Weston Model E772 Analyzer

[radioman]

I picked this up at a 'junk' sale at our local amateur radio club last night (no one else wanted it...)

           

Made by Sangamo Weston Limited of Enfield, it's basically on old multimeter (circa 1943) and being 1000ohms/V won't be much use for vintage radio work... OK for testing batteries though
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sangamowes_...ype_4.html

Of equal interest was the fact that it still had a set of batteries inside, which had not leaked !
Don't you wish that modern batteries were made to the same standard ?
       

These are an Ever Ready 'LP U11' instead of the originally specified type "R" which I have been unable to find information on (presumably a bigger version of the type "S"), plus an Ever Ready 'Winner' 9V grid-bias type for the higher ohms range.

       

Out of interest, I measured their voltage with my digital multimeter and got 1.0V for the U11 and 8.57V across the Winner. Not unexpectedly, this fell to 6.5V with a 10k load.
I haven't tested any of the ranges on the Weston meter yet as I don't have a set of test leads which fit the many sockets on the front panel. They look like 2mm but I'll see what I can come up with.
Hope this is of interest.

Andy

[Mike Watterson]

Very nice.
2 x flat torch packs is what is inside the GB9 (the 1289 style, still sold by Panasonic and GP because European mainland radios and torches use them, mostly only in rear cycle lamps in UK/Ireland)/
LP does stand for Leak Proof

"R" H = 33mm Dia =13.5mm maybe 8 grams and 455mAH
See my battery site
http://www.blaukatz.com/tables/basic-round-cells/

The S is large, see:
http://www.blaukatz.com/tables/other-batteries/

I can't understand how a C cell would fit.

Are the sockets not 1/8th" like 1950s radio LS/Gram/AE etc? Though they do look smaller, 2mm sounds unlikely.

[Alistair D]

I have plenty of red and black 2mm plugs here. If you want a pair PM me your details and I will pop them in the post.  FOC.

Al

[radioman]

Mike, thanks for the additional information about the batteries and the link to your website - very useful.
I didn't know that the cells in '1289' 4.5V batteries were the same as those used in the 'Winner' type, although I see that GP have recently stopped making 3R12 types.
Ignore what I said about a type 'S' battery - I don't know where I got that from...
The original 'R' battery must have been quite big though as the space in the compartment is approx. 100mm high by 40mm sq. Probably the big brother to an Ever Ready R1662.
Also, I had worked out what 'LP' meant on the U11...
Can you tell me how old you think the batteries pictured above are ?
I don't know over which years that style was produced.
Regarding the input sockets - they are very close to 2mm (maybe 1/12th inch ?) and the prod ends of my multimeter probes (which are 2mm) did make contact but wobbled slightly and had to be inserted by ~14mm.
I do have some 2mm plugs somewhere (but thanks for the offer Alistair) although the ones I've got will probably be too short - they need to be long-reach types.
I'm sure I've got a pair of cheap multimeter leads/probes with 2mm long-reach plugs
- just need to find them !

Andy

[Mike Watterson]

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_battery_r1662.html
R1662 = Exide B23  29 or 33 mm × 29 or 33 mm ×  83 or 86 mm, so would fit in 40mm x 100mm
It was used in some model of AVO and is also called an Instrument and type T

An F cell as used in 996 pack (and earlier in 800) is about 89 x 32, basically a taller D cell, so replica box with a spring and Alkaline D cell could be used. I can supply image of the R1662 box for you to print.
R1662 is top here:
http://www.blaukatz.com/tables/other-batteries/
I'd add the page with downloadable cover to print as a link there.

So perhaps the earliest R1662, when it was called a "T" was 29 x 19 x 83 and the later R1662 was a box with an F cell inside, hence about 33mm, though 86 would be 3mm too short and would not include the screw terminal. I don't know if the 83 or 85 includes terminal or not.

Here is photo I found on ebay ages ago of the Exide version
   

Group photo of Siemens versions, including T (R1662), S, O and others.


Discussion of AVO using R1662 / B23 / T cell
http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showt...hp?t=49216

[radioman]

Thanks Mike,
Just to confuse things further... your picture of the Siemens batteries shows the size 'S' which is listed as an equivalent to the E-R type 'R' in the meter instructions.
   
So it's definitively bigger than a R1662 / T.
In fact I've just found this post on VRAT forum which has a picture of an E-R type 'S' and it's dimensions are given as 1.5" sq. by 4" high which is most likely the size of battery the meter was designed for.
So the original E-R type 'R' must have been the same size as the later E-R type 'S'.

Thanks for the offer of a scan of a R1662 but I think I'll just stick a 'D' cell in a holder to get the meter working (I don't think I'll bother making a replica battery - it is hidden after all)
 

Andy

[Terry]

Those Ever Ready Leak proof U2s were, I think, first introduced in the late 60s

Around the same time they also issued the HP (High Power) range as battery operated record players, tape recorders and cassette recorders started mopping up the juice!

[Mike Watterson]

The HP were simply Zinc Chloride version of Zinc because they could be be made as cheaply as the regular Zinc and using same factory plant. The improvement is zero at low current and only significant at higher currents where NiCd or Alkaline would have been cheaper (both available BEFORE the HP cells were released!). Neither UK Ever Ready or USA Eveready were prepared to invest the plant and marketing for the more expensive Alkaline.

HP was almost a con job.

Mallory licensed Alkaline (from Union Carbide / USA Ever Ready?) and marketed it as Duracell, and even with inflated profit margin were able to sell them. USA Eveready belatedly marketed Energizer. UK Ever Ready very belatedly brought out the C range of Alkaline, (C11 etc) and then re-branded Zinc as Silver and Alkaline as Gold. Bad marketing and they were then snapped up and asset stripped by Hanson, who recovered 75% pretty quickly selling Superpilla and Diamon (one or both to Mallory AKA Duracell).
In 1974 the UK Government blocked UK Ever Ready take over of Mallory (Duracell). By 1982 Ever Ready was taken over by Hanson (started in 1981) and the Rebranding to Berec undone. Then in 1992 Hanson sold the name to Purina who had bought USA Eveready/ Energiser in 1986.

So it was all downhill after 1960s. Lack of investment, lack of vision and stupid government interference. The story of most UK Tech industry after the founders died, sold out or retired, or firms became managed by accountants with no vision. Inmos?
Plessey, Ferranti, Marconi, GEC etc became too dependent on Military & Government "pork".

Don't buy ANY battery marketed as Heavy Duty or High Power, unless it's Alkaline. It ought to be illegal on regular Zinc / Zinc Chloride battery labels.

[Mike Watterson]

I wonder is this any good?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrender-Briti...B0076M5GPO

I have "The Setmakers" which tries to be optimistic (it was BREMA sponsored, © 1991), it's an obituary of UK Radio & TV makers. Very good read though.

[radioman]

Those Ever Ready Leak proof U2s were, I think, first introduced in the late 60s ...

Thanks for that information Terry, it's interesting to know the history of these things.

Mike, you are a 'mine' of information !
The story of Ever Ready in Britain is quite sad really, I remember buying many of their batteries in the 70's like SP11 & HP11 zinc types, I think I might still have a few examples in a box although they've probably leaked by now...

Andy