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Radio Shack statesman EC-455

Date of introduction:  October 1996 Display technology:  LCD
New price:  $15.99 (SRP October 1996) Display size:  8
Size:  2.8" x 6.1" x 0.25"
 70 x 154 x 7 mm3		    
Weight:  2.5 ounces, 72 grams Serial No:  
Batteries:  LR54 Date of manufacture:  mth 04 year 1998
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  Malaysia
Precision:  8  Integrated circuits:  Sharp LI3154
Memories:  1    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

Radio Shack, acquired by Tandy Corporation in 1963, entered the market of Checkbook Calculators in November with this EC-306. It features Account Manager functionality with three permanent (till you remove the batteries) Memories and started a very successful product line. We discovered as of now seven (w/o counting Tandy versions) different family members:

• 1982: Radio Shack EC-306 / 65-696, 3 Memories
• 1982: Tandy EC-306 / 65-696, 3 Memories
• 1987: Radio Shack EC-308 / 65-996, 3 Memories
• 1987: Radio Shack EC-430 / 65-570, 3 Memories, Taiwan
• 1988: Radio Shack EC-430 / 65-570A, 3 Memories, Thailand
• 1996: Radio Shack EC-455 / 65-569, 1 Memory, TAX
• 2000: Radio Shack 65-504, 3 Memories, TAX, violet CC keys
• 2002: Radio Shack 65-504A, 3 Memories, TAX, blue CC keys

Dismantling the featured Radio Shack statesman EC-455 calculator manufactured in April 1998 in Malaysia reveals a clean design centered around a Sharp LI3154 single-chip calculator circuit soldered on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by one LR54 battery and 4 solar cells. Learn how to decipher the 4A8 date code on the pictured calculator. We located this calculator chip in "regular" calculator, too. Don't miss the TI-1795+ and TI-1706SV.

Inspecting the PCB of the EC-455 calculator brought our attention to a small jumper to select between:

• (---) Checkbook Calculator: [BAL/MR] doesn't clear the Memory
• (MRC) Standard Calculator: [MRC] does clear the Memory

In addition did we notice on the PCB of this EC-455 manufactured in April 1998 a small mark reading 0158-0810.

Please find an overview of the PCB-Marks we discovered so far on Account Manager calculators.

Learn more about single-chip calculator circuits used in Account Manager Calculators.

Don't miss the Corvus CheckMaster introduced by Mostek already in 1975. This rare product retains the balance of your memory even when shut off but uses power-hungry electronics.



If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, March 3, 2004 and February 25, 2020. No reprints without written permission.