Vintage British Calculators

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Plustron

Plustronics Ltd., of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, was a company of Photopia International Ltd., which was a British photographic goods importer and distributor.

Known Plustronics models:

Plustronics was also the distributor in Britain of Kovac calculators.

Plustron 81M

Plustron 108

Plustron 81M

3v (2 x AA batteries).

Display is 8 digits, green VFD.

4 functions, %, memory.

74 mm x 124 mm x 19 mm (2.9" x 4.9" x 0.75").

Made in Japan.

Plustron 108

Plustron 108

Plustron 108

6v (4 x AA batteries).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions.

82 mm x 165 mm x 37 mm (3.25" x 6.5" x 1.5").

Was originally purchased in 1974.

Made in Singapore.
Similar to the Sovrin 108.

Plustron 308

Plustron 308

Plustron 308

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions.

71 mm x 108 mm x 23 mm (2.8" x 4.25" x 0.9").

This example was originally purchased in 1974.

Made in Singapore.
Similar to the Sovrin 308.

Price, April 1975[1] GBP £14.50 (about US$49).

Plustron 508

Plustron 508
Inside

Plustron 508

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions, %.

71 mm x 108 mm x 23 mm (2.8" x 4.25" x 0.9").

Made in Singapore.
Similar to the Sovrin 508.

Price, April 1975[1] GBP £15.94 (about US$35).

Plustron 608

Plustron 608

Plustron 608

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions.

72 x 135 x 22 mm (2.8" x 5.3" x 0.9").

Made in Singapore.
Similar to the Sovrin 608.

Plustronic 636

Plustron 636
Inside Plustronic 636

Plustronic 636

4.5v (3x AA batteries).

Display is 6 digits, red LED.

4 functions.

Calculator chip - Mostek MK5021P, here date coded 1973.  Note also the 22 transistors (black blobs) on the circuit board and the 6-digit LED display.

77 x 143 x 40 mm (3.0" x 5.6" x 1.6").

Made in Malaysia.

Plustron 808

Plustron 808 calculator

Plustron 808

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions, %, memory.

72 x 135 x 22 mm (2.8" x 5.3" x 0.9").

Made in Singapore.
Similar to the Sovrin 808.

Price, April 1975[1] GBP £19.95 (about US$44).

Plustron 908

Plustron 908 calculator

Plustron 908

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions, %, memory.

72 x 135 x 22 mm (2.8" x 5.3" x 0.9").

Made in Singapore.

Price, April 1975[1] GBP £21.95 (about US$49).

Plustron Educational 1

Plustron Educational 1

Plustron Educational 1

3v (2 AA batteries).

Display is green VFD (vacuum fluorescent).

4 function calculator, poses mathemtical problems.
In calculator mode it can only operate on 2-digit  numbers without decimal points, and can give a 4-digit result with decimal point. It displays the full calculation as shown in the photograph on the left.

73 x 134 x 22 mm (2.9" x 5.3" x 0.9").

Made in Taiwan.

Plustron fleximind

Plustron fleximind
Plustron fleximind

In calculator mode.

In game mode (similar to Mastermind where you have to guess a string of numbers and are given clues to how well you are doing).

Plustron fleximind

9v (PP3 battery).

Display is 8 digits, green Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD).

4 functions, %, "Mastermind"-type game.

78 x 142 x 19 mm (3.1" x 5.6" x 0.75").

Plustronic LE-806

Plustronic LE-806

Plustronic LE-806

9v (6x AA batteries).

Display is 8 digits, red LED.

4 functions.

74 x 140 x 33 mm (2.9" x 5.5" x 1.3").

Made in Japan.

Reference:

  1. "news digest", Electronics Today International, April 1975, p68.

Vintage British Calculators

Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2024.