Analogue Meters » Vintage

Vintage

The vintage style meter was introduced by Sifam in response to demand for the more classically styled meter seen on many traditional consoles and rack mounted units. The distinctive ‘retro’ styling with contemporary construction gives high performance at an affordable price. The Vintage range offers AL options complementing the proven presentor series as well as a range of vu meters and PPM indicators complementing the existing clarity, clarity focus, Director and Monitor range. Sifam’s R25ASQ VU meter also provides a full specification vu meter to complete the range.

Type AL20 & AL20SQ

Features and benefits

Available in one size with alternative frontal designs - either circular with clamp mounting or rectangular with four front hole fixing.
Constructed with gloss black phenolic moulded front with glass window and high impact translucent rear body moulding.
Taut band core magnet movement incorporated as standard. This rugged movement makes these meters equally suitable for portable or fixed audio applications. There is no calibration effect when mounted on a ferrous panel.

Type AL19 Retro & AL15 Retro

Features and benefits

Front of panel mounting with full bezel
Constructed with transparent acrylic front and high impact rear body moulding. Bezel moulded in black ABS.
Taut band core magnet movement Incorporated as standard. This rugged movement makes these meters equally suitable for portable or fixed audio applications. There is no calibration effect when mounted on a ferrous panel.

Type R25ASQ Retro

Features and benefits

Available in one size with alternative frontal designs - either circular with clamp mounting or rectangular with four front hole fixing.
Constructed with glass window and high impact rear body moulding. Bezel moulded in black phenolic material.
Taut band core magnet movement incorporated as standard. This rugged movement makes these meters equally suitable for portable or fixed audio applications. There is no calibration effect when mounted on a ferrous panel.

All Vintage Meters

Specification

A low range ac voltmeter suitable for connecting across a 600 ohm line and self contained except for requiring an external 3.6k ohm resistor.
Calibrated for use with a 3.6k ohm resistor 4vu above the scale marking so that the reference deflection (0vu) is produced by a signal 4vu above 1mW in 600 ohms (1.228v).

The performance of the meter is based upon the requirements of BS 6840: Part 17:1991, IEC 268 - 17: 1990. The dynamic characteristics quoted, which requires the response time to 99% of reference deflection (0vu) to be 0.3 seconds +/-10% with an overswing of at least 1.0% but not more than 1.5% are not fully met.

The overswing, because damping is not so tightly controlled but allowed to spread within normal design restraints, can vary between deadbeat to 5%. To specify the dynamic characteristics in terms of time to 99% of 0vu under such circumstances would give an unrepresentative measure of the speed of response. For this reason the time to reach -3vu with a steady reading of reference deflection (0vu) has been taken as a more realistic measure.

The following comparison can be made based on a rise time to -3vu with steady deflection of 0vu:

IEC: 0.13 - 0.15 seconds
AL20 &AL20SQ: 0.14 - 0.18 seconds
AL19 Retro: 0.14 - 0.18 Seconds

Pointers and dials

The combination of ‘pear’ shaped pointer and conventional arc scale on translucent buff coloured dial results in an easily read meter, even when monitoring a row on a large console. A white dial can be specified if required. The standard scale is based on the vu ‘A’ scale as illustrated in the above photograph but the ‘B’ scale with the ‘percent’ reading at the top can be supplied to order at no extra cost.

Zero adjuster

Positioned on the rear as standard.

Certified drawings

Available on request.

Operating Temperature

-25°C to +55°C.

Terminals

AL20 & AL20SQ - Flying leads 125mm/5” long are standard but 6mm tabs are available.

AL15 Retro - 6mm tabs or flying leads are available
AL19 Retro - 6mm tabs are supplied as standard but threaded studs or flying leads are available.
R25ASQ Retro – M4 screw terminals as standard

Retro vu Meters and PPM Indicators

Vu Meters

The performance of these meters fully meets the requirements of BS 6840: Part 17: 1991 and IEC268 – 17:1990. These include dynamic characteristics, frequency response, harmonic distortion, input impedance and temperature range. The now obsolete ANS C16.5 – 1954 is also met.

These are low range ac voltmeters suitable for connecting across a 600 ohm line and self contained except for requiring an external 3.6k ohm external resistor. Calibrated for use with a 3.6k ohm resistor 4vu above the scale marking so that the reference deflection (0vu) is produced by a signal 4vu above 1mW in 600 ohms (1.228v).

The standard dial colour is dark buff Munsell 2.93Y with the vu ‘A’ scale as illustrated in the photographs. A white background can be supplied at no extra cost as can the vu ‘B’ scale with the ‘percent’ reading at the top.

PPM indicators

These are used at the readout on peak programme meters and require to be used with a drive amplifier circuit. The performance of these meters generally conforms to BS 6840: Part 10:1991 and IEC 60268-10: 1991.

The standard dial colour is black with scale markings in accordance with the Type II a version of the specifications as illustrated in the above photograph. The type IIb scale marked -12 to +12 which conforms to the European Broadcasting Union Standard can be supplied at no extra cost, as can custom scales.