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Old 14th Oct 2007, 11:37 pm   #241
Leon Crampin
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

A car boot purchase for £4: (Includes leather case and leads)

Model 8X (Panclimatic) 907190-C-558

Found in fairly good condition with 450R open circuit in shunt.

Springset k-l not operational - pushrod in bottom of case.

Bridge had been replaced with RS CuO rectifier - Is it reasonable to adjust (by shunt/series addition) the 670R across bridge output to correct AC sensitivity? (DC sensitivity is now in spec. with a very slight adjustment to mag shunt.)

No 2.5V AC range due to dry joint at switch terminal (Why did AVO never tin the wires properly before soldering?)

An irresistable bargain which I don't really need. 5 lithium batteries in a stack taped up with a spacer power the Ohms x 100 range perfectly. Built to last.

Leon.
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Old 15th Oct 2007, 12:49 pm   #242
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

Thanks for the serial number, and congratulations on your acquisirion.

The 670R shunt across the bridge is part of the AC calibration and should not be altered.
The preferred replacement for the rectifier is a bridge made up of four 0A95s. This normally preserves the correct calibration.
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Old 15th Oct 2007, 3:51 pm   #243
Leon Crampin
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Thanks for your comments. I like to preserve originality as far as possible, but the original bridge has gone. I'll try the OA95s when I next have occasion to open the case and see if the AC calibration is restored with an unadjusted 670R shunt (I think I added 22R in series with it).

Luckily the movement balance and stiction are OK.

Leon.
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Old 9th Dec 2007, 9:54 pm   #244
geirtech
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

I have the remains of a Universal AVOMeter (20 ranges if I've read the knobs right) Serial No. 23-1090. According to some posts in this most excellent thread, it would have been made in Feb. 1933.
Unfortunately this meter is no longer functional and the case and glass are gone
My grandfather used it when he quit the sea after the war and worked with radiorepair and such.
He might even have used it when sailing as a wireless officer.
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Old 11th Dec 2007, 7:42 pm   #245
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Welcome to the Forum, and thanks for your input.

The date code suggests February 1933, and the serial number is consistent for a 20 Range AVO of this date. I'm sorry that it's "no longer functional".

If ever you consider reviving it to its former glory, send me a PM and I - with others on the Forum, I'm sure - will try to offer any information and guidance you may need. I regret that my eyes and fingers are no longer up to the task of practical help.
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Old 14th Dec 2007, 8:18 pm   #246
hilitevr
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Hi

I have AVO Test set No. 1 serial No. 8982

Can't tell what year it was made.

Trevor
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Old 15th Dec 2007, 12:06 am   #247
SPCh
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

"SPCH's survey will also give some insight into numbers produced - over to Belgium."
(PMM's comment in "Universal AVO meter repair" thread)

Belgium calling (and, for the record, despite my apparent obsession with numbers I'm NOT a Belgian)

As PMM and others will be the first to acknowledge the key to any successful survey is sample size, sample density and sample accuracy.

Whilst this survey has been running for a long time (too long for many of you, I suspect, thanks for your patience) the sample size, density and, alas (no criticism), accuracy
are not yet sufficient to give any simple, definitive, "punchy" results.

But you deserve something for your pains, so here goes. Be gentle with me.

More than 180 Forum members (thank you all) have entered over 230 contributions
covering more than 200 meters (with one duplication where a meter has changed hands and been reported twice - valuable confirmation !).

Including my own collection (the details of which I've not posted) the breakdown of Models covered by the entries is as follows

Model 8 : 107 units spanning 1952 - 1984 (32 years)
Model 7 : 53 units spanning 1947 - 1977 (35 years)
Model 40 (including variants) : 21 units spanning 1942 - 1978 (36 years)
AVOMinor : 11 units spanning 1940 -1958 (18 years)
Universal Moinor : 8 units spanning 1942 - 1956 (14 years)
TS-1 : 8 units spanning 1962 - 1972 (11 years)
Multiminors : 5 units (all undated)
Model 3 : 3 units
Model 5 : 2 units
HRM : 2 units
Heavy Duty : 10 units

Additional entries (with the usual uncertainties) have been divined from ebay adverts and occasionally directly requested from ebay vendors or winning bidders.)

