New/Old Amprobe

[DeeKay]

I got this old amprobe a few years back from a friends grandpa and just got around to checking it out. From the looks of it I don’t think this thing has ever been touched let alone used. I’m guessing it’s from the 60s or 70s. What’s crazy to me is that ancient Union-Carbide AAA is still showing some voltage 50 years later!


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[woody 73]

You got yourself a real keeper there for sure...

It does have that look either from the 60's or 70's; take good care of it.

 

[bmwrd0]

Those things are great. We used them in the early part of trade school, because they give a really good sense of what is actually happening with inrush amps, watching power fluctuations, and so on. And they are a great thing to throw in the back of your truck to check random things without worrying about a break in.

 

[bonneyman]

An RS-3 "beetle" meter - with a complete accessories in the leather pouch. Great analog tool!

Nice in that you can read AC amps and volts with no battery - only need the AA battery for reading ohms with the separate probe. Supposedly can withstand a 5 foot drop, and will work down to -5 degrees. I like them so much I've got 3. Never want to be without one!

 

[DeeKay]

An RS-3 "beetle" meter - with a complete accessories in the leather pouch. Great analog tool!

Nice in that you can read AC amps and volts with no battery - only need the AA battery for reading ohms with the separate probe. Supposedly can withstand a 5 foot drop, and will work down to -5 degrees. I like them so much I've got 3. Never want to be without one!

It came with another Well used beetle meter and an old Square D Wiggy that still works great, not sure on the age of the Wiggy but it looks like it's made out of bakelite and weighs a ton.
I have plenty of newer meters analog and digital, so I might just keep these guys on the display shelf.

 

[bonneyman]

So, have you had a chance to use the beetle meter yet? How do you like it?

 

[DeeKay]

I have not, I might play around with it this weekend if I get some free time. I have used that ancient wiggy though, still works great...I'd be afraid to use it on 480 though haha.

 

[Bert_]

It's a surprise if you can get a modern battery to go a year without leaking all over. The old ones hardly ever leaked. It's to the point that I take the batteries out of stuff I care about when I'm not using it.

 

[bonneyman]

It's a surprise if you can get a modern battery to go a year without leaking all over. The old ones hardly ever leaked. It's to the point that I take the batteries out of stuff I care about when I'm not using it.

That's one of the reasons I went all in on these old beetle meters - they don't use batteries. Only the separate ohm probe takes a battery - and I don't use it. Once in a great while I need to measure actual ohms. (For that I pull out an analog ohmeter). But for simple continuity checks that are a daily occurrance I use an old Blackburn continuity light.

 

[DeeKay]

It's a surprise if you can get a modern battery to go a year without leaking all over. The old ones hardly ever leaked. It's to the point that I take the batteries out of stuff I care about when I'm not using it.

That's one of the main reasons I'm starting to switch to the rechargeable Eneloops.