Why Bother With Analog Meters? 

Another good reason to have an analog meter is to test adjustable knobs, volume, balance, etc. An analog ohm meter will show dead spots and oxidation. Just watch the needle bounce. Digital meters will "blend" out the issues to fast to see.

That Heathkit meter is a thing of beauty.

Nice quick introduction for those who aren't aware of the benefits of analog multimeters.

Thanks for a great video about the need for an analog meter on your bench. I have the kaiweets, heathkit dvm and a fluke 77. All good DVMs but when I do alignments in a receiver where I need to do peaks or dips in a circuit my 47 yr old vtvm puts all of them to the back of the bus. Nothing better than a meter movement for that work. Cheers KG5IF

I think this is a fantastic video! Thank you!

I'm an analog meter fan. I have had a Simpson 260 and still have a Triplett 635, 300C, and 850 which is a copy of the Senior Voltohmyst. But I wanted a decent new meter with a +/- centre-zero scale. Sanwa makes some, but they aren't that good. I found a Tekpower TP8250. The null scales are +/5 and 25 DCV. Quite handy for balancing circuits. It has a low-ohms scale as well. It took me some time to find one, so I thought I'd let you know. BTW it makes me feel young to know the 260, 635 and 300 VOMs are STILL made!

Hi Bill. I am still using my dad's old Avo meter. I have done a similar test to yours and all five of my meters, digital and analogue and they are all pretty close. Well close enough for me. Cheers.

I think if you use an oscilloscope and check the amplitude size you also can adjust your radio device very well.

I still (at times) use an old avo minor for valve use. It's got to be over 60 years old.

Funny you mention in closing about the 3rd digit to the right of the decimal...I was watching your video thinking Hmmmmmm.....🤣 Cheers Bill 👍

Although I have a personal experience to “feel” voltage variation, there is another good use as the resistance non-linear: I (galvanometer) = V / r , resulting in a Hyperbolic graph (for R, I meant). An analog is then useful to compress scale and use it for non linear (and simpler) ESR testers.

nice meter collection

Wow you still have it.....

Hi Bill, thanks for the video. The RSGB Intermediate course lists the good points for an Analogue meter. I bought an "el cheapo" one and didn't like the meter connections - like a loose rivet with the same plug as the end of a probe making intermittent contact - returned within a day! I always look to your reviews to help justify a purchase... a second multimeter is justified IMHO if it is analogue - it is complementary (but not without cost). The Heathkit is interesting because FET Multimeters have a high impedance and are less likely to affect a circuit being probed. 20 kΩ/volt is considered OK for a non FET meter? Some radio tests also specify that their tests were taken using just such a meter. It is perhaps no bad thing to take your time with a measurement so thinking about the range and zeroing the leads isn't a huge disadvantage - you might even observe something unexpected by not being in such a rush? Simon

Hi, great video. Thanks for your time and info. How did you reduce the leads to two. You have red and black what happen to the gray dc lead? I like the case I had plans to do the same.

that's 1 use of analog meter depending on what ur working on, i can relate to that since we both started electronics in the early 70's yeah digital meter are great but its better to look at analog when ur tuning radio circuits

A Heathkit FETVM? Nice, although a bit modern for me, so I'll stick with my HP 410B that I bought from the US about 14 years ago for £60, before the prices rocketed! It is over-engineered superb-ness with it's (possibly) original tubes and hand-warming AC probe. I also have a few AVOs (Model 7 maybe, Multiminor and some other one) and a recently purchased Ferranti 1092 Volt/Ammeter that I've not yet used in anger! Yes, digital meters are cheap and accurate, but quite often not as useful as analogue. Also, I don't trust autoranging meters!

Hi can you tell me what the dB scale is used for ?

Love your videos! I have several good DMMs but also own several Analog meters, one of them, I just purchased on estate sale, from Japan called THOROTEST M-20K. I can't find anywhere schematics for this meter. It's not working and everything I own I like in working condition. Do you know where to find the schematics? It also has room for (what it looks like) 2 AA batteries but when I put them there, the meter isn't working at all. After opening the back, the meter is clean inside and no wires are broken off and one capacitor, orange color, 0.1 MFD is the value. When I measured it, it is 0.1382 mF, using L/C Meter IIB by "Almost All Digital Electronics" - Neil Hecht passed away on August 19th, 2015, unfortunately for us hobbyists. (I wish I purchased at least 2 more items from him!). Anyway, the needle moves freely and the entire meter looks almost new inside and out. Also, it has on the right upper corner port called OUTPUT! I never seen a meter with an output so if you know what that is all about, please let me know. I have no schematics and I could not find them anywhere on the web, but I'm open for suggestions. I have small youtube channel, go to: tonysfun.com/ and click on MY RU-vid VIDEOS if you are interested. Thank you very much for your videos. I also subscribed your channel.

You are probably aware that analogue meters have their working position (inverted T for vertical and a kind of a wide inverted U for the horizontal position). If you do a demo on precise readings / differences you should keep the instrument in it's intended position, otherwise the comparison would not make muck sense. Although this sounds as a critic it is meant as a education for the others to be aware of this fact. And as you mentioned the parallax. Also the lighting / shadows. But your video has a different point probably and is more of a general point about analogue meters. They are intuitive. But still I could not help noticing this fact 🙂 Cheers

horses for courses,each have there uses,i use an old avo8 mk9 a heathkit vtvm and my fluke 83,have a bradley ct471 as well.