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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
British calculators
Vintage Calculators
© Text & photographs copyright Nigel Tout 2000-2019 except where noted otherwise.