Video: Analogue panel meter basics

[VK4GHZ]

From W2AEW:

[VK2ZRH]

Hmmm. Mostly a good effort, but like the curate's egg.

At 16 minutes, it's rather too long if the purpose is to educate newbies. It drags in parts; then there's the "oops" well into it.

The basics could be done in, probably 90-100 secs. Then, a series of short video presentations covering the subsequent topics illustrated would flesh out the topic, without getting bogged down.

My 2.2c.

[VK3ALB]

Hmmm. Mostly a good effort, but like the curate's egg.

At 16 minutes, it's rather too long if the purpose is to educate newbies. It drags in parts; then there's the "oops" well into it.

The basics could be done in, probably 90-100 secs. Then, a series of short video presentations covering the subsequent topics illustrated would flesh out the topic, without getting bogged down.

My 2.2c.

Well Roger, I remember late last century having to commit approximately 6 hours of my life to learning about meters which included a significant portion of that time calculating shunts and multipliers. I think this was 16 minute well spent and I imagine for those of us that have no idea about meters it was a good introduction. I give this video 9 out of 10. I expect part two will cover the gripping topic of shunts & multipliers - be still my beating heart.

[VK2ZRH]

Very good, Lou.

Did you do that 6 hours in a single, uninterrupted stint ?

One thing I've learned (over the years) is that the learning process, unlike the "teaching" process, does not generally (rarely) proceed in a linear fashion, but is more "disordered" (some things a student will "get" before others). Indeed, the learning process is often recursive.

Basically, I'm arguing that breaking the subject into chunks enables the "student" to consume the subject in a fashion better suited to their learning "style". They might go through all the chunks in order, or do a couple but abandon a chunk - skip it, and move on, go back and step through again, etc.

[VK4REX]

Boy mucking around with old meters, we used to do this when we were children.

Now spend $5 and buy a professional looking meter from China with the scale and shunt you want. If you need something special use the Meter program (www.tonneSoftware.com) to make a new scale to suit a particular requirement.

Why in the 21'st Century would you bother looking for old meters, then having to modify them and ending up with a set of meters in a project that were not matching. Doesn't make sense.

[VK3YE]

W2AEW is a gifted teacher who produces great videos. His 50 000 strong subscriber base illustrates the esteem in which they are held.

As another great electronics teacher, Colin Mitchell of Talking Electronics remarked in his interview with Dave Jones, people have different approaches to learning.

Hence the desirability for a diversity of books and videos, with different approaches, to be readily available.

I probably wouldn't build a project with mismatched meters either.

But there is a certain serendipity to completing a project with parts entirely on-hand.

The diminution of the junk pile along with the satisfaction of an early completion (without waiting for an order) bring further joys.

As private self-funded own-time builders we have and should savour the freedom of being accountable to no one in the way we learn and do.

[VK3ALB]

Very good, Lou.

Did you do that 6 hours in a single, uninterrupted stint ?

It was probably more like 6 one hour blocks which I feel dragged on for far too long considering we were all in learning mode. Some might say that most people these days only have a 15 minute attention span so I think Alan did pretty well. Besides, with a short presentation like this it's easy to roll the film back and review any detail that may have been missed the first time around.

[VK4GHZ]

Video is a lot more engaging with younger people.
Locking knowledge away in a dread tree you have to purchase and get delivered via snail mail these days is absolutely prehistoric.
Younger people will generally NOT do this.

It's regrettable that ham radio never 'got this', and has lost visibility from today's youth (anyone under 40!).
Ham radio just faded away into the noise of today.

If you care to venture outside of the ham radio bubble, and see what's going on in the modern world, (FPV racing drones, robotics, etc), video is THE way to engage and share information and ideas.
You can download a clip and watch it at a pace that suit you.
Nobody says you have to sit there and watch it all in one go.

[VK3ZAZ]

One thing people never learn on this medium is who or whom the viewers are

You know I have been in commercial radio since 1969 that's about 46 years maybe one of the oldest OPS with cert number V9
I am still in it and one thing I NEVER do is tell anyone I am a ham.
Second thing I never do is try to NEVER tell a HAM anything.
Because they all know it all or think they do.

