Info: RCA WV-511A Picoampmeter?

[Stray Electron]

    Does anyone know anything about these? I can't find a manual or even an ad for one.  I picked up one in very nice condition a few days ago. It was buried in the back of one of my buddies ham shack and he doesn't even remember having it. It has one row of push buttons for  + - Zero Ma ua na and a second row of buttons labeled 30 10 3 1 .3 and .1 and a nice sized  mirrored scale analog meter.  The power on lamp is a neon bulb so that will give you some idea of the age. And it has a 1998 Cal sticker on it so it must have been a rather accurate device. There are three banana jack terminals on it; a black for for ground and a red and whites ones marked "input".

  It is not a WV-510A meter!  But Google insist that it is, no matter how many quotes I put around the model number!

[Vgkid]

Give it a teardown , and take a bunch of pictures. Try not to touch anything. You might be able to get a rough idea from the chips/parts used.

[Tjuurko]

The advertisement was in magazine "Electronic Design 20, September 28, 1972".

[Stray Electron]

The advertisement was in magazine "Electronic Design 20, September 28, 1972".

  Interesting, they claim that it can also be used as an amplifier or a a voltmeter. It has a two pin connector on the rear for what looks like an output recorder. Next to it are two push buttons; one marked 1 V and the other 1 Ma. so I'm guessing that you can get 1 volts or 1 Ma when it's reading full scale on each meter scale. Therefore I suppose that you could consider it an amplifier. But without knowing what the input resistance is then there's no way to use it as a voltmeter.   it's amazing how much easier to use electronics TE has become in 50 years!

   I guess that I'm going to have to break the seals and open it up and see if it does have batteries in it anyway so I will try to get some photos and post them. But it won't be right away.   This week's project (hopefully it will get done this week!) is to put a new roof on the house.


   A side note:   I talked to a buddy this AM and the local .GOV finally came out and inspected his large personal solar project and gave their approval so I hope to visit him soon and get some pictures.