Easiest would be just a bare meter movement - specified as something like 100uA or 1mA.
In any case if you want to read them like a clock then you will need to make some new scales for them which is probably harder than removing the series or parallel resistor.

 

Just another very quick question.....
If I want to make these move like a clock, is it best to get a voltage one or a amp one?
Which one will be easiest to modify?
Thanks

I really don't think there is much of a difference since you will likely be replacing the resistor, have a table of values and redoing the meter face.


I have uploaded the artwork for the meters to save you time. What I did was to spray the meters white with engine paint. I then printed mirrored to wax paper and used the toner transfer method. I then gave it a coat of clear enamel.

P.S. I ordered the voltage ones

 

I was thinking of using one of these 2 which is why I asked is volts or amps better.
I am not sure what you mean by a ‘bare movement’ though.

Jon


https://www.ebay.ie/itm/2X-AC-0-300...l-Meter-Voltmeter-Gauge-Black-TD/302892174497
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/2X-AC-0-3A-...asuring-Ammeter-Gauge-Black-U6D6/264149150381

 

I would order an extra or two. I ruined at least one trying to hack it.

 

I was thinking of using one of these 2 which is why I asked is volts or amps better.
I am not sure what you mean by a ‘bare movement’ though.

Jon


https://www.ebay.ie/itm/2X-AC-0-300...l-Meter-Voltmeter-Gauge-Black-TD/302892174497
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/2X-AC-0-3A-...asuring-Ammeter-Gauge-Black-U6D6/264149150381

I ordered the top one. If you do that my artwork should fit.

 

Oops sorry I posted the front panel artwork. Here ya go.

 

I have uploaded the artwork for the meters to save you time.

Thanks for that.
Do you have the hour and minute faces as well, the links only seem to bring up the case design.
I will order the volt ones, even though I like the bottom of the movement more on the amps one!

 

I am not sure what you mean by a ‘bare movement’ though.

A meter which has no added resistor - series for a voltmeter, or parallel for a current meter - simply the meter movement. They will usually be described by the full scale current which might be anywhere from 30uA to 1mA.

 

A meter which has no added resistor - series for a voltmeter, or parallel for a current meter - simply the meter movement. They will usually be described by the full scale current which might be anywhere from 30uA to 1mA.

The meters he is interested in ordering has a resistor. Simply clip it out and replace with your own.

 

Thanks for that.
Do you have the hour and minute faces as well, the links only seem to bring up the case design.
I will order the volt ones, even though I like the bottom of the movement more on the amps one!

See above.

 

Thanks for that.

I will order the volt ones, even though I like the bottom of the movement more on the amps one!

My guess is your mileage will vary on that. I don' t see much of a difference.

 

okay, so I didn’t quite know how to word the title and hope the explanation makes more sense.
As you might know by looking at my other questions, I am in the middle of making a nixie clock, and while my brain works out a few electronic bits, I have turned my attention to the case that will go around it.
I am looking to do a wooden case, but wanted something a bit more exciting than just plan wood.

I saw these voltmeters on eBay.
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/AC-0-300V-R...Meter-Voltmeter-Gauge-Black-W9N5/332732902474
I think they would look good inserted into the front of the case, but I want the needle to move in a random pattern up and down the scale when the nixie bulbs are turned on.
However the scale reads from 1-300volts, and I won’t have 300volts (don’t want to have) that amount of voltage floating around.

So my question is, is there a way I can fool the voltmeter to believe it is getting up to 300v, and is there a circuit I can build that will give the affect that the nixie clock itself is using the voltage and that is why the needle is moving?
Or if I was to get one that only measured up to 5v, how can I make the needle move?
I would like the needle to ‘flicker’ around slowly, stay still of a few seconds, slowly rise and fall, etc.

Any ideas on how I can accomplish this, and what sort of circuit I would need to build?
The smaller the design the better.

Thanks again for the excellent brains this site has.

Not to rain on your parade but with continuous random movements could be tirying and even people could think that the thing is simply not working. I recall reading someone doing so but with soft, slow changes up and down.

 

At top of this page , same line as Post NEW Thread is Search Forum. Insert Random or Pseudomrandom Analog Meter Movement Project - I'm Stumped, for similar project with no conclusion

 

Oops sorry I posted the front panel artwork. Here ya go

You must have been posting your message while I was writing mine!
If you got the same voltmeter, what value resistor did you end up swapping the old one out for? Did you add a potenmeter for fine tuning? Did you change any other internal bits?

I am looking forward to building this, and might start it even though I haven’t finished my nixie clock yet! I might even put 6 iv6 bulbs on top.

 

Gee I should have wrote that down. I don't think I did.

Yes I did add trim pots. 500 ohm I think.

 

For a pointer to move 'itself', a signal has to be applied.
I would connect a thumb size audio player earphone jack in loop mode to the meter.

----> https://www.ebay.com/i/192552449994?chn=ps&var=492660405445

 

Late entry here - if you want the meter to slowly sweep up and down, that's easy enough by charging and discharging a capacitor. That would make the meter move similar to a pendulum. Getting it to swing left to right in one half second then swing back right to left in another half second would require a timing circuit dedicated to moving the meter.

If you want random movement - try a microphone and small amplifier. Have the meter movement respond to ambient noise. Not as easy to do but doable I'm sure.

 

The way I am thinking of going now it to get two meters and make one tell the hours and the other ones tell the seconds.
That’s why “spinnaker” had given me the faces in hours and minutes rather than volts.

If I go down the, move around randomly slowly way, I will try and use something along Tonyr route.

Must get on and orderthem tomorrow.

 

So my voltmeters have turned up and now it’s about the wiring!

I have decided to make them into a clock rather than move randomly.

I don’t really want to go down the road of using another circuit board unless I have to, but think it will be easier just to do it that way.

So can anyone give me a wiring diagram to show me what to do, so I can make a 300volt meter move forward in increments of 1hour and 1 minute.
If I remove the resistor and the (what looks like) diode (has 007 on it) what would I need to replace these with and what would I need to make up the rest of the circuit?

Any ideas?

 

If you want the meters to display like a clock, have you decided on how accurate you want them to be? A clock that holds within 20% would not be that difficult, but would not be that useful either. But if you want to avoid having a circuit board full of components than you need to use a mechanical means to change the voltage. An ordinary electric motor driven mechanical clock mechanism with the hands replaced by contact arms sweeping a switch pattern that selects resistors would do it fairly well. The hours would be easy, the minutes would need to be a compromise between resolution and accuracy. 12 steps of 5 minutes would be simple, 30 steps of 2 minutes will be more work, and 60 steps of 1 minute gets complex. OR you could create a resistive track and have it be a truly analog display.In fact, using 3 resistive tracks could do the task very well, but it will be a challenge to find a suitable resistor material that is simple to work with.