was really curious.

[Stormin Mormon]

I remember when I was kid, greasing a fishing reel mechanism. And it sure has changed.

I was in a farm and garden one time, and they were selling what looked like a huge syringe needle on a zerk fitting. I asked, and learned that some "perma lube" U joints on combines are noted for going out, and being time consuming and expensive to replace. So, the farmers buy the zerk needle, and keep em lubricated. I do much the same with my C V shaft bearings.

I've had to use a drill and spray little red tube to lube the fan blower on my truck's climate air blower.

[ChairMan]

In news: [e-mail], Oren belched:

that just doesn't add up : )

[ChairMan]

yes it was, in Richardson, Texas, actually

[Shadow]

I have a Mitchell 300 from the late 60's and one I bought 10 years ago. The only similarity is the model number, and the silhouette.

Huh ? Well, maybe you drove faster in the 70's.

Here in Brazil you have to special order unusual parts for your car if it's more than 5 years old. If it's over 10 years old, no luck, the main dealers auction all the spares off to scrap dealers. Can't wait for someone to open up a 3D printing service with databases of all the old car parts. If he's smart, and does not overcharge, he'll make a fortune. Maybe I'll finally get that little lever that makes the driver's door open from the outside. []'s

[Shadow]

If I remember correctly, they stuck to him. Still do.

Can't afford it right now. Do they have credit plans ? []'s

[RobertMacy]

I too bought a TI solar powered calculator, TI-36X SOLAR, for around $10, which I still use.

[RobertMacy]

Post model, year, etc [photo?] as part of your reply, and some kind soul may send it to you. Don't forget to have that kid soul gaily wrap and label Happy Birthday, or Merry Christmas, or such [to keep customs off your back]

[Harry K]

I needed a new battery for the cell phone. Cost would have almost equaled a new phone! I made do with the old battery by keeping it charged.

Harry K

[rbowman]

Don't forget the whole plugs/points/wires deal. When I bought the Toyota I scanned the manual for the maintenance schedule. It boiled down to changing the oil and rotating the tires every 5000 miles. The last one said to change the coolant every two years but they seem to have come up with eternal coolant too.

I enjoy working on vehicles; fortunately I have a few bikes that give me something to do.

[Thomas]

You sure it didn't leak?

[Ed Pawlowski]

eBay can be good for things like that.

[Todd]

What is the cost break down of battery vs new?

[Stormin Mormon]

LOL, I'm sure.

[J Burns]

My first calculator was a Radio Shack in 1977. Rechargeable, fluorescent display. I soon got a cheaper Casio because I wanted trig functions and natural logs. I guess I used it daily for 20 years.

In 1976, I got a Radio Shack digital multimeter. It still works fine. I have others, but that one will measure voltage throughout the audio range. I don't think I've had another that will do that.

My first digital watch cost $85 in 1975. Within a year, the stainless-steel band broke while I was riding my motorcycle in the rain. By the time I realized it was gone, a car had run over it. Why don't they look where they're going!

After that, button trouble would do in my digital watches in 2 or 3 years, until my last one, in 2005. It keeps working.

[Sherlock.Homes]

Good question. With details it would be pretty easy to solve this problem. Unless you go out of your way to buy batteries at the most expensive place in the world, you can find button batteries 10 for a buck or two on line or the Dollar store. I buy 10 packs of the most popular sizes and give the excess away to neighbors and friends because they usually go bad before I can use them all up. Ebay and Amazon have pretty good prices.

SH

[Ashton Crusher]

Same thing happened to me. Went to Walgreens to buy a battery for my calculator and they wanted around $4 for the battery. Went to the aisle with calculators and the same calculator I already had was still being sold and was only $3!