Things to do with a broken Analogue Multimeter rather than bin it - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sullyRD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:27:07 am
content: I was given this multimeter a couple of years ago off a mate he said it was broken and rather than bin it he let me have it.After taking it apart i found the battery had been left inside it for years and had leaked down the circuit board....it was history!!Rather than throw it in the bin because cosmetically it was in pretty good condition i decided to put a clock inside it as it fit perfectly.What things have you done with old Multimeters rather than bin them?

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:36:05 am
content: That's cool. There is a scale that goes from 0 to 12, would be neat to use that as the scale for a clock too.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:38:29 am
content: You are much nicer to them. I have....Used them for target practice with the bowDropped them from the roof onto cementHooked them to a neon sign transformerTook a Dremel tool to themShot one with a fuse powered cork rocketUsed one to determine how to make the design more robustStrip them for partsRecycled themOn very rare occasions, I have repaired them.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:41:18 am
content: Such meters may contain a very sensitive galvanometer, maybe 25 µA FSD or less. It seems a shame to trash that part.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:42:46 am
content: It's beautiful. Very nice!You could have the red and green LEDs blink, green for even seconds, red for odd.Got these around three years ago at an estate sale. Ive been looking for a good use to put them to. The circular one has a 500 ua. movement.I especially like the center zero "Tension" meter.I also got several very sensitive micro ammeters as part of the batch.

author: sullyRD
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:46:19 am
content: I have another small draper analogue multimeter that's also had a leaking battery in it but i haven't thought of what i could do with that one, maybe ill fit a digital clock into it somehow?Its a shame to bin old meters i hate throwing stuff out if its still in decent condition.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:50:51 am
content: Quote from: sullyRD on January 24, 2017, 03:27:07 amI would be tempted to put in a sine wave generator, frequency of either 1.0Hz or 0.5 Hz and feed it to the meter movement for full scale deflection.Hey, presto - an anti-gravity pendulum.For bonus credits - lock it to the sweep hand of the clock.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 03:57:45 am
content: I really like the clock. If the meter itself is still good I would be tempted to use the battery holder, a resistor network and a thermistor to set up a room temperature thermometer in the same case. There are a couple of scales there that would work out OK for either Fahrenheit or Celsius.Unfortunately all of my dead multimeters are dead because the meter movement is shot. I have saved them because there has to be some use for the relatively stable resistors used in these old meters, along with the rotary switch.