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Mechanical damping of panel meters

Hi all

I've recently picked up an old Weir bench PSU and recalibrated it to within quite sharp tolerances. However, the front panel meter (switchable between voltage and current, although the schematic shows it is working as voltmeter in both modes) reads accurately, but the settling time must be a good 10-15 seconds before it stops oscillating back and forth.

I haven't got as far as pulling the meter out yet but I expect obtaining a compatible replacement will be difficult. Looking at online it seems most practical sources sources address electrical damping for brief transients in the signal, this is rather the mechanical side of things. Basic research suggests pneumatic damping is the usual order of the day but I haven't found anything relating to actual maintenance and adjustment.

Does anyone have practical experience or is a replacement meter the usual approach?

Reply to
Andrew Smallshaw
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. . . . unless the meter is reading a real disturbance . . .

There's probably a failed capacitor inside that needs replacing. Could even be an electrolytic across the meter terminals. Most sensitive moving coil meters (<1mA) are pretty much self- damping and won't require much filtering to average a measurement.

RL

Reply to
legg

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