Adler 806 calculator, help needed?

[Tom williams]

Hi there,
I bought an Adler 806 calculator from a charity shop today, it is in fair condition, however, the plus button does not work properly and when making additions it does not give me the correct answer, there is a switch on it labeled AMF, 1,2 and I was wondering if anyone had an instruction manual or could help me with the use of this calculator.

Pictures:

[usradcoll1]

IIRC, the switch relates to the position of the decimal point. That calculator is only useful for business or taxes, etc.
For electrical calculations, I need one with a memory, square-root and few other extras.
Dave, USradcoll1.

[TonyDuell]

My guess too is that it's a decimal point selector. AMF might be floating point (AutoMatic Float) and the other positions for fixed numbers of decimal places. 2 decimals is common for money, of course.

What does the '+' key do? Can you give an example calculation (what you press, and the answer it gives) with the switch in each of its positions.

Incidentally I am not clever enough to use a calculator like that. I need one with a stack (and no '=' key)...

[paulsherwin]

Lots of 70s Japanese calcs have a similar switch. My first calc, a Casio, has one. (Thinking about it, Casio may have OEMd for Adler.)

[Tom williams]

Would this calculator be able to add up like normal or us there a special procedure?

[paulsherwin]

3 (shows 3)
+ (shows 3)
2 (shows 2)
+ (shows 5)
1 (shows 1)
= (shows 6)

[Tom williams]

This is what happens when I try to do an addition sum:
I put the first number in, then press the + button, then I put the last number in, I press equals and nothing happens.

[Tom williams]

Here is a video of the problem:
https://youtu.be/dw2yJMSUm34

[Dave757]

Hi,

This series of 1970s calculators was very expensive, -
this one would have cost around £100 in 1974 money!
I seem to remember that if you wanted to add x and y
you would key x + y +, and if you wanted to take y from x
you would key x + y -.
The model number tells you the type of calculator this is -
the 8 = 8 digit, 0 for no memories, and 6 for six function
Rechargeable versions had AD after the model number
I think the 6 functions you have are add, subtract Multiply, Divide,
Percentage, and square/ square root (X= / divide=.), and the =
key was not used in addition or subtraction.

Kind regards
Dave

[Mike. Watterson]

I recently bought a Chinon Executron BM on ebay because I wanted an example of this sort of VFD (triodes) machine to go with Abacus and sliderule. It's similar to the Adler except mine has % Sqrt +/- and K under the display as well as RM and M1
Optional use of rechargeable C cells.
I need now a drum mechanical calculator (That's the earliest common sort) and the 1960s wheel and winding handle sort.

I believe the Japanese developed separate 7 segment VFD tubes first based on the the DM160 indicator and DM70 magic eye technology because of the royalties required on the Nixie tubes. Also the VFD is easier to drive. It was then easy to matrix multiple triodes with a grid to select digit, a pair of cathode filaments for all digits and the anode seven segments plus dot all in parallel, thus a 9 digit tube only needs 19 connections.

Intel got into microprocessors rather than RAM only by doing a chip that could be used for a Japanese calculator or Minuteman missile. Next was the 4004, 8008, 8080, 8085 and then the x86 family.

However various Japanese chip makers soon dominated the calculator chip market. The Russians copied this style of VFD (some have wires at both ends) and the later flat panel planar + frit seal types still made today.
So the only common domestic valves now are the magnetron in an microwave oven and the getting rare VFD triodes in some cookers, set boxes and amp bargraphs.

[Tom williams]

Hi everyone,
Thank you for the help, it has been very useful to me.
because the calculator came with no cable, I have had to have the cable off of my Roberts R9905 radio and it works just fine.

[Tom williams]

Originally Posted by Dave757

Hi,

This series of 1970s calculators was very expensive, -
this one would have cost around £100 in 1974 money!
I seem to remember that if you wanted to add x and y
you would key x + y +, and if you wanted to take y from x
you would key x + y -.
The model number tells you the type of calculator this is -
the 8 = 8 digit, 0 for no memories, and 6 for six function
Rechargeable versions had AD after the model number
I think the 6 functions you have are add, subtract Multiply, Divide,
Percentage, and square/ square root (X= / divide=.), and the =
key was not used in addition or subtraction.

Kind regards
Dave

Hi Dave,
Do you remember how to use the square root and percentage on this calculator? If so, could you tell me how please.

[Dave757]

Hi Tom,

I wish I did !

It's been so long ago, and I bought them for my old company
(Metro-Cammell), rather than using them very often.

I think you got the square root by keying in the number followed
by divide and equals, and the square by following the number
with multiply and equals.

To get a percentage I think you key in the number followed by
X then say 10 followed by the % key. You could then add or
subtract it with the + / - keys.

I hope this works, but sadly my recollections from 45 years ago are not
what they could be.

The key under the % key, the (-), really puzzles me. I can't remember
that one at all!.

Please let us know how you get on with it, - I think if you try all possible permutations of the keys you will get there!

Kind regards
Dave

[Tom williams]

Hi everyone,
Thank you in your help in solving the mystery of this calculator.
It is with great pleasure that I inform you that I have managed to work out how it works, and can now successfully perform sums on it so thank you very much!

[Tom williams]

Originally Posted by Dave757

Hi Tom,

I wish I did !

It's been so long ago, and I bought them for my old company
(Metro-Cammell), rather than using them very often.

I think you got the square root by keying in the number followed
by divide and equals, and the square by following the number
with multiply and equals.

To get a percentage I think you key in the number followed by
X then say 10 followed by the % key. You could then add or
subtract it with the + / - keys.

I hope this works, but sadly my recollections from 45 years ago are not
what they could be.

The key under the % key, the (-), really puzzles me. I can't remember
that one at all!.

Please let us know how you get on with it, - I think if you try all possible permutations of the keys you will get there!

Kind regards
Dave

Hi Dave,
I think the (-) key is for a minus number i.e. -46.

[Dave757]

Hi Tom

Glad it's worked out ok. I don't think we had many of them, -
the basic 804 and battery version 804AD were the most popular with us.
The prices were eyewatering though, but in those heady days
it didn't seem to matter!

Kind regards
Dave

[McMurdo]

most office calculators like that use the + and - keys in a different way to a maths or pocket calculator, adding or subtracting from a total.

For example to add 3, 4 and 7

you would press

3+
4+
7+

(displays answer).

If you wanted 3+5-2

you would press

3+
5+
2-

(displays answer)


The = key would be for multiply and divide and percentage.

See if that works on yours. (modern ones are like that as they're for totalling columns of profit and loss)