I Love a Challenge
I have been going through a load of boxes that I got ages ago from someone on the Island, I love looking through boxes of electronics, you find treasures alongside trash, but as most of my current restoration projects are either waiting on parts to appear on eBay or a suitable candidate to arrive on the scene, I am at a stalemate, there is plenty to do around the house, but I am still suffering at this time and basically stuck in my workshop, that itself is a good thing but even the workshop is not finished and getting filled with stuff so I have no space to take on tasks such as this one, but it helps keep my thoughts off what is coming and from getting down, messing about wit electronics is something that keeps me happy, frustrated but happy.
From the outside this could easily be a candidate for the bin, but underneath all the mould, dust and grime, there is a gem. Everyone likes AVO, and along with the name I am desperate to find any item that fits into the ‘Test’ equipment category, being stuck on an Island and not able to go across to the UK for fairs and Hamfests now thanks to my health and fitness I do not get chance to seek spares or even items that I am after for restoration, so looking through boxes that I was given ages ago is the only way that I can find anything to keep my mind in a ‘happy place’.
Test Equipment is always something that I am after, I still am looking for a deviation meter and that was top of my list some 30 years back, but test equipment is always very rewarding, seeing something that was neglected, broken, and an item that should be possibly thrown out, I Love the Challenge of taking on these tasks and cleaning, repairing, and tuning an item, and then eventually putting them to use for the intention that they were made for. Nearly all of us have the modern day equivalents of these old item, but it is often so much more fun to restore old radio equipment and tune it up using the very same items that they had back in those days, for that reason I Love the Challenge.
This looked a mess, covered on mould, and even looking what was connected to the meter, it was just – Yuck. The leather pouch/carrying case that the AVO 8 comes in is I think ‘beyond economical repair’ and I may just look for a good replacement, I will give it a clean but do not hold up much hope, I have never worked with leather, have no tools for working with leather and would leave this to those that know. But the meter is actually in good condition, yes, it is dirty, but it will clean up and the glass is intact, so this will hopefully be pretty easy (yeh right).
The Test leads are a right off and will defiantly need replacing, one is missing and the other is just cracked, and feeling horrible, there are a load of croc clips and sundries, but sadly not a great deal of use and will soon make it’s way to the bin, so one things thing that will be required is a new set of leads – alongside a new case of course.
Thankfully the label on the back is intact, a little dirty and it has a few scruff marks, but that is ‘character’ and shows it’s age, I am not after making this a mint restoration, I want this item to be used by me or anyone that I will send it to, but having this intact certainly makes my life a little easier, there was someone on the net that was having these made but even though they were very good you could still tell the difference.
Alongside this and in the same box was this, a Brand New unopened, complete front panel for the AVO 8 that I have here, this is a real bonus, but maybe not needed, at this time I have not cleaned the AVO because I am trying to catch up with stuff for the website, but on first looks I cannot see any cracks in the case, but I will give it a clean in a minute and see, but this is very nice, if my AVO 8 here is not cracked I may just have to look for one that is so that I can make use of this, or of course pass it on to someone in need.
Now the Bad News...
I thought that I would give it a quick clean with the good old Anti-Static Foam Cleaner, so I took a few more photos as items such as the Sticker showing when it was last Calibrated which I knew was not going to survive the cleaning and I wanted to keep as much history about this unknown item and this is where I start to notice things, the battery cover on the top of the unit, although OK on the right hand side the left was just loose and rattling around, once cleaned I sore that this is in worse condition than I first thought.
Now it get a little scary, it’s at this point I stop smiling.
When I picked up the unit first and took it out of the leather case, I did not see any damage to the rear/main case because it was covered in grime, and I was not looking at it too closely. This is a deal breaker and turning a possible restoration into a right nightmare, what are the chances of finding a rear case? I was chuffed when I found the new front panel in the carrier bag, now I must hope that someone will have a spare case from an old unit on the net.
Seeing battery leakage is the norm in an old unit such as this, but I am starting to worry that this is only the start of it, what am I going to find when I look inside it?
More to Follow…
Last Updated : 24th April 2023
