Hp 33s is the little red headed step child of the HP calculator family. Ever since they stopped making survey based calculators like the 48 series, this was the most affordable calculator that had the functionality I needed to complete my work.
Hidden Treasures
Reluctantly I ordered it from the HP website for about $50 American, it came with everything I needed to get started, Batteries
(yes batteries included!), 125 page novel containing more information then I would ever use, and a nifty case which protected the calculator,
but more importantly made me feel cool carrying it
I did not want to order this calculator, but I had to for the classes I needed to take.
Functionality
The Calculator layout is somewhat irregular; keys are in a not so standard order, which does not take away from the calculators many important functions.
RPN: The Automatic Memory Stack
"Automatic storage of intermediate results is the reason that the HP 33s easily processes complex calculations, and does so without parentheses. The key to automatic storage is the automatic, RPN memory stack."
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Source HP 33s Users Guide
This is feature is extremely important because as a Land Surveyor we have cumbersome equations that require some major number crunching. (31,277 bytes) or (31KB) of memory included which is definitely important for the size the equations I use.
Storing data into variables
Most of the Cracker-Jack calculators you've seen have the ability to store some numbers in "memory 1..2..3" well this bad dog here stores variables A-Z (26 spots) Huge especially because you can use the variables to coincide with the stored data. (Like X Y Z equations given in your math class)
SO what do I use it for?
I know your dying to know what equations and functions I use the most so here it is.
Converting Bearings and Azimuths
Calculating coordinates using
Leitz Reduction
Quickly converting angles to decimal and vise-versa Calculating area
Angle & Distance formulas (Arc Tangent)
Sine & Cosine for balancing a Traverse
Geometry and Trigonometry
Radians and Degrees
Complex intersection Equation
Calculating Vertical Curve Data on Road Profiles
Those whom are into this type of work or interested in it for your Trig/Geometry, feel free to email me I have several equations and functions that may help you. Use them to program your calculator to do all the work, and then just enter the variable data.
One last thought on the calculator, my boss (much older than me 20 years) has an older HP calculator, which he created programs for that still to this day work on my brand new 33s. His programs are in RPN (Reverse Polar Notation) and the functions that his calculator has are the same as the new HP 33s. Guess they have not changed all that much.
You can always visit the HP website for more information.
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