04-25-2009, 12:18 AM
Hello Philco Pfriends! Been busy round here lately with daily-life schedules. A couple weeks ago, I started transporting many vintage tube amps, broadcast gear, hifi stuff into my shop from a shed-find. In the mix was several pcs vintage test gear.
I am saving a orphan (circa 1933-34)highly- neglected Weston stepchild VOM. Not much info on the net about this vintage item at all, once considered a high-$ pc of vintage-test gear from the depression days. Once I ascertained the vintage meter-movement was still good, I decided to try restoring it just to try to bring it back to new life.
This item had many old orig "open" previously-fried small resistance-coils ( small ( stacked-type & centertapped together)spools of wire coated with beeswax), luckily I found ink-stamped print on the ends of the small metal round-coils orig-ohms readings after carefully removing the orig wax to use modern carbon resistor replacement parts that Weston didnt have back in 1933-34. Ive replaced all the orig coils with "closest select proper ohms matches" with precision & lots of hours of matching the orig wire resistance-coil spools (vs) new carbon 1/2 watt types resistors ( hand-matched,tested proper ohms) and all new "point-to-point" rewiring inside the unit. I have the 1934 Weston Mod 663 working again somewhat after building a new replacement battery-pack! I removed the orig batterys last installed(dated) in 7-1953, 3- 4.5v , & (1) 1.5 v Burgess D cell. Amazingly!!, those orig batteries ( last installed in 1953) never leaked, and all the battery cases still look new good as new! Ive placed the orig batteries in my "vintage-battery" collection. They look cool!!
The "ohms" readings are again ( after electronic parts resto)very precise upon initial tests with new resistors testing! Seeing that 1934 Weston meter jump-to-life again was worth all the hours Ive spent so-far indeed! However, the orig 7- position selector switch which is complex in design is intermittent at best! I sprayed it with dexoit, & cleaned it throughly, with not much improvement without completely dis-manteling the orig 7- position switch unit (yet), which will be another massive-chore!
Does anyone here know a good source for a modern-type ( low profile assembly) 7-pole rotary switch with 1/4" shaft? I can retro-fit if one still exists.
Since this vintage test-item was originally designed for DC resistance & ohms only applications, I figure the orig-coils were fried by someone previously trying AC tests with the unit. This nice little vintage pc of 1933/34 Weston "bakelite" test equip, is trying its best to "cough back to life" for me!! If you wish, you can see the only info I found on the www on this vintage item at:
http://www.stevenjohnson.com/weston/weston1934.htm
One thing I can say for vintage Weston test equip "meters",is they are "survivors" indeed!!
Any help on finding a replacement 7-position switch would be highly appreciated! This IS, a nice pc of vintage Radio repair-shop test gear indeed, in its orig 1933-34 bakelite cabinet!
Even the old orig wirewound "zero-meter" adjustment pot is still good in this vintage VOM.
This project has been much fun for me, & I hope I can get the orig switch working, or be able to replace it if necessary to get the milliamp meter section & DC current ( select from 2.5v- 1000v dc only) sections working again.
If so, another nice vintage pc of yesterdays 1933/34 era Radio repair "benchtest gear" saved! I figure 7-section, low-height mounting profile types, rotary switches may be hard to find these days?
I am saving a orphan (circa 1933-34)highly- neglected Weston stepchild VOM. Not much info on the net about this vintage item at all, once considered a high-$ pc of vintage-test gear from the depression days. Once I ascertained the vintage meter-movement was still good, I decided to try restoring it just to try to bring it back to new life.
This item had many old orig "open" previously-fried small resistance-coils ( small ( stacked-type & centertapped together)spools of wire coated with beeswax), luckily I found ink-stamped print on the ends of the small metal round-coils orig-ohms readings after carefully removing the orig wax to use modern carbon resistor replacement parts that Weston didnt have back in 1933-34. Ive replaced all the orig coils with "closest select proper ohms matches" with precision & lots of hours of matching the orig wire resistance-coil spools (vs) new carbon 1/2 watt types resistors ( hand-matched,tested proper ohms) and all new "point-to-point" rewiring inside the unit. I have the 1934 Weston Mod 663 working again somewhat after building a new replacement battery-pack! I removed the orig batterys last installed(dated) in 7-1953, 3- 4.5v , & (1) 1.5 v Burgess D cell. Amazingly!!, those orig batteries ( last installed in 1953) never leaked, and all the battery cases still look new good as new! Ive placed the orig batteries in my "vintage-battery" collection. They look cool!!
The "ohms" readings are again ( after electronic parts resto)very precise upon initial tests with new resistors testing! Seeing that 1934 Weston meter jump-to-life again was worth all the hours Ive spent so-far indeed! However, the orig 7- position selector switch which is complex in design is intermittent at best! I sprayed it with dexoit, & cleaned it throughly, with not much improvement without completely dis-manteling the orig 7- position switch unit (yet), which will be another massive-chore!
Does anyone here know a good source for a modern-type ( low profile assembly) 7-pole rotary switch with 1/4" shaft? I can retro-fit if one still exists.
Since this vintage test-item was originally designed for DC resistance & ohms only applications, I figure the orig-coils were fried by someone previously trying AC tests with the unit. This nice little vintage pc of 1933/34 Weston "bakelite" test equip, is trying its best to "cough back to life" for me!! If you wish, you can see the only info I found on the www on this vintage item at:
http://www.stevenjohnson.com/weston/weston1934.htm
One thing I can say for vintage Weston test equip "meters",is they are "survivors" indeed!!
Any help on finding a replacement 7-position switch would be highly appreciated! This IS, a nice pc of vintage Radio repair-shop test gear indeed, in its orig 1933-34 bakelite cabinet!
Even the old orig wirewound "zero-meter" adjustment pot is still good in this vintage VOM.
This project has been much fun for me, & I hope I can get the orig switch working, or be able to replace it if necessary to get the milliamp meter section & DC current ( select from 2.5v- 1000v dc only) sections working again.
If so, another nice vintage pc of yesterdays 1933/34 era Radio repair "benchtest gear" saved! I figure 7-section, low-height mounting profile types, rotary switches may be hard to find these days?
