Old Stark meter - how to???

JesseG · 7th May 2006, 11:49 PM

Hi All.

Dose anyone out there know anything about the pictured Stark VT-9 multimeter.

I can figure out the AC/DC/R functions well enough - its the alleged capacitance and inductance measurements that have me mystified.

A web search of Stark VT-9 produces a resounding silence.

Any suggestions from you retired(?) technicians would be very helpful indeed.

Thanks to all

Jess

anatech · 8th May 2006, 02:01 AM

Hey Jess,
I have a VT-9 also! I've had it for years (since my teens - that's a long time). I never did find out anything as Stark information is hard to come by. You just reminded me I still had it.

-Chris

JesseG · 8th May 2006, 04:13 PM

Quote:

I never did find out anything as Stark information is hard to come by.

Good to know that at least one more of these survived

Well, I guess if no one has a manual, I will just have to trace the cct and draw it up so that one of the wizards out there can lett us how to use the dratted thing!

Mine works beautifully for AC/DC/R - checked against my DVM it is as accurate as any analog meter I've ever seen. And that huge meter - just georgeous.

As I said before, I want to learn how to make inductance measurements. And, how does one use the db scale(s) on the bottom of the meter face?

Cheers

Jess

anatech · 8th May 2006, 04:22 PM

Hi Jess,
The dB scale is used the same as your AC meter. Just read the scale directly. It assumes you are across a 600 ohm line for dBm. It tells you what AC range to be one if you look carefully.

-Chris

JesseG · 8th May 2006, 04:30 PM

Hi Chris:

Now, that's why I love this forrum so much - just ask and someone will know the answer

Of course, it helps if I have the background to understand the answer

Could you maybe draw me a simple diagram to show me (I'm a computer nerd, y'know - not much depth in this analog electronics stuff) what you mean by

[I]"assumes you are across a 600 ohm line for dBm"[I]

Is db used to measure relative signal strength? Like, can it be used to measure the gain of a preamp in db?

Jess

anatech · 8th May 2006, 04:41 PM

Hi Jess,
A diagram won't help much. dB ratings are power measurements and are assumed to be across a 600 ohm load (resistor for example). Changing the load impedance changes the power dissipated in the load.

These days in the audio field we use dBu. It's the same except that we ignore the impedance and refer the measurement to a voltage only. Your old scale was referrenced to 0.775 V across 600 ohms.

This link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibels should help you understand it a little better.

-Chris

anatech · 8th May 2006, 04:43 PM

Hi Jess,

Quote:

Is db used to measure relative signal strength? Like, can it be used to measure the gain of a preamp in db?

To answer your question - yes. dB units are a difference between two levels. So if you measure how big the signal out of your preamp, and the input signal level, the gain is the difference between to two numbers. A negative number is attenuation.

-Chris

JesseG · 8th May 2006, 05:01 PM

Chris:

The wiki page will absorb my brain for a day or two...

Thanks for the guidance. I am looking forward to this

Jess

powertriode · 8th May 2006, 05:30 PM

The link doesn't work

Cal Weldon · 8th May 2006, 05:43 PM

Works fine for me.

7th May 2006, 11:49 PM	#1
JesseG diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mid coast of British Columbia	Old Stark meter - how to??? Hi All. Dose anyone out there know anything about the pictured Stark VT-9 multimeter. I can figure out the AC/DC/R functions well enough - its the alleged capacitance and inductance measurements that have me mystified. A web search of Stark VT-9 produces a resounding silence. Any suggestions from you retired(?) technicians would be very helpful indeed. Thanks to all Jess

8th May 2006, 05:43 PM	#10
Cal Weldon Speakerholic diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: British Columbia	Works fine for me. __________________ Next stop: Margaritaville Some of Cal's stuff \| Cal Weldon Consulting

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8th May 2006, 02:01 AM	#2
anatech diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Georgetown, On	Hey Jess, I have a VT-9 also! I've had it for years (since my teens - that's a long time). I never did find out anything as Stark information is hard to come by. You just reminded me I still had it. -Chris

8th May 2006, 04:22 PM	#4
anatech diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Georgetown, On	Hi Jess, The dB scale is used the same as your AC meter. Just read the scale directly. It assumes you are across a 600 ohm line for dBm. It tells you what AC range to be one if you look carefully. -Chris

8th May 2006, 04:30 PM	#5
JesseG diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mid coast of British Columbia	Hi Chris: Now, that's why I love this forrum so much - just ask and someone will know the answer Of course, it helps if I have the background to understand the answer Could you maybe draw me a simple diagram to show me (I'm a computer nerd, y'know - not much depth in this analog electronics stuff) what you mean by [I]"assumes you are across a 600 ohm line for dBm"[I] Is db used to measure relative signal strength? Like, can it be used to measure the gain of a preamp in db? Jess

8th May 2006, 04:41 PM	#6
anatech diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Georgetown, On	Hi Jess, A diagram won't help much. dB ratings are power measurements and are assumed to be across a 600 ohm load (resistor for example). Changing the load impedance changes the power dissipated in the load. These days in the audio field we use dBu. It's the same except that we ignore the impedance and refer the measurement to a voltage only. Your old scale was referrenced to 0.775 V across 600 ohms. This link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibels should help you understand it a little better. -Chris

8th May 2006, 05:01 PM	#8
JesseG diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mid coast of British Columbia	Chris: The wiki page will absorb my brain for a day or two... Thanks for the guidance. I am looking forward to this Jess

8th May 2006, 05:30 PM	#9
powertriode diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: South East	The link doesn't work

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