Test old amp. Meter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: norEL
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2012, 12:21:03 pm
content: Testing one of my old amperemeter to see the response and accuracy.The meter is connected to a variable load and in series with my Agilent U1253B.Was supriced over the result, because this meter is from 1946!Link:

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2012, 09:25:40 pm
content: You made me reach for the mute button. I don't enjoy unnecessary music in the background(By the way, the name of that meter in English is "ammeter", for future reference. It got made into a single word because "amp meter" is too much of a mouthful. In English, "amp." is usually read as an abbreviation of "amplifier".)Also you reminded me how long it has been since I last visited Norway

author: norEL
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2012, 09:58:53 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on January 07, 2012, 09:25:40 pmYeah, I know the music is annoying, that`s why you have a mute button. This video was made on my iphone and had only a few music files to choose from.I see the amp meter, ammeter thing so I gave you two mouthfuls with amperemeter..It`s not much to visit Norway for now.. Too little snow and just cold this winter...

author: ipman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2012, 05:57:23 pm
content: This meter was made to be top quality at his time, as all of them were made in their days.It's not unusual to see this kind of meters to be accurate afther a long time, but I did not encounter one that "old" until now.The oldest meter I saw still in calibration tolerance was a russian meter from 1962.

author: norEL
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2012, 06:50:33 pm
content: Quote from: ipman on January 08, 2012, 05:57:23 pmIt`s from a old power plant here in Norway so top quality was priority over money.

author: ipman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2012, 08:01:22 pm
content: I know that. Here in my country there are several meters in a museum from an old electricty generating plant around the turn of the century, made by Siemens&Halsche, AEG, Oerlikon and many others. They are functional, but since this a museum they do not allow anybody to "damage" them. I wonder how I can damage a meter measuring kiloampers or kilovolts.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2012, 08:03:37 pm
content: Quote from: ipman on January 08, 2012, 08:01:22 pmProbably you could damage them quite effectively by feeding kiloamps or kilovolts into the meter(The meter movement itself will only measure milliamps or millivolts. It is only the scale that is marked in big numbers.)

author: ipman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2012, 12:13:07 pm
content: I wish I had some kiloamps or kilovolts available to do so.Those are huge indicators, more than 30cm in diameter. It must need some more energy to move that huge indicator than smaller ones.

author: eternal_noob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2012, 01:19:37 pm
content: Quote from: norEL on January 07, 2012, 12:21:03 pmWell, I'm a bit surprised that you are surprised, so to speak.Any well made analog meter will retain it's accuracy for many decades if it has not been misused in the past. Many analog meters are also more accurate then most of the ''young guys'' would believe.If I glean twice on my Russian ''ruggedized'' 1percent, Taut Band meter (the large meter pictured below) with excellent linearity, I can read down to tens of millivolts. Those tiny Chinese voltmeters found on ebay are actually nice meters in most instances. You just have to rip out the calibration resistor mounted inside and use a ten-turn cermet trimmer or something. Linearity is quite good.