Yard Sale Find!

[guido]

Hello,

It is a Simpson 260 series 7. Just 2 batteries and a couple of jumpers later....It works1
Now I need to find the RIGHT leads for it, none came with the meter. Took a chance for $10 and I'm Happy!

Guido.

 

[Lou from Wi.]

Guido,
link below shows some leads for the Simpson series. Hope it helps.
LOU
leads here

 

[Fawteen]

Good Lord...

I learned to use a Simpson 260 in Navy Electronics Technician Class "A" school in Great Lakes in 1969.

Damn fine meter, good snag!

 

[guido]

Hello fawteen,

It probably was the OLD 260. It took 4 AA and a couple o c' or d's? For batteries it takes 1 9V and 1 D size, Looks pretty new and not much abused,

Guido.

 

[guido]

Hello LOU from WI,

Thanks for the lead..............

Guido.

 

[da.bees]

I find right parts 99% of the time at Fry's.
Rady-dideeo-shack carries a few.
Should be real handy on the bench and a good range too.

 

[old]

I have not had one of them in my hands since 1980 when I got out of the Navy. I too was an E-T but did computer repair on subs then due to the fact I could not handle being under water a long time switched to Air craft carriers

 

[buickanddeere]

Lucky you. She's a classic.

 

[CJinMI]

Excellent find, sometimes (alot of) you can't beat a good old
swing meter.

 

[John Niolon]

nothing like peaking a little can amplifier with an alignment tool and watching that little needle inch back and forth over it"s little mirrored background... hate those blinky numbers when trying to peak something another millivolt.

I"ve still got two.... and wouldn"t trade them for 4 flukes

john

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Guido,
WOW. Simpson was the state of the art in it's day. Mine was a series 2. I wouldn't carry that in a dirty truck.
George.

 

[guido]

Hello ,

I guess now is out with the old and in with the new. The old meter has a bad movement, and will not zero. But the leads are not the same as the one I just got. May look at Radio Shack as someone suggested. Thanks to LOU I got the part number, so if I strike out at Radio Shack I can get them on line

Guido

 

[guido]

Hello George Marsh,

I posted about the old meter some time back. I got it to work electrically, but the movement has no more adjustment. By the way Simpson electric is alive and well. They would calibrate the meter for $50, but with the bad movement I decided to wait and see. So I got lucky,

Guido.

 

[Fawteen]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

I had no idea they still made them. Looks-wise, hasn't changed a bit.

 

[Anonymous-0]

iffn you have the right coupon, you can get a little chinese one that does more stuff, than that one, for free, at harbor freight!

 

[JerryD]

The only bad thing about a Simpson (if it"s like mine) is it takes a special battery for the higher ohm ranges. Other than that you can"t beat them. Analog rules.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

When I was in college, I worked at US NAD CRANE in their calibration lab. Why pay $50 for a calibration. Get a manual. There are only a few adjustments inside to make. Been a long time, so my memory isn't that good. Like 45 years ago.

What you need are standard voltages and precision resistors. If I remember, like a mercury cell is 1.34v??? You can buy precision resistors. But really, why do you need it to be calibrated? The navy had all their electronic equipment calibrated on a regular bases.

The meter movement was the weak link. Dirt, iron particles get stuck to the magnent in the meter movement and it gone. It had little protection too.

Unlike today electronic, the 260 would have issues when you connected it 220v when on the ohms scale. Or you had the polarity reversed.

If I recall, the 260 was only a 20K ohm/volt meter. IMHO, In it's day, the simpson 260 was an old work horse and more of a legend than a pratical meter compared to today's evoms.

Put it on a shelf for a conservation piece.
George

 

[guido]

Hello Dyidave,

Got a couple of those cheap DVM'S, This one needed a little solder job. The +lug came on done at the PC board. Little solder got it fix. It was free with a coupon. Next time I go I'll get one to keep with my vehicle. But the old ones like the 260 are still the ones I like the best! The one I just got takes 1 9Volt battery, and 1 D size. The older one I have takes 4 AA and one D size, no special batteries in both of them,



Guido.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Check Radio Shack. Used to carry meter leads, Banana plugs on one end pin probe on other.
Simson are a great meter, Had several meters in my career, always the chaepies, except my Heath VTVM, and a RS DVM which had a computer port - softwear never worked, however. Would love to have a Simson.

 

[guido]

Hello RayP(MI),

They are still in business Simpson electric co.
I am going to check Radio Shack. Sometimes the look at me like I have 2 heads? Been letting the smoke out of many components for years, learned by doing. Radio Shack is NOT what it used to be though,

Guido.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I have a Simpson 260 out in my tool box I need to get working. I haven't used it since I bought a Fluke 77 DMM twenty years ago; the last time I tried to use it it was broken. The Simpsons were great meters in their day, but that day was forty years ago. Give me a good digital multimeter any day.

 

[36 Coupe]

Blinky meters are good for those who cant read meter scales.Im still using a meter I bought in the early 50s.There are several VTVMs in the shop but I still use the old Superior 670A most of the time.

 

[Billy J Shafer]

Got mine in 1972. With the little roll up door. Sure was heavy at the end of the day. Lugged that thing all over Texas. Still have it.

 

[Bret4207]

I had 2 of those Simpsons, brand new mil-surplus. Gave one to my dad and one to my uncle. Wish I'd have kept one.

 

[js305]

Hi Guido, If you still need leads for that meter I know where to get them. They are not Simpson branded, but good Oldaker silicone leads. Simpson changed the meter lead sockets about series 6 or so. The one on yours probably has a male banana looking out at you. It was probably a safety thing at the time. I don't like the Simpson leads because the grips on the plugs stick up too far. Just me...

You can email me [email protected] if you want.

Joe in Texas

 

[JD Seller]

Wait until you get a rapidly varying current and your digital meter will not read it. I keep and use mostly analog meters for checking equipment voltages out.

 

[JD Seller]

Simpson still make the meters like you have.

Here is a link to a new one. $332.85 LOL So your $10 looks like a good investment.
New Simpson Meter

 

[guido]

Hello JD Seller,

I just out the meter to the test, all ranges are working just fine. I'm Pretty happy!

Guido.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Good digital meters can capture transients and give just as good of feedback as an analog meter. The better the meter, the faster the analog-to-digital conversion. Of course, for truly fast transients, a digital storage oscilloscope is the only way to go.

BTW, I worked on electronic weapon systems in a previous life. Capturing transients was an everyday occurrence.