Ammeter

[davidwpack]

ELLO! I've gotta box of some various parts and sundries someone gave me. Included was a couple of panel-mount ammeters and voltage meters. One is a 0-200mA ammeter I was thinking of incorporating into a build. From what I understand, these are connected in series but there are 2 additional lugs. I think these are back-lit but not positive. If this is the case, are the lugs attached in the same way the Fender style lamps are attached, assuming that they'll operate off of 6 volts? I don't have the specs and there's no brand name that I can find. I'll try to post a pic.

[sluckey]

Use your ohmmeter to get more clues. If you connect 6v to the wrong terminals you will likely poop the meter. Just a guess... the big lugs are probably the meter coil.

[davidwpack]

Yeah. There's a + symbol next to the one of the big lugs so I think you're right. Big lugs read .5 ohms and the small ones read 25 ohms.

[sluckey]

25Ω sounds like a small lamp bulb. Is there any continuity between the small lugs and the big lugs? If not, you may assume the little lugs are a lamp. I would use a variac and filament transformer to slowly increase voltage to the "lamp" rather than just slapping 6v on it. It may only be a 2v lamp.

[davidwpack]

No there's no continuity between them. I found some identical looking back-lit VU meters online with 4 lugs. Their description read that they were rated from 6-12 volts a.c. or dc for the lamp.