04-08-2011, 11:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 27-09-2011, 08:10 PM by AlanBeckett.)
.... so to the Meter itself.
First off I usually check the Ohms range. Although it would Zero OK on x1 it wouldn't on x100. The battery- AA - looked OK but only read 1.4v and past experience says that they tend to go higher resistance as the terminal voltage falls. So, a new AA and clean up the battery terminals, plus some precautionary Switchcleaner. Both ranges would now zero properly. A few measurements on what was handy - PSU etc - showed that it was doing what it was supposed to do. I'll have to carry out more comprehensive tests later.
Next the leads that came with it. They are genuine AVO ones so it's worth trying to salvage them. The 'AVO' ends are just dirty and squashed, so a polish with emery and a gentle spread with a penknife surficed. The holes in the AVO are always difficult and I resort to rolling up a bit of emery, pushing it in and twisting it. The other ends of the leads are more problematic. The Red one is just about OK but the black one is pretty desperate. That's some sort of garden tye wrapped round it to keep it semi-closed. I hope I can do a bit better than that. Of course it came without any prods or crock-clips so I'll have to set to and make some. The prods should be pretty easy, just a but of stiff brass and a little sleeve on the end of the appropriate diameter. The crock clips just need a similar sleeve soldering on so that they can be plugged into the end of the leads.
Finally it came with a Manual, but a different one to the ones I already have. I think that the difference is the one on the left is a real AVO one while the one on the right is a Thorne one.
Episode 3 to follow ......
First off I usually check the Ohms range. Although it would Zero OK on x1 it wouldn't on x100. The battery- AA - looked OK but only read 1.4v and past experience says that they tend to go higher resistance as the terminal voltage falls. So, a new AA and clean up the battery terminals, plus some precautionary Switchcleaner. Both ranges would now zero properly. A few measurements on what was handy - PSU etc - showed that it was doing what it was supposed to do. I'll have to carry out more comprehensive tests later.
Next the leads that came with it. They are genuine AVO ones so it's worth trying to salvage them. The 'AVO' ends are just dirty and squashed, so a polish with emery and a gentle spread with a penknife surficed. The holes in the AVO are always difficult and I resort to rolling up a bit of emery, pushing it in and twisting it. The other ends of the leads are more problematic. The Red one is just about OK but the black one is pretty desperate. That's some sort of garden tye wrapped round it to keep it semi-closed. I hope I can do a bit better than that. Of course it came without any prods or crock-clips so I'll have to set to and make some. The prods should be pretty easy, just a but of stiff brass and a little sleeve on the end of the appropriate diameter. The crock clips just need a similar sleeve soldering on so that they can be plugged into the end of the leads.
Finally it came with a Manual, but a different one to the ones I already have. I think that the difference is the one on the left is a real AVO one while the one on the right is a Thorne one.
Episode 3 to follow ......