Moving coil Meters are good we have them everywhere at work and fix them up using methods above
Incidentally meters are ANALOG not ANALOGUE

noun: analog
person or thing seen as comparable to another.
"an interior analogue of the exterior world"

adjective: analog
1. relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position, voltage, etc.


LOLLOL


Now if you really want to start a disagreement ask anyone to tell you the relationship between VU's dBM and terminated audio lines..
and peak program levels and what limiters are used to limit and so on
I have un adjusted so much crap set up by hams who tried to run broadcast stations I could write a book.

[VK3QI]

Sorry Steve,

But analogue is a perfectly acceptable use of the word, interchangeable with analog.

see: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defin ... h/analogue

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

[VK3HY]

Hey Steve

You're not that old! BOCP No.V9 would have been the 9th certificate issued by the Victorian office of the then PMG R&L Section. There were several hundred BOCPs issued by the Department's Central Office (with a different numbering sequence) before the issue of the various certificates of Proficiency was devolved to State Offices. My 1st Class COCP, issued by the State Office is V6 - of course it's no longer worth the parchment its written on!

73 Gavin VK3HY

[VK3TU]

Hey Steve

... - of course it's no longer worth the parchment its written on!

73 Gavin VK3HY

Surely you mean "clay tablets" Gavin.

Bert, VK3TU

[VK3HY]

.......Surely you mean "clay tablets" Gavin.

Bert, VK3TU

Thank you so much Bert!

73 Gavin, VK3HY

[VK3MAT]

Hi all

Lou put me onto this software called Galva by a french amateur (http://www.f5bu.fr/wp/?page_id=13)

At first glance it makes it look hard to use but within the first hour i was already making my own designs
The cheap Chinese panel meters are all a sanded size so i have made templates up for the smaller one and the larger one.

I have attached some photos to show what i have come up with, nothing special but they defiantly look better than pen marks witch i use to do.

this is one i drew up for my boss at work

this one is still a work in progress but shows what can be done

a completed meter

[VK2ZRH]

Very neat, Matt.

Thanks for the tip.

Just what I need to do scales for my 90mm-wide panel meters.

I'll have a go at a scale for a 75mm-wide edge meter, too.

[VK4GHZ]

Part 2 of W2AEW's series on using analogue meters.

[VK5LTD]

I watch a lot of electronics/radio you tube videos and alans are among the best, TRX bench being another.

Clearly explained and well paced - enough detail, not too long

I'm particularly interested in analog meters at present as I'm trying to determine if a wattmeter movement is faulty.

Apart from checking FSD current - 30uA for this meter, what other tests could be run? This meter DOES read full scale with 30uA

[VK3YE]

Apart from checking FSD current - 30uA for this meter, what other tests could be run? This meter DOES read full scale with 30uA

Maybe the extent of damping in the meter movement?

Eg feed it with a varying source (eg rectified audio) and see whether the needle bangs around a lot or whether there is some smoothing.

Possibly best if you've got several movements to compare.

[VK3ALB]

I'm particularly interested in analog meters at present as I'm trying to determine if a wattmeter movement is faulty.

Apart from checking FSD current - 30uA for this meter, what other tests could be run? This meter DOES read full scale with 30uA

30uA is pretty specific, I can only think of bird wattmeters that use a 30uA movement. If the meter does make FSD with 30uA it's unlikely that there it will be the cause of any fault in a bird wattmeter.

[VK2CY]

G'day All,
Interesting thread. There is still a place for analog meters in the repair industry to replace faulty meters.
Recently my Swan VHF-150 amplifier plate current meter had a problem. The meter is made by Emico in the USA.
It turns out that it is a moving magnet meter. It does not have hair springs and the coil is fixed in the frame of the meter. A permanent magnet is mounted on the pivot.
Managed to source an Emico meter with the same coil resistance from the US and swapped over the scales as Emico only made this type of meter with edge scale and case size. The coil resistance is 915 ohms.
This is a link to the Patent Emico made for the type of meter. Interesting reading and NO its not a video!!!!!
http://www.google.com.bz/patents/US3522534

Chris