The "inaccuracies" in reporting (some of which I have taken up and had corrected by PM) have been the statistical favourites of omitted digits, reversed digits, and incorrectly repeated digits. For many of these I have been able to make the "obvious" correction based on the inputs for the surrounding units.

That left some numbers with unrecognisable (though occasionally recurrent) formats,
plus a few "rogues" which may have been abnormally numbered by or for particular institutional purchasers.

To all these uncertainties must be added four further facts:

i) the time gaps in the numbers entered are erratic - sometimes one month, often a few
months, sometimes more than one year,

ii) the presence of Xs in the reported serial numbers - often in the date-code portion,

iii) that AVO periodically "reset the clock to zero" when it changed Mark or the
numbering format (which did not always coincide with a Mark change), and

iv) that some units, after major factory repair, were returned with a new number.

As you will appreciate, it needs a substantial "run" of units with increasing serial numbers
and (credible) corresponding date codes to impart significant sense to any of it !

Statistically, only the Model 7s and Model 8s so far offer anything like an adequate sample density, but with "obvious error" corrections (dangerous), "obvious rogues" eliminations (diminishing), and informed (i.e. hopefully intelligent) guestimation of the various reset points it is becoming possible to begin to retrodict (hindcast) the production-volume histories of these models.

There is still much to be done, and many gaps to be filled, but the production "spurts" coinciding with the war (WWII), the immediate post-war television expansion, and the coronation and commercial television "explosions" are already recognisable.

I am encouraged - albeit if only mildly, so far - but to speculate beyond what the figures so far show would be dishonest, unproductive, and potentially misleading to anyone mad enough to follow in my footsteps (well, you never know).

Any gems I may discover will be made known to you immediately, in the meantime it's going to be a long, slow slog. The more inputs I receive, the better the progress will be, and when (if) significant results become available, you will be the first to know. (Of course, if AVO had kept records ...)

Thanks to you all

In continued anticipation.
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Old 15th Dec 2007, 2:36 am   #248
audiomm
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

I've just been through my collection and found the following AVO's:

Heavy Duty Avometer No. 7087-357

Avo 8 Mk. V No. 12212 8V/4/74

Avo 8 No. 1781-C-1051 (in everyday use)

Multimeter Electronic CT38 Ref 10S/1630B S/N 233
However Dial scale has the following info.... 35H.S S/N 1238281.
Presumably these are the movement details?
Also interesting is the tag attached to the set which shows it is from RAF Nth. Luffenham. According to the accompanying manual it has 97 ranges of measurement !
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Old 15th Dec 2007, 10:25 pm   #249
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

Trevor,

Your TS-1 (8982)

The serial numbers on this Model are generally rather confused,
but yours is almost certainly from somewhere between June 1970 and June 1971
(and probably from the earlier part of that range).

Happy measuring

SPCh
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Old 20th Dec 2007, 11:55 am   #250
geirtech
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My uncle has got a Panclimatic 8x, don't know what Mk.
514xxx.267-m
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Old 30th Dec 2007, 8:59 pm   #251
Stevie342000
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Just got a Model 8 Mk3. £10 local delivery to my door.

Serial No. 40817.566

So that Makes it May 1966 if I have been following this right and 1 year one month my junior as well.
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Old 29th Jan 2008, 1:53 pm   #252
ian old
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hi new to forum my avo is mk6 serial 1818 m90669 9/86 mod8/6 this was insurance replacement for my old avo 8 destroyed in fire after firms van was stolen and torched i dont have serial details of original that was a mk2
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Old 30th Jan 2008, 9:44 pm   #253
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

Here are my 'AVO' numbers for your research:
  • AVO 9 MkII: 2582-165
  • AVO 8 MkIII: 77745-468
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Old 1st Feb 2008, 3:48 pm   #254
G Barham
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I have about 9 Avo's at the moment but an odd one has just arrived...it's a broken 'Heavy Duty' with the number 13901-278.

