I wonder though, if you look at the photo comparing my hilt build to the original, if the PCB itself may be the more rare tan color rather than the blue/turquoise. My thinking is, if it were indeed the blue, it would be a whole lot darker around the LEDs and much harder to discern their shape from the PCB itself.
SenorChang, looks like there are more variants. That cream color is interesting. Which calculator version did it come out of?
So a exacta 21 is the board we want for the red LEDs?
I don't think so,
Exactra 21 boards' red LEDs are off in size and spacing
Red LEDs found in Exactra 19, 20, TI-2000 are more accurate in my opinion
It seems reasonable to assume it could have been the tan variant since the black and white photo of the original prop has a light board behind the LEDs
I don't think so,
Exactra 21 boards' red LEDs are off in size and spacing
Red LEDs found in Exactra 19, 20, TI-2000 are more accurate in my opinion
Your wish is my command:Why not take a B/W photo of each & compare?
Your wish is my command:
Tan PCB with red LEDs
View attachment 1046908
Blue PCB with red LEDs vs. original prop
View attachment 1046909
Seems clear the original prop did not have a blue PCB, lol. The tan one still looks a bit too dark. Might it be possible they used a cream Exactra 21 board? SenorChang, do you have a good close up photo of your board without the bubbles hiding the LEDs? As I look at the original prop, it seems like the LEDs might be closer together than on my prop build on the left.
The silver soldered traces on the original prop PCB are darker than the board itself which, in my view, could possibly be lighter than the tan PCB above. One could focus as much light as possible on the blue PCB, and it simply won't be as light as the board on the original prop. There also seems to be a much higher contrast between the LEDs and the light PCB vs. my blue PCB and the tan one.Might be too soon to dismiss blue PCBs because BW changes by light conditions and contrasts.
Also, it seems like the 'lighter' areas in the ref photo are mostly silver solder.
If you look closely, the PCB areas around the silver solder still appear dark and highly saturated like the blue PCB