Where to Find Needle Gauges?

PaulHilgeman · 15th October 2003, 06:12 PM

Is there anywhere to find gauges like on the attached picture? I am thinking about including them on an amplifier that I am going to build. I am guessing that they are offered in certain ranges and you can just select a voltage range to use it within. I would like to light it up from the back if I can too.

Thanks,
Paul

SY · 15th October 2003, 06:25 PM

"Needle gauge." I love it- you've made me feel positively ancient.

They're called "meters," and are available from all the usual suspects- Allied, Newark and such. Voltage-reading ones are available, but usually meters are made to read current and a resistor is added to make it a voltage device. The value of the resistor sets the voltage range, and of course, you have to customize the scale to reflect what you've got it set up to read. That's easy in these times of laser printers and drawing software.

tiroth · 15th October 2003, 06:44 PM

Some nice vintage meters can be found on eBay. I often find these have more character than what you can generally find from modern distributers.

I suspect almost all of the really cool meters in audiophile-type equipment are custom batches.

Da5id4Vz · 15th October 2003, 06:57 PM

I was going to point you at the Selco products site ( www.selcoproducts.com/ ) where I’ve purchase a lot of Sifam meters in the past. While checking the link, I was amazed to see that they no longer carry the Sifam analog line. A redirect was provided to the manufacture who may be able to indicate a distributor:

http://www.sifam.com/vuppm.lasso

Ive always liked the AL29B

Da5id4Vz · 15th October 2003, 07:03 PM

Sifam also makes a "retro" AL20 SQ more or less styled after the old western electric meters.

PaulHilgeman · 15th October 2003, 07:05 PM

Great, thanks for the tips guys, Keep them coming if you know of any others.

-Thanks,
Paul

purplepeople · 15th October 2003, 07:54 PM

How about the "needle gauge" in those ultra-cheap multimeters.

You could set it up with a selector switch to measure different things in your amp - input signal, output signal, feedback signal...

If you cut the front panel to the right shaped holes you can make any meter appear custom-made. Of course, the front panel is then custom-made.

:)ensen.

PaulHilgeman · 16th October 2003, 02:24 PM

Yeah, thats what I am looking for, but where do I get them from?

purplepeople · 16th October 2003, 03:05 PM

Radio Shack, hardware stores, surplus, dollar stores, garage sales, on the road (see other thread), in your unused tools box.

:)ensen.

purplepeople · 16th October 2003, 05:29 PM

Of course, I'm suggesting 2 possibilities:

1) Rip out the gauge and re-wire for use as a power meter
2) Use the multimeter as is but hardwired - ugly but fast

:)ensen.

15th October 2003, 06:25 PM	#2
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	"Needle gauge." I love it- you've made me feel positively ancient. They're called "meters," and are available from all the usual suspects- Allied, Newark and such. Voltage-reading ones are available, but usually meters are made to read current and a resistor is added to make it a voltage device. The value of the resistor sets the voltage range, and of course, you have to customize the scale to reflect what you've got it set up to read. That's easy in these times of laser printers and drawing software. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

15th October 2003, 07:54 PM	#7
purplepeople diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London, Ontario, Canada	How about the "needle gauge" in those ultra-cheap multimeters. You could set it up with a selector switch to measure different things in your amp - input signal, output signal, feedback signal... If you cut the front panel to the right shaped holes you can make any meter appear custom-made. Of course, the front panel is then custom-made. :)ensen. __________________ Those who claim to be making history are often the same ones repeating it.

16th October 2003, 03:05 PM	#9
purplepeople diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London, Ontario, Canada	Radio Shack, hardware stores, surplus, dollar stores, garage sales, on the road (see other thread), in your unused tools box. :)ensen. __________________ Those who claim to be making history are often the same ones repeating it.

16th October 2003, 05:29 PM	#10
purplepeople diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London, Ontario, Canada	Of course, I'm suggesting 2 possibilities: 1) Rip out the gauge and re-wire for use as a power meter 2) Use the multimeter as is but hardwired - ugly but fast :)ensen. __________________ Those who claim to be making history are often the same ones repeating it.

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15th October 2003, 06:44 PM	#3
tiroth diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA	Some nice vintage meters can be found on eBay. I often find these have more character than what you can generally find from modern distributers. I suspect almost all of the really cool meters in audiophile-type equipment are custom batches.

15th October 2003, 07:05 PM	#6
PaulHilgeman Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2002	Great, thanks for the tips guys, Keep them coming if you know of any others. -Thanks, Paul

16th October 2003, 02:24 PM	#8
PaulHilgeman Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2002	Yeah, thats what I am looking for, but where do I get them from?

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