It has a small size leather case and has it's original clips and leads so at least it's some use.

Best regards and keep up the good work.

Tony
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Old 10th Feb 2008, 5:35 pm   #255
thermionic
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

Better late than never................

8 MK3 - 50007.1066

8 MK5 - 1040M50476 2/85

8 MK5 - 1062M90096 6/85

8 MK6 - 000063 obe 2/84 which I bought new from Willow Vale when I started TV servicing!

Test set no.1 - 9447-9-70 which has a calibration problem - so I will start a new thread.


Hope all this helps. Cheers. Simon.
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Old 10th Feb 2008, 10:47 pm   #256
Oxide_2008
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

Hi SPCh

Here are the details of the AVOs in my posession:

Model 8 Mk3 72314.168. In use.

Model 7 27766-A-951. Now repaired after its holiday in the loft. It appears to have had a previous life in the forces? ZD number on front.

And finally a Model 9 Mk2 1597.266, I am trying to repair this one. The movement is a bit damaged, I just dont like scrapping quality equipment.

There may still be a 48a up there somewhere from my early days in the TV trade.

Simon
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Old 19th Feb 2008, 12:21 am   #257
crumb01
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

hello,

Ive got a avo meter model 8 mkii Nato.
test set multirange no1.
serial number,in handwriting on left hand side of scale 14712 8 74
Part no, on right hand side of scale 13574 -80
there is a number on the green vinyl case 6625 99 105 7056
there is also a number under the scale 6625 99 105 7050
it also has a sticker on the case that says 'property of guided weapons maintenance'
i feel that the meter is worth owning for that sticker alone...
The meter works fine and seems very sensitive in all functions except the ohms x100 . the batteries are both new and test high.
the problem is that it wont zero out in ohms x100 mode.
when i run 13.5 vdc on the 15volt battery terminals from an external source, the ohms x100 zeroes out and works fine. i suspect a dodgy resistor.

regards
tassos
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Old 19th Feb 2008, 1:28 pm   #258
Phil G4SPZ
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

I have a Multiminor Mk 4. There are no serial numbers visible I'm afraid.

It has been heavily got-at (sorry, modified) and the 'ohms x 1' range won't zero, so I'll start a new thread to ask for advice.

Phil
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Old 19th Feb 2008, 1:46 pm   #259
pmmunro
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

If you look very closely at the scale plate you may find that there is a number indented into the plate but not immediately visible as it is not in a contrasting colour to the white paint.

This was done on many of the "small" Avometers of the period.

PMM.
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Old 19th Feb 2008, 2:18 pm   #260
Derek G8ECI
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Default Re: AVO Multimeter survey

We have two Avo8 MK7 here at the works qth, which is somewhere east of Sana'a the Capital of the Yemen, both purchased from RS Corby UK, afraid to say they rarely get used, as most of the time we walk around with Fluke 87's which are alot more durable when hanging off a Gas Turbine in 45 Deg C heat !! in the middle of the desert

The serials of these two are

1026 M111455 & 1055 M099889 both dated on the RS calibration Sheets 11-March-91.

I also have two AVO 8's at home, one I bought was back in the early 70's, its had some abuse over the years, being lugged about to Amatuer Radio Field Days and Contests, but I think it still works, although I dont think the movement is very linear now !! The other I bought 10 years back from Anchor Supplies in Notts, that still works, but same as the job AVO's I think I only use it to measure voltages higher than 500VDC, and use my Fluke for everything else, it takes the guess work out !!!

I check out the serials on my two units when I get home and post them on.

Regards

Derek G8ECI
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