VU Meter
Meter resting on workbench. Two candelabra base lamp sockets shown mounted to "L" brackets provide
the option of lighting the meter face with either a standard 120 volt low wattage lamp, an LED,
or a lower voltage bulb depending on available power sources. (No lamps installed in this photo.)
Prototype Constructions
2
This is actually the first Meter Face I built in 2002. It sat collecting dust for several years.
The material used for the mirror on the face was acrylic plastic which began warping after a while.
In "rethinking" about the whole project, I decided to start building a new frame having more
rigidity to hold an actual glass mirror. The idea of making the meter a VU type meter hadn't
occurred to me yet. At this point, I'm thinking the end result will be some type of multimeter.
Prototype Constructions
3
Here, an aluminum frame is starting to take shape. I was also getting reacquainted with where I had
left off with the project in 2002. The permanent magnet assembly adapted from a NEMA 56 Frame
electric motor had been dismantled. Parts, and pieces I had constructed earlier were missing or lost.
Prototype Constructions
4
Aluminum meter face with glass mirror.
Prototype Constructions
5
In this shot, you can see where rust was starting to form on the [iron] center piece because of the
project sitting idle for nearly 5 years. I was also thinking about how I wanted to make the device a
more "respectable" display (in my mind), and what I was seeing unfold here was just not working.
Re-Thinking
6
As a model maker, "you" typically scale down subject matter. Creative thinking exposed its delight
for me one day when it seemed obvious to make the meter a working model of some "real thing". I had
a past working in broadcasting, and the concept of turning the project into an actual working VU Meter
started to take [Form]. The next decision would be what style, and what previously manufactured product
would make sense to copy. Vintage, "Retro", and the Weston Electrical Instrument Company all came to mind.