That’s AVO as in Amps, Volts, Ohms……

I’ve had this old AVO multimeter sat in the shed for about 30 years. I doubt it still works and it was last calibrated in 1987. I think I acquired it when my old engineering training school closed and they sold off the test equipment.

After getting some inspiration at a craft fair I bought a few parts off eBay and have just finished making this.

There’s a few extra holes but I’ve managed to thread the cable through the workings without have to make any adjustments, so in theory it could be brought back into use if needed.

Anyway, after having to keep this in the shed for years, Mrs Iain will now allow it in the house……

@iain

By ‘eck, you ‘ad me goin’ there, lad! I had visions of being carted off to perform some kind of menial servitude in the wilds of Yorkshire. Livin’ in a cardboard box in t’middle o’ t’ road! I could’ve had nightmares for months about that.

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: ↑Wed Mar 12, 2025 8:33 pm @iain

By ‘eck, you ‘ad me goin’ there, lad! I had visions of being carted off to perform some kind of menial servitude in the wilds of Yorkshire. Livin’ in a cardboard box in t’middle o’ t’ road! I could’ve had nightmares for months about that.

Sorry to disappoint. You’ll have to skip having coal for tea for a while longer yet.

That’s really impressive!

A bit of a light bulb moment one might say, Iain.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

Love that kind of stuff. Congrats for hanging on to it all this time.

Nice piece of bakelite you've got there!

Will you be expected to create a frilly shade to cover the bulb/lamp? AND, have you created the light to have variable brightness and does the power to the light go through the meter?

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:22 am Nice piece of bakelite you've got there!

Thanks

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:22 am Will you be expected to create a frilly shade to cover the bulb/lamp?

This is intended to live in the man cave, permission for the main part of the house is still a long way off.

However it’s not that clear in the photo but the bulb is one of those decorative old fashioned filament style bulbs so a shade would be counter productive.

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:22 am AND, have you created the light to have variable brightness and does the power to the light go through the meter?

That would be a nice touch but I’m afraid the light output is fixed between on and off. The power cable is carefully routed through the internals but is not connected to it in anyway.

Like that

This reminds me of my neighbor when I was a kid. He was retired but had worked for the city repairing parking meters. He built one into a lamp that worked with meter. You put in a quarter and got light for an hour

I like this. Excellent use of some old kit.

I like that kind of repurposing, especially of industrial or technical equipment. Fun way to give the meter a new life.