[Hallicrafters] S-meter variations

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

Apparently, from the notes I have seen here and in private, 
backward-reading meters were quite common at the time, 
and not "special" in any way.

One receiver, an NC-173, has a backwards-reading meter 
mounted upside down with the needle-pivot at the top so 
that zero is to the left.

So, if the meter in question has the needle-pivot at the 
bottom, yet zeros to the right, it is a "backwards-reading" 
type.

If the needle-pivot is at the TOP, and zero is to the right, it is 
a standard meter.

I once saw a fairly complex circuit someone devised in order 
to add an "S-meter" to an S-38. The circuit was so complex 
so that zero would be to the left when using a standard 
meter. 

The NORMAL circuit used to add an "S-meter" to an S-38, 
and  which was published originally in a Hallicrafters service 
bulletin, used a standard meter, and reads backwards if the 
meter is mounted with the pivot at the bottom: i.e., zero is to 
the right.

Why the fellow who designed the complex circuit didn't 
simply mount the meter upside down I could never figure 
out. Maybe he just liked the idea of the more complex 
circuit.

Ken W7EKB