HP48GX

[Dave Lindell]

My trusty field calculator, the HP48GX with TDS Pro and a 512K card decided to taunt me.

It seems the TDS 512K GX ram card is dead. I got the message "Invalid Data Card" (or "Invalid Card Data") whenever I turned it on, but only briefly.

I took it out and cleaned the gold contacts with an alcohol dampened Q-tip like the instructions said and when I returned it to the calculator it said "directory empty". (Hmmmm, that alcohol is strong stuff!)

Is it even worth keeping? Can it be resurrected? Are new ones still available without resorting to E-bay?

[Jim Frame]

Are you sure the card's battery is good?

[Dave Lindell]

There doesn't appear to be a battery.

[Ian Wilson]

Dave, can you post a photo of the card?

As I recall, most of those cards required a battery because non-volatile memory was still quite expensive when those were in vogue. The battery compartments were ingeniously hidden on some cards.

[VANCE]

Try this out, it has saved me more than once.

[Dave Lindell]

I found a 256K card in another calculator that will see me through for now.

[E_Page]

That happened to mine several years ago. I was unable to find a battery compartment for the card and was unaware of the procedure outlined in the document Vance attached. I bought a new data collector. Much more expensive fix, but I had no regrets.

I'll have to look around for the cards for my 48, look closer for the RAM card battery compartment (or take it to Ian to show me where it is), and see if I can get it running again.

[scarpa]

After reading Ian’s response, I decided to open my 48SX and see this card with a battery for myself. Thus, I pull out the card, examine card, put card back in 48, turn on…, turn on…, turn on…what the heck?! Dead?!

Dead is not an option here (use my 48 daily); therefore, I tried all of the hocus-pocus found on the internet: 1) Hold (ON), (A) and (F) at the same time, then release, 2) squeeze “bezelâ€￾ and press (ON), 3) insert paperclip in places I can not mention, and 4) hop on one foot, scatter eye-of-newt over party chief and scream like a banshee. Nothing, zippo, nada, butkus!

Then I spied a failed attempt of removing the “feetâ€￾ of the 48 and inserting a paperclip in the hole under the feet to “resetâ€￾. What the heck. First hole…nothing; second hole…zippo; third hole…wait, wait…it breathes (or should I say I breathe a sigh of relief). Lesson learned: never give up.

Stay calm and carry on.