[Boatanchors] ge 8dw44 rf amp meter,, ideas please

[corner five]

ahhh, well I guess it's time for full disclosure.  When I looked at the 
needle swing it was a bit sticky.  The terminal to terminal ohm meter 
reading was essentially zero suggesting that the internal jumped 
thermocouple was intact.  When I gently tapped the glass front the meter 
swung nicely.  All this pointed to the meter being fine.  Then... (yep 
me being a dumb guy)  I thought I could open the meter and remove the 
friction that was impeding the easy swing.  OK, now this is a true life 
lesson in slowing down first.  I have never opened an analog meter and 
just started unscrewing the various nuts on the back.  Only after I 
noted that the meter was rattling about in the case did I realize that 
there are three quite small but visible screws on the outer edge of the 
case.  I know you are cringing by now.  So, I removed these three screws 
and opened it up.  The various parts that were no longer anchored to the 
case came clattering onto my bench.  For what it's worth I was able to 
see a tiny wire  jumped across this terminals on the inside that I'm 
guessing is the thermocouple. At this point I'm guessing I do still have 
a functional meter, but I have not been able to fit it all back to 
factory arrangement.  And yes, I will not do this again.  Painful and 
silly mistake.  What a way to learn about how it works eh?  I share all 
this knowing we all make blunders and hopefully learn along the way.  Oh 
well, now I will keep my eyes open for another come hamfest time and 
treat it with respect due.

On 8/27/24 19:32, hwhall at aol.com wrote:
>
> With the provided
> guidance I have determined that my meter copy is no longer functional.
>
>   Are you absolutely certain this model didin't use an external thermocouple for current measurement?
> WayneWB4OGM
>      On Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 08:15:45 PM MDT, corner five via Boatanchors<boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>  wrote:
>
>   Thank you for the helpful information I was missing.  With the provided
> guidance I have determined that my meter copy is no longer functional.
> However, I certainly have enjoyed learning all about a new (to me) piece
> of RF gear.  Like many of you I tend to want to support my BA analog
> rigs with hardware (e.g. meters) from their respective eras.  More fun
> that way, and often a bit less costly. Thanks again.  As before it's
> good to have some experienced folks to turn to for advice.
>
>
> On 8/26/24 10:56, corner five wrote:
>> hello BA group.  I came home from a hamfest with a meter I know little
>> about.  It is for measuring RF current and I do not know how to use it
>> or even test it.  Considering that I do not have a true RF power meter
>> (e.g. Bird, etc.) I am wondering if this might prove useful for this
>> purpose or any other helpful shack information.  I am currently using
>> a restored Ranger-1 for transmit (no RF amp).
>> .
>> If you simply search on the name you will find some pictures. Mine is
>> the eight amp version. Beyond this, I found little how-to details.
>> thanks.
>> ==> ge 8dw44 rf amp meter
>> .
>>
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