Gary, You're thinking about the Power Pad. We used those for IMTS. IIRC, that wasn't just a regular attenuator, but was a three port device like you said and a fantastic product. Helper was looking into a combination power pad and watt meter right around the time between the Modulation Monitor and the SM512. Com-Ser came out with something like that about the same time integrated into a combination DVM/Wattmeter/Tone & Audio counter with a switchable 20/40 db load/pad. That was a great idea too, but it never sold well. They incorporated the same idea into their later service monitor BR1100? Even added an Octopus to the scope section.
There were very few combination analog/DVM's at service instrument prices and the DMM's that had bar graphs didn't have the resoloution for trends at the time. I can only think of a few off hand such as the Keithly,Simpson had an early one in a 260 type case with Nixies,Ballentine $$$$$, and Fluke $$$$. I think Heath had one for a short time too. I'd love to see a picture of this meter. I'm still trying to grasp what was so special about two separate meters for AC and DC. There had to be some of Bill's magic either comparator presets, audible alarm or some neat thing that would make service easier. While the subject is odd Helper stuff, remember the Mod Box or the Sineman? --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Schafer" <gascha...@...> wrote: > > Yes he did build some for a few years. They were never a big seller as the > price was pretty high. They did work pretty well. It did not have a digital > display, only analog meters. There were lights that showed what range it was > on. You could read AC on one meter and DC on the other. Handy for some > things. > > I kind of remember him playing around with an attenuator pad to go ahead of > a service monitor. I don't remember the wattmeter part though. > > There was a guy in California making a 40 db power pad to use ahead of a > service monitor. It was made during the Singer monitor era to go in front of > it. It had a port for the transceiver and one for the signal generator and > another for the receive input on the monitor. It worked pretty well. There > may be a few floating around yet. > > 73 > Gary K4FMX > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Repeater- > > buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dawn > > Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 4:37 PM > > To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Helper Instruments (Voltadder VA 502) > > > > Whoa! > > Bill actually went through with this? I never seen this as a production > > item although the idea of a service bench Analog/Digital voltmeter was > > something he was interested in doing. The DMM's A/D section was to go to > > an integrator and drive a meter for peaking or nulling. My understanding > > was this was going to be a service grade instrument with a 3 1/2 > > autoranging digit DMM basic. Was this a protoype? Are there any pics? > > > > While we're at it, what ever happened to the watt meter that fed a power > > pad like a termaline with an attenuated output? Was that talk, or did > > they ever do anything with that? > > > > --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Schafer" <gaschafer@> > > wrote: > > > > > > That was an auto ranging voltmeter. They were rather expensive at the > > time, > > > compared to nowadays. As I remember it you could select auto range, or > > lock > > > it in a particular range. > > > > > > 73 > > > Gary K4FMX > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Alicia Mehrdad [mailto:abcza...@] > > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3:26 PM > > > > To: gaschafer@; skipp025@; Repeater- > > > > buil...@yahoogroups.com > > > > Subject: Helper Instruments (Voltadder VA 502) > > > > > > > > Hello gentlemen, I found your e-mails on line and I was wondering > > if > > > > you could help me figure out what type of equipment is this, I have > > a > > > > Voltadder Part No. VA 502 from Helper Instruments, it has two > > windows > > > > with a needle meter type and in between the windows it has some > > lights > > > > and number going down. please see example below. > > > > > > > > -DC + Volts db AC, > > > > 500 + 50 > > > > 150 + 40 > > > > 50 +30 > > > > 15 +20 > > > > 5 +10 > > > > 1.5 0 db > > > > .5 -10 > > > > .15 -20 > > > > > > > > . Your help would be greatly appreciated. thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >
