AVO Model 8 MkII

AVO Model8 MkII s/n 105043-360 complete with leather case and leads working

This model has a 37.5 uA movement and is housed in a substantial bakelite case and weighs in at 2810 grams. AVO multimeters are renowned for their reliability and robustness, the incorporation of a mechanically operated cut out linked to the meter movement and the two switch range selection system have endeared these meters to generations of electrical and electronic engineers.

Inflation!

In 1970 the Avometer model 8 Mk4 (a later model than mine) cost £34.80 and the case £5.50. Today the Avometer model 8 Mk7 is £585!!! However you should be able to purchase a reasonable second hand Mk2 for about £20, have a look at: http://www.ebay.co.uk/

What is it worth? You should be able to buy a model 8 MkII for £10- 20.

How old is it? Most AVO meters can be dated from the last 3 or 4 digits of the serial number under the right hand end of the scale. These define the month and year of manufacture. For example No. 105043-360 would mean that this one was made in March 1960 and 67666-C-1157 and this one which belongs to Ron Haller-Williams was made in November 1957.Do you know what the "C" means in the last serial number?

Where do you buy a replacement for the old type B121 15 volt Battery? http://www.maplin.co.uk/ then search for battery blr121 which cost cost £ 6.99 when I last looked. http://www.cellpacksolutions.com is another source for batteries, they will even make up special batteries to your own specification.

Richard Minettiwas able to find an exact replacement for the original battery, the Burgess U10;it is an Eveready No. 411,i.e., NEDA 208 and is available from http://www.Batteryspecialists.com for $9.69US in the US. They ship free in the states by US Mail in a small envelope.

Or if you want to use readily availble batteries and have a soldering iron you can wire two 9 volt PP3 batteries in series with a 5v zener diode, insulate the metal cases and slide them in sideways between the contacts for the correct battery. The connecting wires can then be wedged behind the contacts. No guarantee, but it works for someone who visited this page

Another suggestion Purchase from your local "Pound Shop" a card of assorted button cells and select ten of them (they need not be the same size). Cut a small block of wood 31mm long and drill an 8mm hole through it. Cut a slot in one end and glue a thick piece of wire into it as a contact. Find a small helical spring (mine was from an old lampholder) Take a narrow piece of masking tape and tape your ten cells into two bundles, insert them into the wood block with the spring in between. You can stop the cells from popping out when inserting the block with a thin piece of metal or plastic.

Repairs? A small (Father and son) company http://www.algo-sales.co.uk are repair agents for Megger/Avo. Some of their calibration standards are of extremely high quality and manufactured by Sullivan and Cambridge. They also have some spares for old instruments, Avo meters in particular if you ever need any.

History AVO Ltd. used to be at Avocet House, 92-96 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1 and was a member of the Metal Industries Group of companies. Though known for their Avometer general purpose multimeter, they made a wide range of test gear including valve testers. The Acton Lane works closed down at about that time - around 1986. The current range of products can bee seen at: http://www.avointl.com/ The firm now called Megger Ltd is based at: Archcliffe Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 9EN, United Kingdom.

For further information have a look at my pages on the model 7 AVO and Test Meter No1 here and here