[Drake] Multimeter Suggestions for Drake Service

Dan W. Dooley dan at dooleystreasurechest.com
Tue Dec 7 18:18:44 EST 2010


I agree with the suggestion that you really need both an analog and a 
digital meter.  I have a Micronta (did I spell that right?) which is similar 
in size and appearance to a 260 and works quite well.  I also have a Fluke 
8062 A digital.  The newer meters are mostly autoranging which I look at 
with mixed opinion.  There's nothing wrong with selecting the range 
yourself.  Added to that is my 465 scope.  I have put those tools to use in 
the past working on my 4B line.


Dan W. Dooley  WB5TKA
  Dooley's Treasure Chest
  email: dan at dooleystreasurechest.com
  http://www.dooleystreasurechest.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Lowman" <jmlowman at sbcglobal.net>
To: <drake at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 5:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Drake] Multimeter Suggestions for Drake Service


> Good point about the RF signal generator, Garey.  I remember that, and a
> VTVM, was essential to aligning and troubleshooting Drake gear.
>
> In the years that I was in the Air Force and working on air traffic
> control radar systems, the first thing that I reached for was a scope.
> Of course, with radar, you're looking at waveforms in the millisecond
> and microsecond range that would never show up on a meter.
> The spectrum analyzer was handy.  Generally an unstable AFC (we called
> it "hunting") was a sign that the magnetron in the transmitter was
> double-moding, and the spectrum analyzer showed it as plain as day.
>
> I wish I still had access to all of that test equipment.  It was all
> top-of-the-line HP and Tektronix and the like.
>
> Can you really calibrate a scope with a DVM?  I always wondered, when
> guys would drag these monsters away from a swapmeet, if they would be
> accurate.
> Maybe if all one wants to do is look at waveforms they would be okay.
> But we had to rely not only on the accuracy of the time base, but also
> the ability to measure the amplitude of pulses.
> For this reason, all of our test equipment had to go in for calibration
> at regular intervals.
>
> 73 de Jim - AD6CW
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