Being an old crusty Luddite , I find myself using analogue meters most of the time.. There's something very satisfying and anticipatory about seeing a pointer sweep across a scale as long as there's no smoke bellowing out of the instrument when the pointer stops and I haven't welded myself to the work-piece. 💥 Stay well Simon..
@@douro20 Yes.. I look at them with envy.. My attempts with electronics are hobby based and therefor my justification to purchase good test gear is none existent. Most of the stuff I own has got flash-burn evidence on it or no longer works and is beyond economical restoration. I am to electronics what a shaved head, tattooed, Doc Martin booted thug is to football.
I was inspired by your video to dust down an old multimeter from that period. It had been stored in a damp place and was very corroded. I must have bought it in the late 1960s in one of those electronics shops in the Edgeware road (London). It was an Eagle Products (EP-30KN), made in Japan. The meter movement was still good so I thoroughly brushed all parts except the movement in white vinegar. I also had a manual for it with circuit diagram. For the higher ranges (goes up to 3000 V) it had some high value resistors. After rinsing with alcohol and thorough drying in the sun I tested the resistors (2.2 to 54 Mohm) with my VTVM and all were within specification. I was surprised to find that it worked well. On the Web I found an advert for it in a 1967 edition of Popular Electronics.
My favorite analog meter, inherited from my grandfather. I am glad that you made a video about it. Very nice to hear your description about it. I didn’t know what the output was for example.
Very Nice Video Simon Had a Meter Some Thing Similar To a TMK Many Years Ago But When I Got a AVO 8 I Put The Other Meter Away Now I Don't Rember Where I Put It !! he he Keep Up The Good Work And Stay Safe Simon Regards mike.
Just bought the 500 version (earlier?) of this meter. It was intermittent on DC volts so I opened it up to clean the rotary contacts. When I lifted the PCB I noticed that there was a crack in the plastic rotar arm?? (whatever it's called!). Not happy. I removed it, superglue and a clamp did the rest. Seemed to work but for how long I've obviously no idea. The meter seems pretty accurate when comparing it to the readings on my digital, at least the low ohms and DC volts. I've yet to crank it up with high voltage or really high ohms.
The best meter I ever had was issued to me at AT&T. The co. Issued the best quality tools and meters many years ago. Nowadays the stuff we get is pretty cheap.
The Japanese were taking a bit of pride in their electronics by this time Simon and were turning out some decent gear at a reasonable price targeting the hobbyist market. Your average hobbyist wasn't going to spend the kind of money that an Avo or Simpson would cost at the time. If you really had money to burn the HP-410 series was the dogs wassits, You and family stay well. ATB Doug.
George, Ahh try sitting through a John ward episode, he is clever but he over explains every spec of dust, i have to drownd myself with a bucket of tea to keep me awake he he :-)
Taut band suspension! I suppose that makes the measurements more repeatable as there's not a sticky jewelled movement. Not many UK or US made taut band meters that I can think of, Triplett did one, any others?? Good stuff Simon and I do remember you doing a previous video on one of these.
Very useful video. I have had one of these (500 TU) from new but not used it for a while. However, now that I do want to use it, the needle seemed stuck. Removed the front of the meter and it seems there is nothing pulling the mechanism back to zero, as if a spring is missing. Is there any possibility of repair or should I donate it to a museum and buy a new one?
Dear Simon, thank you very much! I have the very same TMK but my 34 Ohm resistor (the one to the right of the ones you have added) is burnt. Do you know the equivalent modern one? Thank you in advance!
It does look interesting and quite neat :-D The resistors look decent and the value is on the pcb, i liked that too :-D. My priority would be to test the meter movement for linearity, i did that to an old avo8 i have, it was way off. There was a thick sliding metal plate that didn't look anything special but after adjusting it the linearity was A1:-). Once the movement was reconnected to the pcb it was amazingly accurate. I also have a much newer avo 8 with an odd flexable ribbon interconnect, just one resistor was blown, no firther fondling needed by me harvey. I've found light finger tapping on the glass for zero and reading makes it repeat very well :-D. Did the same tapping on old micronta ones as well. Some techs may think its nasty but meter bearings do have some drag in some scale positions. Sorry simon, waffle mode :-(
@@SoddingaboutSi I would expect that Tmk meter to perform much like the old basic micronta ones once sold from tandys. Fine for Go - No Go tests :-D Same for the cheap digital DT830 yellow types, quite usefull for basic tests.
I would like to see you do a comparison between this meter and something with a high specification like the AVO and Taylor. Did you solder that parallel combination of resistors you installed. Very interesting thanks for sharing regards Chris
Simon, great video on the meter! I came across my old identical meter last used in the 80's! Needless to say it didnt work, so took the back off to find old batteries which had leaked and rotted the negative wire off the battery box. No problem I thought, but discovered that the wire was disconnected at the other end as well, but I have no clue where it was attached except its over the other side of the meter somewhere. Would you be so kind as to letting me into the secret of where this wire connects please, and hopefully get me back to at least where I started? Thanks!
@@SoddingaboutSi Hi Simon, thanks for your reply! Just to clarify, do I just solder the battery negative wire onto the positive + terminal on the back of the meter? (near the left side of the fuse). Sorry to be a pain. I had a high-lighted picture ready, but can find a way to include with this text.
