AVO 40 with inscription. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

avocollector · 9th Mar 2019, 7:50 pm

I've just acquired this Avo 40 and it seems (it's not arrived here yet so I'm goingo off the pic) to have the name NZ Electricity Dept embossed (not engraved) across the top. Does anyone know if they made special runs of Avo casings with these sorts of names embossed on them. Cheers.

Megatron · 9th Mar 2019, 8:03 pm

I have a 40 in its wooden box with all the shunts and voltage transformers.
that one is embossed too.
S.W.E.B south western electricity board.

pmmunro · 9th Mar 2019, 8:55 pm

I think that this marking has been done by milling out the recess for the legend and then engraving it. I believe that AVO/ACWEECO or their local agent may have offered this facility, but it is more likely that it was done by a central workshop of the purchasing organisation.

I would speculate that, had this been done by the customer, it would not have been considered by the manufacturer, or local agent, to have affected the warranty. That was the kind of relationship makers of professional equipment had with their customers at the time. I would be pleasantly surprised if this were still the case today.

PMM

Refugee · 10th Mar 2019, 12:33 am

That is very debatable.
I have two AVO 9s and they are both embossed.
One looks more like it was done at the factory than the other.
The photos come from my before and after cleaning archive.
Any tips on trimming that epoxy around the glass on the clean one?

AndyGilham · 10th Mar 2019, 12:39 pm

I am pretty sure ACWEECO/AVO never offered this service (I may be wrong, I often am). I have never seen any documentation to suggest it. Seems a lot of instruments were "modified" with company names.

Andy

avocollector · 10th Mar 2019, 3:52 pm

Thanks to all for the replies - will be intrigued to actually see it shortly.

avocollector · 13th Mar 2019, 7:47 am

Meter turned up today - I was wrong - the surface had been milled and the inscription engraved into the flat surface and not embossed (raised).

9th Mar 2019, 7:50 pm	#1
avocollector Heptode Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 653	AVO 40 with inscription. I've just acquired this Avo 40 and it seems (it's not arrived here yet so I'm goingo off the pic) to have the name NZ Electricity Dept embossed (not engraved) across the top. Does anyone know if they made special runs of Avo casings with these sorts of names embossed on them. Cheers. Attached Thumbnails

9th Mar 2019, 8:03 pm	#2
Megatron Pentode Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Posts: 166	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. I have a 40 in its wooden box with all the shunts and voltage transformers. that one is embossed too. S.W.E.B south western electricity board.

9th Mar 2019, 8:55 pm	#3
pmmunro Octode Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dundee, UK. Posts: 1,813	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. I think that this marking has been done by milling out the recess for the legend and then engraving it. I believe that AVO/ACWEECO or their local agent may have offered this facility, but it is more likely that it was done by a central workshop of the purchasing organisation. I would speculate that, had this been done by the customer, it would not have been considered by the manufacturer, or local agent, to have affected the warranty. That was the kind of relationship makers of professional equipment had with their customers at the time. I would be pleasantly surprised if this were still the case today. PMM

10th Mar 2019, 12:33 am	#4
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,553	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. That is very debatable. I have two AVO 9s and they are both embossed. One looks more like it was done at the factory than the other. The photos come from my before and after cleaning archive. Any tips on trimming that epoxy around the glass on the clean one? Attached Thumbnails

10th Mar 2019, 12:39 pm	#5
AndyGilham Pentode Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Dover, Kent, UK. Posts: 235	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. I am pretty sure ACWEECO/AVO never offered this service (I may be wrong, I often am). I have never seen any documentation to suggest it. Seems a lot of instruments were "modified" with company names. Andy

10th Mar 2019, 3:52 pm	#6
avocollector Heptode Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 653	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. Thanks to all for the replies - will be intrigued to actually see it shortly.

13th Mar 2019, 7:47 am	#7
avocollector Heptode Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 653	Re: AVO 40 with inscription. Meter turned up today - I was wrong - the surface had been milled and the inscription engraved into the flat surface and not embossed (raised).