Questions about TI Calculators

[James Kenobi 1138]

I have a few questions about TI-19 and TI-20 calculators used for ANH Luke/Obi/Vader bubble strips and I'm hoping to learn more specifically about the TI-2000.

From what I can tell, the TI-19, TI-20, and TI-2000 all appear to have a 7 bubble strip. Depending on the specific calculator some TI-19/TI-20/TI-2000 have round bubbles and some have flat-edge bubbles, some are all-clear while some have clear bubbles but frosted elsewhere, some are on circuit boards that are either Green or Blue, and most have flat LED elements that match the circuit board but Red LEDs that some believe are used on the ANH Vader V2 are specific to the TI-2000.

I was recently asking questions in a FS thread for a TI-2000 with Red LEDs and based on the info I received I understand why a TI-2000 on a Blue circuit board with Red LEDs is rare and worth a high asking price. I also know that based on the better photos we've seen in the last few years that all 3 ANH sabers seems to have a clear bubble strip with fully-round bubbles and as a result any TI-19/TI-20/TI-2000 having a clear bubble strip with fully-round buttons is going to fetch a higher price than either a calculator with a frosted bubble strip or a flat-edge bubble strip.

Is there a reason why a TI-2000 without the Red LEDs would sell for so much more than a TI-19 or TI-20 on a Blue circuit board with clear fully-round bubbles? Is there something specific to any/all TI-2000s without the Red LEDs that make them more valuable than the TI-19 or TI-20?

 

[v312]

Besides green and blue the display pcbs can be found in some other colors, there are at least 5 that I've seen. But I think only the blue is of some interest because it is used under the bubbles of the ESB/ROTH MPP.
The red leds if you mean this :

are also found in TI-20 and not only on blue pcbs. Based on the forum postings that I've seen the blue ones are probably more common though (I guess that automatically makes them the wrong ones as they are not the most obscure ).

Not sure why the TI-2000s with the common leds would be more expensive other than they are generally more rare than TI-19 and TI-20, so if you want to have one in your collection you might be willing to pay more.
And I don't have any information on this, but if in theory TI-2000 was exported to UK , but not TI-20 and TI-19 then this would make TI-2000 the "correct" model to source the bubbles from.

 

[Mottrex]

I have a few questions about TI-19 and TI-20 calculators used for ANH Luke/Obi/Vader bubble strips and I'm hoping to learn more specifically about the TI-2000.

From what I can tell, the TI-19, TI-20, and TI-2000 all appear to have a 7 bubble strip. Depending on the specific calculator some TI-19/TI-20/TI-2000 have round bubbles and some have flat-edge bubbles, some are all-clear while some have clear bubbles but frosted elsewhere, some are on circuit boards that are either Green or Blue, and most have flat LED elements that match the circuit board but Red LEDs that some believe are used on the ANH Vader V2 are specific to the TI-2000.

I was recently asking questions in a FS thread for a TI-2000 with Red LEDs and based on the info I received I understand why a TI-2000 on a Blue circuit board with Red LEDs is rare and worth a high asking price. I also know that based on the better photos we've seen in the last few years that all 3 ANH sabers seems to have a clear bubble strip with fully-round bubbles and as a result any TI-19/TI-20/TI-2000 having a clear bubble strip with fully-round buttons is going to fetch a higher price than either a calculator with a frosted bubble strip or a flat-edge bubble strip.

Is there a reason why a TI-2000 without the Red LEDs would sell for so much more than a TI-19 or TI-20 on a Blue circuit board with clear fully-round bubbles? Is there something specific to any/all TI-2000s without the Red LEDs that make them more valuable than the TI-19 or TI-20?

Great thread!
I almost asked this myself having quite a few LED Calcs myself and being knee deep in renovating last week.. Some from when I was young and others recently acquired.
I'd like to know the difference between the Texas Datamat TI 2500 and Exactra Calcs bubbles..
I have a couple of nice working Texet 880 with bubble strips of seven and
My Texas Datamat I bought recently for $3 has nine clear bubbles..
My Rockwell has clear bubbles that could also be used?

I'd love to see a chart/photos
With all the breakdowns.

Maybe there is one already?

Mott

 

[eethan]

Great thread!
I almost asked this myself having quite a few LED Calcs myself and being knee deep in renovating last week.. Some from when I was young and others recently acquired.
I'd like to know the difference between the Texas Datamat TI 2500 and Exactra Calcs bubbles..
I have a couple of nice working Texet 880 with bubble strips of seven and
My Texas Datamat I bought recently for $3 has nine clear bubbles..
My Rockwell has clear bubbles that could also be used?

I'd love to see a chart/photos
With all the breakdowns.

