[R-390] Re: Panel meters

[Barry Hauser]

Dave Maples wrote:
<snipped>
> BTW I like the 6E5 idea!

One problem with 6E5's or other eye tubes of the winky blinky variety -- the 
mounting depth needed.  One thing would lead to another -- mount the sockets 
as way back as possible and let the tubes protrude from the meter ports, 
maybe with protective shrouds.  But then the receiver would take on a 
bug-eyed look, maybe even amphibious.  Next thing y'know there would be 
posts with subject lines reading "Frog '390 Not Yeasu".

I guess that means using those sideways tubes, but good ones are probably 
rarer than original meters.

Many moons ago, I built a standalone stereo VU meter adapted from a magazine 
article for a friend.  It was driven off the full output of the power amp --  
fairly simple circuit as I recall, but not much else.  It was rather 
large -- on purpose -- so it could be read from a distance.  I believe the 
circuit was basically a linear/op amp type of thing. I suppose a miniature 
version could be made with LED arrays if available or very small LED's 
arranged in an arc, like a meter scale.  Not sure if the LED's blinking 
would also make noise.

Then again, there's that "Deep Sea Detective Series" on the History Channel. 
Maybe we could convince the producer(s) to hunt for wherever it was that 
they dumped all those meters when they de-milled the gear.  I can see it now 
... "Nahhh! Toss those dubloons back over the side and get back down 
there -- we're lookin' for little black meters!"

Look, worse comes to worst, eventually we can mount little Blackberries in 
the meter ports... use 'em to stay tuned to the reflectors/chat rooms F/T 
and, on when the mood strikes, log onto two streaming videos of someone 
else's meters.  Sort of like the "Yule Log" concept.

I better go now ...

Barry (not me -- one of the other ones.)