Buying and Repairing an Analog Meter

[dreganism]

I am so very appreciative of you sharing your knowledge - THANKS! David

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks dreganism

[karljay01]

I just love the old stuff!

You answered a question for me, I have a 20 year old analog multimeter and was checking some spark plug wires and coils. I didn't know what the extra black dial was for, so I played with it and it zeros out the ohms meter. I was getting a bad reading and was about to replace everything, now it looks like everything is well within spec!

I also find these easier to read when the value jumps around a bit, the cheap digital ones don't seem very trustworthy.

Thanks!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks karljay01

It is possible for digital meters to give wrong results because they sample the value, but it is rare, but it has happened to me.

[SorinG2010]

@AllAmericanFiveRadio can you please tell me how can you tell when a meter samples the value? What exactly value sampling is? Thanks, Sorin

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks SorinG2010

The analog meters, the ones with the pointer, uses a real-time amplifier no sampling. Digital meter use sampling and the sample rate will vary between manufacturers.

Rick

[ElectricSparq]

How much is an analog meter like this one?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@ElectricSparq

I think I paid $5 because the case has a crack in the top. But the meter works like it should.

[ElectricSparq]

So how does it cost now (working)?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@ElectricSparq

Yes it is working great.

[SpeakerFreak95]

I can tell by the number type and placement on the electrolytic capacitor, that its a nichicon type.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks SpeakerFreak95

[SpeakerFreak95]

once I had to take a meter apart, because the magnet inside had a silver plating, that was coming off, preventing the meter needle to move properly, and it was that the metal coating was flaking in sections, and I cleaned it out, and now works fine. same thing happens to some older speakers.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@SpeakerFreak95

That was a great fix. I think analog meters are interesting and sometimes very useful. A friend and I were working on a radio using a digital meter and were not getting anywhere. We switched to an analog meter and found that the digital had lied to us because of its sample rate. We then found the trouble in no time.

[dmottern1952]

Rick - I really enjoyed this video. Thasks for do it. Doug

'

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks Doug dmottern1952

[guerramar]

Greeting from Spain where I do follow your interesting videos. I'm like the vintage electronic.

Regards. Gerardo.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks guerramar, Gerardo

Regards

Rick

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks MrDennis8805

[destroyersoueu]

cotton dampened with Kaol (metal polisher)... or Silvo (silver polisher) will polish till you remove scracthes from you meter protecting window cover

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks again destroyersoueu

[destroyersoueu]

Your videos are very niced...i'm your fan

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks destroyersoueu

[Tobinindustrial]

Nice old unit there. I have an old bench top multimeter and I think they are simply the best. I don't use it but one day I will display it on my work bench. My current work bench is way too small... hahaha! Oh well ! : > )

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks Tobinindustrial

[togst]

Nice looking meter you got there! I've always wanted to get my hands on an analog meter, but isn't easy to find a cheap one around here. If I ever should come across one, you had some really nice points to check for. Thanks for the information and another great video!

- Frank

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks togst

Hope you can find one. As you can tell by now I like test equipment.

Rick

[wolfhawg]

Hi Rick

Thanks for another interesting video I always pick up a few tips.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks wolfhawg

[AndyDaviesByTheSea]

Hi Rick, nicely done. Well done on showing the swinging of the metre movement.

Nice old meter and no battery guff eating it away. A thing I've found on meters that have been 'played' with is that sometimes the guy has failed to realign the mechanical set zero screw on the front cover with the meter movement so you can't move the needle back to zero on the scale.

73's ... Andy

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks AndyDaviesByTheSea

Hey Andy,

Yep, when I get back to the meter, the mechanical zero is one of the first things to adjust. This meter seems to be in good working order but as you saw it needs cleaning and polishing. I call it, looking through the dirt.

Regards,

Rick

[joernone]

Rick,

You just can't beat those big meter faces, especially at my age. Even then I have to squint a little. :-) You must have better flea marktes than what we have here in Arkansas. Our flea markets sell broken particle board furniture, old clothes and cracked dishes, although I did pick up a 1950 GE 417 am/fm console radio the other day at Good Will for $20. Heck of a deal. The tubes were worth that much. I'm looking forward to restoring that one.

Regards,

John

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks joernone

Hey John,

Very glad to hear that you found that GE 417. And that was a great deal too. It will be a great one to use from OTR listening.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@joernone

The flea markets here are about the same thing. I bought this meter years ago when the flea markets had stuff like this. Now I go to the flea market mostly just to walk around. All the flea markets around here are not what they use to be. I think it is because of online actions. I hope the flea markets don't go out of business. But the walk is my only expectation when I go there.

Regards,

Rick

[k5cxo]

Nice find! Test equipment are like toys, you just can not have enough of them.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@k5cxo

Yes they are! Thanks.

[macksledge]

Both my variac and isolation transformer are ungrounded i.e they were made before three prong cords were the norm. Is this ok? It seems to me it would be as the isolation transformer isolates the variac from the house ac. I'm assuming a cheater plug is then called for to plug my devices into the variac? I just want to make sure I'm using common sense here. Thanks for the help and as usual great video.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@macksledge

You want your isolation transformer without an earth ground. You don't want any connections to commercial power and earth ground is part of that. Another rule to keep in mind when working with power is to only use one hand and put your other hand in your pocket.

[BlueFoxTV]

What's the purpose of the battery in a meter like this. Does it not get all the required power from the transformer?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@BlueFoxTV

Usually the battery is use in the Ohms function of the meter, also could be used as a voltage reference or both. Without the diagram I can definitely say, but this is what I have found in the past.