Interesting AVO Heavy Duty document

[AndyGilham]

Please find included an interesting set of documents, the original drawings of the AVO heavy Duty front panel. This is one of 20,000 microfilms I have found for all AVO and ACWEECO instruments certainly dating back to the mid 1940's. THis particular drawing is dated 2nd April 1953
The images are taken from a microfilm viewer, and photographed by me on the trusty iphone (Not the best quality). But i want to get some of these microfilms scanned into full clear scale.

Its the advantages of working for the company that started it all!

Hope this interests a few people.

Andy

[ms660]

Excellent find.

Lawrence.

[Dekatron]

Really nice!

Where did you find these microfilms?

Is there any information on the AVO Valve Testers among the microfilms?

/Martin

[AndyGilham]

I am employed by Megger (Formerley AVO) instruments in Dover, and have been for 22 years now. I am actually one of the mechanical designers of new products.

I have access to the 20,000-30,000 microfilms. Its a trove of treasures in our archive store and I have the key to it all!!

Regards
Andy

[mole42uk]

Excellent!

Please tell me there's a microfilm labelled EA113 in the store!!

[AndyGilham]

Well within the 20,000 microfilms, I am sure the entire EA113 document set exists. The challenge is obtaining the part numbers. The microfilms are ordered by part number rather than instrument name. I managed to obtain the heavy duty front panel part number from the user guide spares list. Find me part numbers and I can find the drawings......I believe!

Andy

[Dekatron]

Ahh, sorry I didn't connect your name with the other post you had a while back.

So, now you only need to find a microfilm scanner, like Google Bookscanner, and run them all through it!

I do have some original blueprints and some photocopies of blueprints that I will try to locate and see what numbers they have.

Isn't there a key or table of contents somewhere that is kept up to date?

[karesz*]

Andy,
they are my best possible conversions...
Karl

[AndyGilham]

Yeah, I know previously (15 years ago). We used a local company in Dover to scan in over 10,000 microfilms. I could see how much they charge now for everything I have.....which is just drawers and drawers full of information.

Karl, the conversion looks good. I should be able to do that from my software. Will have a play around tomorrow.

Andy

[pmmunro]

Andy,

These microfilms are an invaluable source of information which could be very useful in tying down details of the development of Avometers. As you know, many of the archived documents of AVO and ACWEECO were deposited with the IEE/IET archives about twenty years ago and I understood that all the historic documents still in existence were included.

I don't know what security there is for these microfilms and they could eventually be lost due to a change in company policy as has happened many times in the history of other companies. Do you think that there is any way that these records could be guaranteed safe keeping in some national archive should there ever be any question about their retention?

The date of the drawings you have posted, and the information on them would appear to be for the later Marks of the Heavy Duty Avometer, possibly the Mark V. The note referring to the top of the front panel makes implicit provision for the different versions for industrial and railway signalling use. It would be very interesting to see the drawings for the original HD of 1948 which was designed to meet the needs of the Great Western Railway, although the first batch was probably not delivered before the GWR became the Western Region of British Railways.

By 1951, a commercial version with different ranges to the Railway Signalling version, was being marketed and the attached advertisement hints at its railway industry origins although using a pre-nationalisation Southern Railway/LSWR Urie Class H15 locomotive. This may possibly have been done to distinguish the commercial version from the GWR contract and there may possibly have been copyright issues which were most easily overcome by avoiding the use of a BR image. Or maybe the ACWEECO sales department just used any heavy duty railway image because it was to hand.

The early versions of the HD lived up to their name; they had a die cast aluminium front panel and back case. In later versions, both were phenolic resin mouldings. The back case was quite thin as in other Avometers and in the harsh environments where it was likely to be used its was not really sufficiently heavy duty, as witnessed by the rarity of surviving examples with undamaged cases.

Is it possible that drawings which were never used for production are amongst your records? I know most drawing offices will have produced drawings for articles which were proposals which were eventually rejected or postponed. The policy on the fate of these drawings would have depended on the personality of the staff involved and if any survive would give a very interesting insight.

