Analogue Millivoltmeter Scale

[Snappa]

Analogue Millivoltmeter Meter Scale

I am going to build an analogue audio millivoltmeter. I have found a circuit and a meter, but now need a suitable scale for the meter.
I have seen the three scales on Audio Millivoltmeter, and like the one shown on the page. However, these are not 'clean', and when trying to print any of them, there are artifacts, which look very untidy.
Does anyone have, or can you point me to a nice clean meter scale suitable for an audio millivoltmeter, please.
Thanks.

 

[jan.didden]

There's a free program that lets you design those scales - it looks like Rod Elliot's scales were done with it.
I think it is called (unsurprisingly) 'meter'.
www.tonnesoftware.com
The final product looks very professional, MUCH better than the screen shots on the web page.

jan

 

[Snappa]

Thanks Jan.
Unfortunately, the free program provides only one scale per plate, where I need 3 scales. As it happens, there's a meter on Ebay at the moment which will cost less than this program, but it's still more than I was hoping to spend.

Anyone else ?

Thanks again.

 

[cliffforrest]

A bit late, but I have done the following in the past:

Take the bitmap image and use it as a background layer in something like Adobe or Coreldraw. There are free programs which will do this as well.

Use vector drawing tools to overlay the bitmap with nice clean sharp black lines. This "layer" can then be scaled to fit any final sized meter. Print this layer only onto photopaper.

It depends on how much patience you have, but does/can work brilliantly!

 

[Snappa]

Thanks Cliff,
I'm still on the case! Another thought I had was to use Autocad, or another vector type CAD programme, and draw my scales linearly, ie., in a straight line, then "bend" them. Again, I think patience will be needed.
Thanks for your help.

 

[mickeymoose]

You could do 3 separate scales and than do a "cut and paste" the old fashioned way or find a program that allows you to do that. E

 

[Conrad Hoffman]

I'd think Autocad would do this. I use Tritools Visual Cadd, and you can download a free 30 day demo copy. It will do text on a curve, though I don't remember how to do it. It also supports Truetype and does a better job with text than most.

 

[jackinnj]

I have full "Meter" pm the dimensions and I'll send the scaled face. I used to do this with power point.

 

[John8]

I used a program called "Galva" to make a scale for an analogue ESR meter that I recently built. It is written in French which is a bit of a pain and uses "program like" instructions to draw the scale but is really versatile. It was the only one I could find for free after extensive searching and does give very good results. The scale I designed was a dual scale with coloured sectors; it does look very professional.
The link to the website for download is:-
Galva | F5BU