ICE 680G 4th series - teardown - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: mimmus78
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 08:05:26 am
content: This post will become a teardown but you must discover what is it!

author: Flump
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 08:18:39 am
content: some kind of battery tester ??

author: mimmus78
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 08:21:27 am
content: Well yes, but I need at least manufacturer ...

author: pmcouto
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 12:29:34 pm
content: Hi,Is this the PCB from an old I.C.E analog multimeter, similar to the one pictured in the link below?http://pt.photos.com/royalty-free-images/quite-old-analog-multimeter-used/147444643

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 12:36:23 pm
content: Definitely an ICE multimeter - I have one. Sadly looking rather the worse for wear after the battery leaked though I might find the time to restore it one day.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 03:26:57 pm
content: o know EXACTLY what this is :An old piece of crap using an analog coil and needle instruments with some point contact germanium AA119 diodes in it , and some other junk. you'll have to null it yourself, it'll use an unobtainium 22.1 volt cell or something to work and if you are really lucky there will be a little parallax mirror behind the needle.you'll see. i'll be spot on.widlarize it !

author: davidefa
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 04:48:55 pm
content: Once upon a time... Ice 680R ( supertester! )

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 07:06:48 pm
content: I sold these in the late 1980's when working Saturdays in an electronics emporium. They were quite an expensive meter. I still have a brand new 680R and the smaller Microtest 80 which was bought for me as my very first multimeter. It has served me very well over the years and I never needed the 680R.Feedback from customers was excellent, I.C.E. was a well respected Italian meter manufacturer. Certainly not the cr*p that was available at the time in the form of Radio Shack, Altai etc.I.C.E would supply ANY spare part you needed to keep the units running and at a very reasonable cost. They were the 'Hameg' of analogue multimeters.With regard to the batteries used. The Microtect 80 uses a Mercury 1.35V button cell and the 680R, IIRC, uses a standard, easily available, AA cell. It does not need some weird 22.5V cell like the AVO 8. The ICE Microtest 80 mercury cell issue has been addressed by the photographic equipment collectors who have had 1.5V to 1.35V adapters made in the format of the original battery complete with voltage correctionI have to admit that the PCBs and components used in most analogue multi-meters are a tad agricultural, so do invite scoffing from those more used to the fine art of modern precision electronics. But these meters still function well and give me an analogue meter any day for real time trend monitoring and adjustment of levels that have a habit of wandering. I find the modern 'analogue' bar graph displays such as on my Fluke 87 III harder to use in such situations.The real down side with analogue meters was the input impedance 10,000 Ohms per volt on DC is awful when compared to Digital meters 10 Meg Ohms. You had to be knowledgeable when using an analogue multi-meter....there were many traps for newbies !Metrix used to produce a Hybrid analogue/digital multi-meter that was basically a modern digital multi-meter with an analogue meter movement driven from a D to A. I would like one but have yet to track one down at the right price.I consider the Analogue Vs Digital comparison of multi-meters to be similar to that of the mechanical pocket watch Versus the digital clock. One can be fine engineering art at its best whilst the other (Digital) can be brash and uncouth, but does the job wellThe ICE multi-meter has a very fine Jewelled meter movement just like a vintage analogue pocket watch. The meter movement was the most expensive part of the whole meter.Thanks for taking me back down memory lane.

author: mimmus78
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2013, 11:08:20 pm
content: Well it is the 680G 4th series.Thanks Aurora for your explanation. I will just add something more to what you already said.This model is 2% precision meter, 20K ohm/V (not 10K ohm). I tested DCV, DCI and after 24 years I cannot believe that readings are "spot on".The resistance range was a little bit off ... maybe because of not so much sophisticate current source circuit that is depending on the 1.5V battery.Anyway this meter can measure:DCV, ACV, DCI, ACI, OHMand by connecting it to the mains it can measure also:reactance, capacity, frequency, decibelsIt can also be expanded with some option:elettronix extensor: for measuring resistance with 10Mohm/Volt and measure current in nano and micro A rangetransistor and diode testerohm multiplier: for measuring ohm up tothousand mega ohmwithout any other battery than AAtemperature probeDon't know if anyone have one of this options, but it was completely unexpected for me that you can read frequency, capacity or reactance on this meter with this bare-bone circuit.Here is a copy of the manual (sorry only in Italian)http://www.introni.it/pdf/ICE%20680G%20-%20III%20Istruzioni%20per%20uso.pdf

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2013, 04:27:09 pm
content: I couldn't remember the spec of the meter but the 20KOhm per volt is no surprise. The issue with that is that schematics of the day were provided with voltage readings taken with a 10K Ohm per volt AVO 8 as the standard. The difference in the Ohms per volt spec can cause errors for the unwary.The capacitance function was clever for an analogue meter of the 1980's but it was quite limited, as it uses 50Hz from the mains supply. The lead for the mains supply is quite appalling in terms of safety. I would not recommend its use ! Really thin cable and very little insulation.

author: mimmus78
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 05, 2013, 07:28:38 pm
content: Safety in this leds?Anyway it should be interesting to know how it worked the ohm multiplier (Villard multiplier?).

author: ac427
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 24, 2024, 10:58:58 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on September 04, 2013, 07:06:48 pmPerhaps the 680G was different. It uses the 2r10 or type 8 battery.I'm a bit late to the party but Maplin used to sell these as well, when they were a proper electronics supply business.I remember the mains lead. Blimey, the cable was thinner than the meter probes. Speaking of close shaves, it could probably double as a shaver cable for the brave :-)