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AVOMeters

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AVOMeters

Postby Tiresias » 18 May 2021, 14:42

An entertaining (actually, no, depressing) few days spent cleaning out my partner’s father’s house. How many amp/volt meters do you think you need? So far we have 2 AVOmeters.

AVOMeter 7.jpg
(315.94 KiB)


Two Sangamos of a similar era/size.

And the behemoth.

Cantab1.jpg
(132.91 KiB)


Cantab2.jpg
(156.85 KiB)


Weighs about 12 kilos. Much of which is the case.

Bit harsh to chuck them out, no?
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Malc2098 » 18 May 2021, 14:46

I remember my radio engineers using them to mend my Pye Westminster!
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Lurker » 18 May 2021, 14:47

I know that I am an old git, but I feel more confident seeing a needle move.

I have one that was chucked out at work a good 20 years ago.
Still use it sometimes .
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby 9fingers » 18 May 2021, 14:55

Those meters are collectable items amongst the right group of people.

There are still some jobs that an analogue meter excels at such as adjusting for a maximum or minimum reading.
Quite difficult on a digital meter.

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Re: AVOMeters

Postby RogerS » 18 May 2021, 14:56

Lurker wrote:I know that I am an old git, but I feel more confident seeing a needle move.

I have one that was chucked out at work a good 20 years ago.
Still use it sometimes .


Mine is sitting on my desk as I type !
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby DaveL » 18 May 2021, 15:01

I still have an AVO model 7 stored away, the model 8 was always the one to have. I have an amplifier repair book that gives voltage levels all taken with a model 8.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby 9fingers » 18 May 2021, 15:16

DaveL wrote:I still have an AVO model 7 stored away, the model 8 was always the one to have. I have an amplifier repair book that gives voltage levels all taken with a model 8.


Yup! Model 8 sitting on my bench here.

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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Tiresias » 18 May 2021, 15:16

DaveL wrote:, the model 8 was always the one to have. I have an amplifier repair book that gives voltage levels all taken with a model 8.


This one?

AVOMeter 8.jpg
(289.25 KiB)


A Mk V I believe (as if I knew anything about it)....
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby DaveL » 18 May 2021, 15:19

Tiresias wrote:
DaveL wrote:, the model 8 was always the one to have. I have an amplifier repair book that gives voltage levels all taken with a model 8.


This one?

AVOMeter 8.jpg


A Mk V I believe (as if I knew anything about it)....
That is a desirable item, not to be dumped!
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby 9fingers » 18 May 2021, 15:28

Indeed it is desirable

Mine is a mk2 with the earlier layout.

Avo full.jpg
(54.14 KiB)


Avo mkII.jpg
(24.37 KiB)



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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Woodbloke » 18 May 2021, 16:12

As a Plessey apprentice in the 60's, I used those things more or less every every day, but I haven't seen one now for decades. I recollect that they had to be checked and re-callibrated every so often 'in house' - Rob
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby AJB Temple » 18 May 2021, 16:27

Saleable to people / firms who accumulate props for film sets. Ideal set dressing for war films etc.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby AndyT » 18 May 2021, 16:53

A quick search of sold items on eBay shows Avo 8s from £200 down to under a tenner for an "untested" ie not working one.
Plenty at around £40. A shame to bin it when there's still demand but clearing someone's estate is the sort of job that could take over your life if you let it.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby 9fingers » 18 May 2021, 16:54

AJB Temple wrote:Saleable to people / firms who accumulate props for film sets. Ideal set dressing for war films etc.


True but they do have real uses still for jobs not practicable with a digital meter.

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Re: AVOMeters

Postby John Brown » 18 May 2021, 18:38

I used to have a model 7, and a Multiminor.
Sold them both a few years back. I agree that a nicely damped ballistic movement can be really useful. Sometimes I wish I'd kept the model 7, but the Multiminor was pretty basic.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby John Brown » 18 May 2021, 18:49

IMG_20210518_184655.jpg
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I still have a couple of moving coil meters, but I only use them for telling the time.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Dr.Al » 18 May 2021, 19:25

I used to use AVOs when I was at university and loved them. I've wanted one ever since but never been able to justify the cost to myself.
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Re: AVOMeters

Postby Pete Maddex » 21 May 2021, 15:07

I have 4 AVOs all 8 and about the same number digital ones.

ImageDSC_0290 by pete maddex, on Flickr

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