The Soemtron ETR 221 Calculator

Soemtron ETR 221

Soemtron 221 Pictures ©2009 Serge Devidts Click for a larger version.

December 2009 - After some research by Bernard Green and ourselves, about a possible ETR 221 unit, a recent email from Serge Devidts has confirmed the existence at some time in the past of a two part ETR 221. Bernard had suggested existence of just such a machine having recently said that he recollected seeing a two part unit shipped into the UK whilst he was at Office and Electronic Machines in London.

Bernard describes the two parts of the 221 machine as being -

• Desktop unit with keyboard and printer,
• connected by an umbilical cable to the main electronics section.

The only references to the 221 we can find is a vague picture here in the Büromaschinen Lexikon for 1967-68 (Click on "Soemtron"), and these faint pictures (right) that Serge has recently sent in of a 221 connected by an umbilical cable, and of the main unit only.

At this time we assume that no examples of the Soemtron ETR 221 two part unit remain in the wild, but then we also thought that about the 224 - did we not ?. We have found that no information, if any, exists about the Soemtron ETR 221 other than the couple of pictures found so far and a few peoples vague recollections. No technical information appears to have survived. We only know of one Soemtron 221 ever being seen outside of V.E.B. Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda, that being the one delivered to Office and Electronic Machines in London.  For whatever reason the Soemtron 221 would then seem to have been redesigned into the bulkier 224 machine, a pity as the 221 looks better !.

So, if you know of any information about the Soemtron 221 please let us know here.

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