Sunlight Brings TI Solar Calculator Back to Life

While cleaning the basement a couple weeks ago I found an old TI-15 calculator.  It’s so old, I can’t even remember when we got it.  It was covered with dust.  I cleaned it with a paper towel slightly dampened with a spray of Windex.  Being solar powered (at least partially), I held it up close to the light for a minute and tried to turn it on.  Nothing.  I tried again, giving it more light, still nothing.  I was about to throw it away, but decided to give it one more chance.  The next day I put it on the front porch rail, propping it up in the bright light of the morning sun.  A couple of canvassers came by to talk to me about their party’s candidate.  I noticed they looked curiously at the calculator, but they didn’t say anything about it.  After 20 or 30 minutes in the sun, I picked it up and gave it a try.  It worked perfectly for a while, then stopped.  I took it to work and put it on a cabinet under a ceiling light.  After a few weeks, I tried it again.  It’s been working fine for several weeks now.  Makes me happy to have a quality product that has gone above and beyond the call of duty.  I’m glad I gave it another chance.  Instead of being thrown away, I can now use it or give it to someone.

[Update: Months later, it’s still working fine, as long as I store it where it gets plenty of light.]