On Thu, 14 Sep 2006, Rick Brashear wrote:
It seems a while back there was a thread dealing with the repair of panel
meters. Well, I have one that is in need. It's a Triplett Model 331, 0 -
150 VAC. It sticks when I turn the face down slightly. Other than that it
works beautifully. When vertical all is well and when the face is leaned
toward the back it works fine. I've cleaned it as well as I dare by blowing
it out gently. Needless to say, something is hanging or binding or something.
Any ideas?
I assume you've got it apart. If not, there will be a Short Pause
whilst you disassemble the case and extract the movement and scale plate.
.........
Okay, we're back!
There are a couple of places for this kind of stiction to happen. The
first would be to carefully inspect, with perhaps a bright point-source of
light and a magnifier (a jeweler's loupe is excellent for this...), the
gap between the pole-pieces of the magnet structure and the armature of
the meter (to which the pointer is attached). It's entirely possible that
a tiny sliver of Something Ferrous has gotten in there. It's doubtful
that just careful blowing will dislodge magnetic particles like that -
you'll have to do precision surgery.
It is possible that, due to shock, the pointer is dragging on the scale
plate.
Also - check that the torsion springs are not collapsed, they should look
like a watch spring.
Then there is the mechanical zero adjustment - if the case is assembled
incorrectly, the tiny dog on the adjustment screw can actually bend the
slotted lever back enough to hang up the pointer system.
Finally, in many meters the movement is carried in jewels like a watch,
check to see if those are tight but not binding.
I rather suspect that you've got Magneto-gunk in the gap, tho....
Cheers
John KB6SCO
PS: if the meter is junk, do not despair, I have three or four exact
replacements. Someplace, in a box, under a box, behind some junk, in one
of my storage space. I swear, it was *just* here a minnit ago..... ;)
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