R-390A VU METER PROBLEM

[W2PFY]

Hi Guys, the vu meter was intermittent on and off. Now it’s just off all the time. Any ideas what the problem is?

[W3SLK]

Try cleaning it the glass with glass cleaner. Possibly static may have it held in place. At least I hope that's the problem, Terry. BTW when are you going to return to PA? I now live up the road from your old QTH here on Pine Swamp Road!

[W2JBL]

  well, Terry i'll bet ya a genuine Adirondack Pizza your VU meter is giving you s*&t
due to one or both of the following: meter switch dirty- clean the meter switch with your favorite contact cleaner. then inhale the residual fumes fumes from the contact cleaner and slam a beer. meter should work. OR- (this is the sneaky one) remove the terminals from the back of the meter, burnish them, burnish the studs on the meter, reassemble, then slam a beer. meter should work. if the above fail: slam a beer, and check into the Marconi Net.

[W3SLK]

Or you could just go ahead and slam a beer regardless of whether you fix it or not

[WA3VJB]

When the meter is in the crapped-out mode and you know you've got signal, have you tried tapping on the case or the glass?  I had a 1957 Motorola R390A with a Carrier Level meter that woud physically stick to the left AND the right. I blamed it on unrepairable problems in the D'Arsonval movement itself and just left it alone. It's not as if it's real useful for unit measure, and you can usually determine which station is stronger in the highly technical, refined process known as a strap contest. As long as the meter fills the hole, leave it there. 

Same deal with the VU meter when it comes to how useful. Except for a deflection to know you're making audio output power at the Line terminals, I usually turn mine off.

Seriously avoid opening the housing. If that's one of the meters using radium paint for glow-in-the-dark qualities, any particulate dust that gets loose can get in your lungs and become a cancer risk if it imbeds itself in your tissue and percolates away for the next 20-30 years.  Not all of the R390A meters are painted with that stuff.

[kc2ifr]

Terry,
My meter does the same thing........the beer can works well........but usually just a tap on the meter face frees it up.

[WA3VJB]

Terry,
This place rebuilt the movement in a meter that failed in some audio gear that I have.
They're not cheap, but neither is a replacement meter for an R390 or R390A.

Larson-Metercraft, Inc.
9328-A Wheatlands Rd.
Santee, Calif.  92071-2859
619-258-8990


I dealt with a fellow named "Bob" who seemed to be in charge.

[Ian VK3KRI]

When the meter is in the crapped-out mode and you know you've got signal, have you tried tapping on the case or the glass?  I had a 1957 Motorola R390A with a Carrier Level meter that woud physically stick to the left AND the right. I blamed it on unrepairable problems in the D'Arsonval movement itself and just left it alone.

Speaking of unrepairable meters, Does anyone have hints on repairing / restoring / cleaining sticky meter movements?

I have a collection of suspect movements that seem to just stick by themselves. Some I've been able to remove bits of magnetic material out of the gap,  The best was one that  had what looked like a ferrite magnet where the ferrite binder had dissapeared just leaving a big blob of magnetic dust! I had to admit defeat on that one!
                                                                                    Ian VK3KRI

[W2JBL]

   all joking aside, and quite seriously two out of the six R390A and 390 receivers here have had intermittent meters. in both cases the terminals on the back of the meters were loose, and just a bit oxidized. after a few years of putting up with this, and the usual hammy's fix of tapping the meter with screwdriver handles, beer bottles and revolvers i found cleaning the terminals and retourqing them fixed the problem. that gave me more time to slam beers...

[W2PFY]

Thanks for all the ideas fellows. I’ll start on it next week. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

How do you like my Avatar Paul Stay away from those control boards ;Dr

[W3SLK]

Your avatar is missing the proverbial 'black X', Terry.

[W2PFY]

It's doing it here Mike. Driving me nuts! I may come through your way in a month if I go to Florida this winter. Stand by!!


Terry