PMM

[AndyGilham]

During my on going hunt for AVO/Megger history, I have also found a few service manual and User manual on site!

See list attached.

However, I know we have a lot more than this in various corners of the site.


Regards
Andy

[AndyGilham]

I have some control over these documents now, since I have been directed to look after the history we hold and complile as much information as possible. There is a move by Megger in Dover to collect and store all this material, and instruments as well. We are unlikely to donate to archives, but rather collate everything here.

Yes, i have managed to compile a short history of the Heavy Duty meter, and will use these microfilms and drawing sets to obtain a lot more information. I want to gather all the microfilms for a particular product (start with the Heavy Duty) and possibly get them scanned in professionally.

Seem to have found a lot of Engineer 'Fag pack' schematic ideas, scribbled down on paper. Intriguing, as some are over 50-60 years old.

I also found a nice section of material on the Braille Avometer....looking into all that now.

Regards
Andy

[mole42uk]

Is there any posibility we could get some of these documents released? I'm particularly interested to see the CT378A Service Manual on your list.....

[AndyGilham]

I'm sure I can release the document, although I will get permission first. Plus, they all need to be scanned. They are all original documents.

Regards
Andy

[AndyGilham]

Richard
The document I have for the CT378A is already online here.
http://frank.pocnet.net/instruments/AVO/index.html

Regards
Andy

[pmmunro]

Originally Posted by AndyGilham

I have some control over these documents now, since I have been directed to look after the history we hold and complile as much information as possible. There is a move by Megger in Dover to collect and store all this material, and instruments as well. We are unlikely to donate to archives, but rather collate everything here.

That's good to know. This seems to be a more positive philosophy than has existed within the company for some time. Some managements take the view that history detracts from the present-day product, which I would dispute (unless of course the older product was rubbish which certainly doesn't apply to your products).

Seem to have found a lot of Engineer 'Fag pack' schematic ideas, scribbled down on paper. Intriguing, as some are over 50-60 years old.

These are especially interesting in showing how the decision process was influenced towards the product which was eventually manufactured and sold.

I also found a nice section of material on the Braille Avometer....looking into all that now.

The better known Braille Avometer is based on the Model 7, but did you know there was also one based on the Model 8 which seems to be even rarer?

Any correspondence from customers suggesting or requesting special versions of instruments would also be fascinating. The introduction page of the user manuals of the 1950/60s encouraged this.

PMM

[AndyGilham]

I think our new managing director is keen to look after history of the company, and my enthusiasm has helped things. I have spent a lot of my own time detailing history and researching!
I design the present day products, maybe not as beautifully made as these historical pieces, but certainly more robust and advanced! Want to see one of my designs, do a search on google images for a DET24C.... I even have a design patent on it.

I want to scan all the little snippets Of development. They make the most interesting stories.

I have the hand drawn scale plate markings for the Braille meter, and all are listed as avometer 8 mark 5. Also Some communications between the Dover engineering dept. And the British blind association. They seemed to have sent us a Braille alphabet card.

Andy

[HamishBoxer]

Can I say you have/are doing a great job having had a quick look at the website.

[The Philpott]

Andy, good job. I have one of the rarer small ohmmeters and there is very little information on it. Having someone on the inside who has everybody's best interests is ideal.

[jamesinnewcastl]

Hi Andy

I've only just noticed this thread and have to say well done in preventing the loss of these drawings to the skip! Storing these (and backing them up) on modern media will preserve them for history but the originals will be the real buzz I think!

I speak as someone whose research has been dogged by loss of documentation, the Stirling bomber drawings were scrapped with the aircraft and the pilots log books and official crash reports for WW2 were all burned apparently because the MOD 'didn't have the space', hardly believable given the size of any airfield you care to mention!

Anyway my particular fetish is also for the EA113 so can I put my vote in for locating those drawings please - I would love to see an explantion of the circuit operation, any test equipment, notes on the somewhat odd needle banging that goes on and anything that explains the scrap of plain veroboard lodged inside!


Cheers
James