Is this old multimeter any good?

[ElectricPower]

I remember my father had one multimeter called "ABB M2004". I'm not sure what the exact model number was, but i can say i remeber the multimeter was wery heavy and big to be an handhielt meter.

I have an picture i found online that looks exactly on that meter.



Back then i have no clue due to electrisity. I just remember the meter as it was wery robust and heavy. Mutch more heavy and my Brymen 869 i have today.

Someone that have som more info on that meter? Just for fun btw

[james_s]

It looks primitive but probably fine, typical of DMMs of the era. They were all expensive back then, even the "cheap" digital meters cost more than a good one does today.

[BeBuLamar]

Look very nice.

[shakalnokturn]

I've never owned that model, it looks very good quality (German) by today's standards.
Quite basic so depending on your use it may lack a few features.
I'd keep it unless you can find better for the price it would sell.

[BillyO]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Edit:  I see one on eBay in Europe for 150 Euro.

Man, that look like you could roll over it with a car an not hurt it,

[shakalnokturn]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/abb-metrawatt-m2004-manualspecs-wanted/

Das manual:
http://artandtech.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/M-2004-2008-BA_DE-1.pdf

[tautech]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.

They didn’t, it’s a Metrawatt. Enlarge the pic. 

[ElectricPower]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Edit:  I see one on eBay in Europe for 150 Euro.

Man, that look like you could roll over it with a car an not hurt it,

I remember it was truly a concrete brick. Very heavy.

but unfortunately I threw it away about 10 years ago when I couldn't turn it on and assumed it was broken.

Note that I knew nothing about multimeters and electricity at the time. it was also old 10 years ago. but today I see that I regret it.

[james_s]

I remember it was truly a concrete brick. Very heavy.

but unfortunately I threw it away about 10 years ago when I couldn't turn it on and assumed it was broken.

Note that I knew nothing about multimeters and electricity at the time. it was also old 10 years ago. but today I see that I regret it.

That's a shame, it was probably something easily fixed.

[tooki]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Swiss-Swedish, actually. (Asea was Swedish; Brown Boveri was Swiss; they merged to form ABB.)

[coppercone2]

no, since the transfer to spintronic pneumatics electricity is no longer used

[JohanH]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Swiss-Swedish, actually. (Asea was Swedish; Brown Boveri was Swiss; they merged to form ABB.)

There's also a strong Finnish branch. The 1889 founded electrical company Strömberg in Finland was bought by Asea in 1986 and after the Asea - Brown Boveri merger in 1988, the company was named ABB Strömberg for a while.

[JohanH]

I'd like to have one 

Even if it was only branded by ABB and not specifically developed by them, it must have been a high quality product.

[coppercone2]

its amusing how it was stable for a long time and then it started being reacquired. If that trend continues will companies be reacquired continuously by HFT algorithms? The company owner changed 31211 times since the lunch break, and the virtual HQ is currently setup in the temporary confederation of states  and republics located in south eastern Luxembourg IV and we are either looking to a transfer of ownership to the Nike/Dale fruit/shoe company or collectivization due to the warlords communist uprising of north eastern Luxembourg IV within the next 4 seconds.

ahh the business focused mindset, no more transceiver design for you, its managing Chinese fruit sorting machines via meta from now on.

[JohanH]

its amusing how it was stable for a long time and then it started being reacquired. If that trend continues will companies be reacquired continuously by HFT algorithms? The company owner changed 31211 times since the lunch break.

I can't get over that Bell Labs is now owned by Nokia (a Finnish company).

[coppercone2]

I hear bell labs associated with a golden age of research grants in the past by people that used to work there, now its probably trying to work out advertising banners and appealing payment plans.

Well europe actually had OK internet prices in some areas, which is reasonable, because that RF amp on a pole has similar requirements to a bird house, and even looks the same when the galvanic corrosion sets in.

[JohanH]

I hear bell labs associated with a golden age of research grants in the past by people that used to work there, now its probably trying to work out advertising banners and appealing payment plans.

Nokia has always been a research and development company. The crazy mobile sellout to Microsoft was an exception. Now they are back to basic stuff involving network switches and xG research etc.

[TomWinTejas]

I hear bell labs associated with a golden age of research grants in the past by people that used to work there, now its probably trying to work out advertising banners and appealing payment plans.

Nokia has always been a research and development company. The crazy mobile sellout to Microsoft was an exception. Now they are back to basic stuff involving network switches and xG research etc.

Optical networking with dense wave division multiplexing as well.  R&D is still alive and strong in Murray Hill, NJ at the old Bell Labs building.  I had the opportunity to get a tour when doing a visit to evaluate some of their offerings.  It happened to be at the same time as one of their employees was being honored for becoming a Nobel laureate and a handful of other laureates associated with the company over the years came for the ceremony... it was a cool accident of circumstances for me.

[uski]

It has a 300uA range. I would be curious to see what the burden voltage would be or what the value of the sensing resistor is?

Also there is a DATA button, what does it do? Data logging? Or just store a few readings?

[shakalnokturn]

"DATA"="HOLD"

[HKJ]

It has a 300uA range. I would be curious to see what the burden voltage would be or what the value of the sensing resistor is?

If it is designed as most multimeters it would be 30mV and 300mV on the 3mA range.

[TimFox]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Swiss-Swedish, actually. (Asea was Swedish; Brown Boveri was Swiss; they merged to form ABB.)

There's also a strong Finnish branch. The 1889 founded electrical company Strömberg in Finland was bought by Asea in 1986 and after the Asea - Brown Boveri merger in 1988, the company was named ABB Strömberg for a while.

Before the merger with Asea, Brown Boveri was known as BBA, for "Brown Boveri Aktiengesellschaft", aka "Brown, Boveri & Cie".

[tooki]

Asea Brown Boveri are a Swiss company.  I had no idea they ever made DMMs.  That thing probably cost something like $5000 in today's dollars and was probably for their own service staff.

Swiss-Swedish, actually. (Asea was Swedish; Brown Boveri was Swiss; they merged to form ABB.)

There's also a strong Finnish branch. The 1889 founded electrical company Strömberg in Finland was bought by Asea in 1986 and after the Asea - Brown Boveri merger in 1988, the company was named ABB Strömberg for a while.

Before the merger with Asea, Brown Boveri was known as BBA, for "Brown Boveri Aktiengesellschaft", aka "Brown, Boveri & Cie".

No. It was never known as "BBA", always BBC. Initially it was a Kollektivgesellschaft, later an Aktiengesellschaft. The full legal company name was "Kollektivgesellschaft Brown, Boveri & Cie" and "Aktiengesellschaft Brown, Boveri & Cie", respectively.

"& Cie" simply referred to a partnership with more participants than the ones named. So "Brown, Boveri & Cie" simply means "Brown, Boveri, and others". Until recently, it was a legal requirement in Switzerland for certain kinds of Kollektivgesellschaft to include "& Cie" in its name if there were any partners not enumerated in the name of the partnership.