Maybe there is one already?

Mott

the difference between all those and what we are looking for for our Star Wars props is mainly the number of digits displayed on the screen.
All the bubbles and red leds used on the Star Wars props come from older calculators with 7 digits.
most of the more recent calculators will have at least 9 digits and the bubbles will be too small for our purpose.

The red leds are an even earlier technology that stopped somewhere in 1974 if I'm not mistaken. Here as well, for the ANH Vader saber, we are looking for a board with 7 red leds. Some other calculators like the Datamath TI2500 you mention, will have red leds but, they will be tighter together and 8 leds will fit the MPP clamp instead of 7, resulting in a slightly different look. It's a good budget option knowing that the TI2000 with proper red leds can fetch around 2k$.
this is what I'm using on my MPP as I can't afford something else and haven't been lucky enough yet to source a cheap calculator with proper leds!

I hope this helps a bit

 

[Sym-Cha]

For all your Texas Instruments calculators info : www.datamath.org

Chaïm

 

[v312]

There's another subtle difference between the red leds besides the spacing. The correct ones have something like a little square in the middle

While on most other calculators they have something like the digit "8" in the middle:

And finally, there are few calculators (like ti-21 and ti-22, but also others) that may have red leds with built-in bubbles, that when sanded off are almost identical to the correct ones. They look good on the original pcb, but when pulled and installed on a slothfurnace pcb the result is more or less indistinguishable from the real ti-2000/ti-20 boards. Top left is a board from ti-21 or ti-22 (don't remember which one) and the others are slothfurnace's pcbs that I've made with pulled leds:

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

My confusion on TI calculator 'value' AKA selling prices is why I've been wondering/asking about different calculators and their value to help me understand the market.

I've owned 3 TI-20s, all clear, all fully-round bubbles, and I paid $50 for 2 of them and $55 for the 3rd one. I've seen them for sale in the JY for $50-$150 depending on quality and bubble strip details, but I was surprised to see them on eBay for $350-$500 and really surprised to see TI-2000 for $1000-$1500-$2000.

I understand supply and demand, and I understand market value, but I'll admit I don't know why TI-19s and TI-20s sell for more than $100-$150.

 

[Mottrex]

the difference between all those and what we are looking for for our Star Wars props is mainly the number of digits displayed on the screen.
All the bubbles and red leds used on the Star Wars props come from older calculators with 7 digits.
most of the more recent calculators will have at least 9 digits and the bubbles will be too small for our purpose.

The red leds are an even earlier technology that stopped somewhere in 1974 if I'm not mistaken. Here as well, for the ANH Vader saber, we are looking for a board with 7 red leds. Some other calculators like the Datamath TI2500 you mention, will have red leds but, they will be tighter together and 8 leds will fit the MPP clamp instead of 7, resulting in a slightly different look. It's a good budget option knowing that the TI2000 with proper red leds can fetch around 2k$.
this is what I'm using on my MPP as I can't afford something else and haven't been lucky enough yet to source a cheap calculator with proper leds!
View attachment 1676619

I hope this helps a bit

Thanks for the reply, I know my Texet has seven I guess its down to measurements then.

My confusion on TI calculator 'value' AKA selling prices is why I've been wondering/asking about different calculators and their value to help me understand the market.

I've owned 3 TI-20s, all clear, all fully-round bubbles, and I paid $50 for 2 of them and $55 for the 3rd one. I've seen them for sale in the JY for $50-$150 depending on quality and bubble strip details, but I was surprised to see them on eBay for $350-$500 and really surprised to see TI-2000 for $1000-$1500-$2000.

I understand supply and demand, and I understand market value, but I'll admit I don't know why TI-19s and TI-20s sell for more than $100-$150.

I think I've read that as well as bubbles the flat area can be clear or frosted.. I might be making that up though?

 

[teecrooz]

I would be interested to see the inside of those. Most seven digit calculators still have nine bubbles lenses in them.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

I think I've read that as well as bubbles the flat area can be clear or frosted.. I might be making that up though?

I think you are correct.

 

[eethan]

Thanks for the reply, I know my Texet has seven I guess its down to measurements then.

I think I've read that as well as bubbles the flat area can be clear or frosted.. I might be making that up though?

like Teecrooz, I would be curious to see the inside of the calculator to see the bubbles, would be cool if you had an accurate bubble strip that was not from an exactra

 

[Mottrex]

I would be interested to see the inside of those. Most seven digit calculators still have nine bubbles lenses in them.

like Teecrooz, I would be curious to see the inside of the calculator to see the bubbles, would be cool if you had an accurate bubble strip that was not from an exactra

My bad.. In all my excitement! I over counted its Eight with yes nine bubbles..