Where to Find Calculators in ARC Raiders
The best place to find calculators in ARC Raiders is the Observatory on Pendola Pass. In our run, one room there held four calculators across the kitchen, a trash can, a table, and the last room, and three were enough for our Research Station level 2 upgrade.
The team here at MetaForge tested this route on Pendola Pass, and the steps below cover the loadout, the route, and where each calculator sits in the room. Pendola Pass is the map added by Frozen Trail, and the Observatory is one of the locations named in the Frozen Trail content preview.
We checked this guide against Store Update 2.1.0, the latest patch as of October 15, 2026, so you can follow the steps below as written.
What to Bring to the Observatory
Bring a 
Snap Hook and a 
Grappling Hook alongside whatever kit you are comfortable running. Together they get you through the Observatory window quickly, so you can reach the calculator room without fighting ARC on the way in, and the rest of your loadout can stay light.
The Frozen Trail 2.0 patch notes introduced the Grappling Hook and retuned the Snap Hook as a burst mobility gadget. The table lists the confirmed figures.
| Gadget | Role in this run | Confirmed details |
|---|---|---|
| Snap Hook | Burst mobility to reach the window | Range 18m (down from 20m), 60 power cost (up from 50) |
| Grappling Hook | Used alongside the Snap Hook to enter the room | Climbing gadget added in the 2.0 update, range 20m in our database, other stats TBC |
Pack light so you have room for the loot you plan to pick up.
How to Reach the Observatory Calculator Room
The route below is the one we ran, and it is built around entering through the window and looting the kitchen first.
- Check your spawn: In our run the spawn sat close to the Observatory, so the trip took very little time. We have not confirmed that every raid spawns this close, so check your position on the ARC Raiders Interactive Map first.
- Head straight to the Observatory: Skip other points of interest on the way, since the calculator room is the target.
- Equip both hooks and enter: Equip your Snap Hook and Grappling Hook before you reach the building, then use them to get in through the window without fighting ARC on the way in.
- Loot the kitchen first: Start in the kitchen, then check the tables, sofas, and trash can.
- Finish in the last room and extract: Check the last room, then head to extract with your calculators.
Check the ARC Raiders Event Timers before you queue to see which map conditions are active. Map and timer data are estimates and do not guarantee an identical outcome in your raid.
Calculator Locations Inside the Room
A Calculator turned up in each of four spots in the Observatory room: the kitchen, a trash can, a table, and the last room you check. Check every table top and sofa, because the 2.0 patch notes say loot values in certain Pendola Pass areas vary from raid to raid.
| Order in our run | Spot | Calculators found | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchen | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Trash can | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Table | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Last room | 1 | 4 |
We held three calculators after the table, so the last room was optional for us.
Other Loot Worth Taking from the Observatory Room
Besides calculators, the room held five other item types we picked up, and in our run it worked as a general farming spot for Outpost and Research Station items. Sweep the whole room before you extract, since the calculators are only part of what it offers.
- Steel Cable: Several in a row in the kitchen.
Adrenaline Shot: In the kitchen and on the tables.- Differential Microphone: Picked up while looting the kitchen and kept for later upgrades.
- Thermal Shaker: On the tables in the room.
- Epoxy Bucket: The only item in the weapons case in the last room.
If you are worried about losing the run to another squad, you can move the epoxy bucket or a calculator into your safe pocket. We placed the epoxy bucket there in our run, and the official posts we checked do not detail the safe pocket rules, so confirm slot count and behavior in-game before you rely on it.
What Calculators are Used For
Calculators are needed to upgrade the Research Station from level 1 to level 2, and our run needed three of them, which makes Pendola Pass the best map we found to farm them. The Research Station unlocks when you unlock the Outpost, which you open by completing a project.
Our Calculator database entry lists Research Station Level 2 as needing 3, and the 2.0 patch notes confirm that unlocking the Outpost gives access to the research station without listing upgrade costs. Check the full requirements in our Workshop Planner before you queue.
Turn One Pendola Pass Run into a Level 2 Research Station
You can now drop into Pendola Pass in ARC Raiders, enter the Observatory through the window with your two hooks, and leave with enough calculators for the Research Station upgrade. After you extract, take them to your Research Station, start the level 2 upgrade, and put your spare room loot toward your next Outpost projects.
FAQs
Can you farm calculators in the ARC Raiders PvE Toggle?
Calculator farming in the ARC Raiders PvE Toggle is untested. The PvE Toggle beta runs October 13 to October 20, 2026, with zero player-to-player damage and lower overall loot value in PvE servers, and no figure is given, so the effect on Pendola Pass calculator spawns is TBC.
Did the latest ARC Raiders patch change calculator spawns?
No calculator changes appear in the ARC Raiders patch notes. Neither Store Update 2.1.0 nor the Frozen Trail 2.0 update mentions calculators, and the 2.1.0 notes touch Pendola Pass only through Frigate cargo drops and Frigate-round spawns, as of October 15, 2026, so check the newest notes before each session.
Are there calculators on other ARC Raiders maps besides Pendola Pass?
Pendola Pass is the only ARC Raiders map where we have confirmed calculator spawns. We tested the Observatory room there, and calculator spawns on other maps are TBC, so stick to the Observatory route for now and check our interactive maps for confirmed locations after we test them in-game.
Is the ARC Raiders Research Station the same as the Research Workstation?
Embark uses three names for the Outpost’s research feature and has not confirmed they are one station. The 2.0 patch notes say Research Bench and research station, while the Frozen Trail preview says Research Workstation, so this guide uses Research Station; confirm the upgrade in your Outpost.
How many uses does a Snap Hook have in ARC Raiders?
A full-durability Snap Hook in ARC Raiders gives 25 uses before it reaches zero. The Frozen Trail 2.0 patch notes raised its durability consumption from 2% to 4% per use, so swap out a worn one before any run where you need it to reach a window.
