Metrastar lightmeter repair

[john_van_v]

I bought two of these because I like their 'feel' a lot. Heavy built, they have optics for aiming, the dial is easy to use, and they have a very nice case.

One must be shorting out because it reads far too high, and the battery test does not work.

And the other is few stops below with the correct 1.3 battery and more than a stop below with a new 1.5 battery. Likewise the battery check is too low.

Any suggestions?

 

[kinoglass]

I have repaired a few. It seems yours have serious problems, like PCB peeling off or other components defective. The actual meter wiring tends to loose its insulation while the wire itself is pristine, facilitating shorts. Bad contacts are common. To open you have to remove the aluminum back plate and the brass --non magnetic-- screws head are easily removable. The castings shell --it holds two pins activating the range switch, one long and another short--should rest down when removing the plastic shell. To tell if the cell is any good cover the right window where the cell is, exposed to light it should react promptly or without light it should fall to zero fast, without hanging. They use the 1.35 Volts cells. Good luck. They are fun when they work.

 

[john_van_v]

Well... if there is a desire for defective ones, let me know. Otherwise I will put it with my other e-preyed equipment waiting either for scrap buyers or my commitment to buy the right tools and accustom myself to close-up work.