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Old 6th Oct 2020, 10:43 am   #1
Gridiron
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Default GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

I've got one of these meters with a military crows foot marking on the top of the leather case. There also seems to have been a plate riveted inside the lid which has been removed, 3 of the rivets remain. I thought this plate may have been the same as the one on the back of the meter, but it was larger. The front plate
on the meter has 4GPO.TRA55/10 so assume it dates from 1955.
I was wondering if anyone knows if this meter was used much by the military and what was on the missing plate.
Mike.
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Old 7th Oct 2020, 8:43 am   #2
trh01uk
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crows foot.

If you go to this page: https://www.brundrit.co.uk/galvanometers-test-meters - there is one of these meters shown (though you have to scroll down a long way to find it!). The photos are small, so its hard to be certain, but there appears to be a blank metal plate inside the lid. Can't see any rivets, though that may be the small photo.

Usually with military kit, there is a "CTxyz" number somewhere on it, or some other military style reference. I've never seen one or a reference to one in any military docs that I hold, but of course that doesn't mean the military didn't use it. The military sometimes bought commercial kit in small quantities for a particular job, and perhaps it failed to get into the normal military technical documentation system.

Richard
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 12:04 am   #3
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

Thanks for your reply and the link, Richard. The meter pictured , according to the text below it, does have a plate in the lid giving info on the settings and plug in shunts, in the photo all I can see seem to be horizontal and vertical lines, the rivets do seem to be visible.
The meter I have does have a series of letters and numbers on the leather above the meter scale which are difficult to make out, something like C3OPHO (upside down compared to scale), also it looks like an attempt has been made to scratch out the marking GPO on the lid below the broad arrow.
Mike.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 12:39 am   #4
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

Many years ago there was an article in PW on modifications to make a general purpose meter, as was done in the days of plentiful and cheap surplus. I seem to recall the meter mounted on the outside of the case to gain a little room.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 2:04 pm   #5
trh01uk
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

Mike,

I wonder if its worth re-asking your question in the telephones section of this forum? Because the item is GPO in origin and telephone engineers certainly need what appears to be a multimeter type instrument at times. They might have come across this - but may well not be reading posts in this test gear section.

Richard
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 3:07 pm   #6
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

Mods permitting....For research/ID purposes only....There's a photo of a label inside the case of a No.4 meter that can be read here.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-G...p2047675.l2557

The TRA prefix on the OP's meter so far as I can figure out denotes Ernest Turner Electrical Instruments Ltd.

Lawrence.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 10:18 pm   #7
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

Thanks for that, Lawrence, the information on the cover label repeats that on the back of the meter in a different format with more details.
Thanks to everyone who posted replies.
Mike.
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Old 9th Oct 2020, 1:37 am   #8
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crow's foot.

I have grabbed a copy of the label for when the listing has disappeared.
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Old 27th Oct 2020, 5:08 pm   #9
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Default Re: GPO Detector No 4 with military crows foot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by trh01uk View Post
If you go to this page: https://www.brundrit.co.uk/galvanometers-test-meters - there is one of these meters shown (though you have to scroll down a long way to find it!). The photos are small, so its hard to be certain, but there appears to be a blank metal plate inside the lid. Can't see any rivets, though that may be the small photo.

Usually with military kit, there is a "CTxyz" number somewhere on it, or some other military style reference. I've never seen one or a reference to one in any military docs that I hold, but of course that doesn't mean the military didn't use it. The military sometimes bought commercial kit in small quantities for a particular job, and perhaps it failed to get into the normal military technical documentation system.

Richard
The 'broad arrow' was one of the markings described in the First Schedule of the 'Public Stores Act 1875' - still a current Act used to mark items owned by a Government Department. As the General Post Office was a Government Department headed by the then 'Post Master General' (a Member of Parliament) until the end of September 1969, when it became the Post Office Corporation, owned by the Government much in the way British Railways and the National Coal Board then were. During my days with the GPO Telephones in the late 1950's and 1960's, it brought various privileges such as being exempt from Jury Service but prevented some part-time jobs such as an 'Inspector of Nuisances' or a 'Sheriff's Assistant' - old Victorian terms the GPO never changed. Also up to the end of Sept 69, GPO vehicles were exempt from the road fund licence (road tax)

it was common up to the late 1950's to find GPO property marked with the 'broad arrow' - often small tools (that were useful & could easily be 'purloined' ) and can still be seen on the roadside concrete joint marking posts. See attached.
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