Hi everyone,
I am looking for a 15 - 20 volt range analog panel meter with the following characteristics:
1) Large...very large
2) Back-lit, hopefully brightly lit and not white light (red, green, blue - whatever)
3) Fast as possible, I'm looking to monitor instantaneous voltage drops
4) Prefer upside down (pivots at top, swings on bottom)
5) should look cool, and the more unique the better
Background: I have 2 very large Astron variable DC power supplies and (2) 2-Farad capacitors. I plan to run some excellent quality automotive amplifiers to run an IB subwoofer to mate up with my electrostatic mains.
Most importantly, these kind of amps can really deliver the current in a hurry, plus I already own everything except the meters.
I'll build a cabinet to hold all this, and the panels meters will be both for aesthetics and for monitoring low voltage conditions. They need to be big enough to read from my listening position 12 ft away, readable in a dark room, and most importantly be fast-reacting (needle not heavily damped). Accuracy isn't the primary concern as automotive amps handle that - probably within .5 volts is accurate enough. But it must be fast
Parts express is a strike out, as is ebay (so far).
Any ideas?
I am looking for a 15 - 20 volt range analog panel meter with the following characteristics:
1) Large...very large
2) Back-lit, hopefully brightly lit and not white light (red, green, blue - whatever)
3) Fast as possible, I'm looking to monitor instantaneous voltage drops
4) Prefer upside down (pivots at top, swings on bottom)
5) should look cool, and the more unique the better
Background: I have 2 very large Astron variable DC power supplies and (2) 2-Farad capacitors. I plan to run some excellent quality automotive amplifiers to run an IB subwoofer to mate up with my electrostatic mains.
Most importantly, these kind of amps can really deliver the current in a hurry, plus I already own everything except the meters.
I'll build a cabinet to hold all this, and the panels meters will be both for aesthetics and for monitoring low voltage conditions. They need to be big enough to read from my listening position 12 ft away, readable in a dark room, and most importantly be fast-reacting (needle not heavily damped). Accuracy isn't the primary concern as automotive amps handle that - probably within .5 volts is accurate enough. But it must be fast
Parts express is a strike out, as is ebay (so far).
Any ideas?
Try searching "surplus electronics" on the internet. There are several places that will carry vintage and surplus meter movements.
Thanks!
I read that thread, but I'm looking for 0-15 or 0-20 volt range with specific characteristics and I was hoping someone else has done a similar project to mine.
Hoping to get North American supplier if possible, and the ones in that thread are mostly (or all) overseas and also they're UV range or amp meters.
Thanks for the advise. I've been all over Google, with a few possibilities resulting.
i was hoping someone might know of a "panel meter superstore" or something with a bunch to choose from.
Also hoped someone might have specific experience with something that might fit the bill.
At their heart they are all 'amp meters'. Circuitry determines whether the meter scales as amps, volts, or volume units.
Well, not really...unless you mean that they all have moving needles.
Volt meters have high impedance, amp meters low - so as to not disturb the circuit they're attached to.
But in any event, I'm looking for a drop in solution, if one exists.
Thanks anyhow.
I regularly visit the surplus facility at Michigan State University here. I think most large universities have similar operations. The Univ doesn;t throw things away, they send them to the salvage/surplus for disposal. They sell a lot of it, and cheap. I like to find old test equipment or just interesting high tech stuff. A very common item there is pH meters from chemistry labs, they usually have a large needle movement meter, really large, like 7". SOme are smaller. But the unit might sell for $5-10. That nets you the meter of course, plus the slope front chassis/box it is housed in, there will be some power supply and other circuits inside. Easy enough to take the cover off the meter and print up a new scale dial for behind the needle.
That's a great idea!
Got some family at college right now, maybe they wanna make some beer money - oops, I mean money for books!
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