Best available ampmeters

L

Larry Jenkins

BANNED
Many stories lately about poor quality ampmeters. I read some time ago that Brattons was persuing a quality vendor.

Who offers the best ones these days?
 
I bought a repo ammeter from one of the suppliers and the needle also fell off. I called the supplier and they refunded my money and said to just keep the defective unit. They didn't want it back. One of my Model A buddies gave me one.
Marty
 
Hi Larry,

In sharing in your ammeter agony, I have no doubt that during the past several years, sanitary land fill areas in all 50 states have had quite a few "reproduction" ammeters discarded that were later found to be pure junk.

I look at it this way. Why does a Model A Parts Supplier continue to advertise very poor quality "reproduction" ammeters knowing full well they are junk?

In my opinion, it is similar to advertising "Wedding Cake Icing" and when one opens the can on the "Morning" of the Wedding when they "Need" the icing, they realize it is not icing .............. but the can is full of Chicken Crap ...... then, naturally ............. one immediately calls the Parts Supplier to complain, and the standard response is: "Keep the chicken crap ......... we will refund your money."

Next the buyer inquires, "Why do you sell these crappy ammeters?"

And the normal Parts Supplier response is, "Well, Model A people like you still continue to order them and only a "few" like you complain."

To further address Larry's above question, a sincere reply could always contain a descriptive P.S. like ................ P.S. : If one ever finds a compassionate Model A Parts Supplier who stocks reliable & non-hazardous "reproduction" ammeters, please let us "All" know !!!!!!!
 
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P.S. said:
I just watched your video. The meter did not fall off. It is supposed to be like that.
Click to expand...

FYI: Twas the needle that fell off --and the reason in the first place I had to open it... A needle falling off is not ideal and a sign of a defect. So yes the needle did in fact fall off and yes that was not shown in the video. And no thank you, I fixed it myself.. I still feel the repos are junk...

Regards,
 
H. L. Chauvin said:
Hi Larry,

Why does a Model A Parts Supplier continue to advertise very poor quality "reproduction" ammeters knowing full well they are junk?

In my opinion, it is similar to advertising "Wedding Cake Icing" and when one opens the can on the "Morning" of the Wedding when they "Need" the icing, they realize it is not icing .............. but the can is full of Chicken Crap ...... then, naturally ............. one immediately calls the Parts Supplier to complain, and the standard response is: "Keep the chicken crap ......... we will refund your money."

Next the buyer inquires, "Why do you sell these crappy ammeters?"

And the normal Parts Supplier response is, "Well, Model A people like you still continue to order them and only a "few" like you complain."
Click to expand...

Actually, I am not sure that I agree with you on this Henry. I am not seeing it as the fault of the vendor. The vendors offer it because they know that if a customer makes an inquiry for one and they don't stock any type of ammeter, the customer remembers that the next time they want to order something.

Second, it is not the vendor's fault that they do not have a good unit to sell. 95% of all the Model-A vendors out there do not manufacture the parts. For the 5%(±) that do manufacture parts, for some reason they have chosen not to manufacture one. I have been told there is a vendor who is working on the project but nothing that I know of is completed yet.

So if the tooling & manufacturing start-up costs are $250k, how many investors do we know who would be willing to step-up and provided the capitol necessary to pull this off?? That, I'm pretty sure is why the vendors sell the junk ones!! :o
 
>>>So if the tooling & manufacturing start-up costs are $250k, how many investors do we know who would be willing to step-up and provided the capital necessary to pull this off?? That, I'm pretty sure is why the vendors sell the junk ones!<<<<

I wonder if the whole thing would have to be retooled, or if the main fault could be isolated and corrected, and a new improved item could be made for a relatively small investment, perhaps even by another company buying the basics from the current mfgr and adding the improved materials? These do not seem to be complicated instruments, just ones that need careful engineering and assembly.

Isn't the one being made for the Model T a superior repro? What could be learned from one of those?

Maybe I need to get to work on this! ;)
 
Per reply #13, if I operated a respectable grocery and "today" I only had "Stale" bread, I would at least have enough integrity to inform loyal customers that I have bread "today" ...... it is the best I can obtain ..... it is stale ..... and it will not be as good as fresh bread ...... rather than allowing customers to try to return stale bread ....... but everyone has different opinions.
 
The only "local" bakery we had was an Interstate Bakery (WonderBread). When it closed in 2012, the only bread we could get was "week old" bread from Seattle and points south.
 
There was one on ebay a month or two ago. I first thought it was old but seemed to be new. About US$25.
The guywas selling other electrical meters. His handle was something like "d'Arsonval".
No Ford script. I err-ed due to the postage.
 
H. L. Chauvin said:
Per reply #13, if I operated a respectable grocery and "today" I only had "Stale" bread, I would at least have enough integrity to inform loyal customers that I have bread "today" ...... it is the best I can obtain ..... it is stale ..... and it will not be as good as fresh bread ...... rather than allowing customers to try to return stale bread ....... but everyone has different opinions.
Click to expand...

HL, I have seen some vendors doing that with certain parts, the infamous repro light switch comes to mind.

There must be different suppliers of ammeters at different times. I've never had any trouble with meters that I put in my cars in the '70s and '80s.
 
Hi ecricr,

I initially called a Model A Parts supplier, (I think about (6) - (7) years ago), who said they were out of "new" ammeters; however, they reported that they bought them all from a Model A Parts competitor who furnished them to all Parts Suppliers.

Next I called their supplying competitor and ordered one.

After the needle fell off prior to installation, I called them to let them know.

The answer was, "Lots of people call to report that the needle falls off. We get them from one manufacturer in China and these are the best we can obtain; but, we are trying to find another manufacturer. We always tell people if you would like we can send you a refund."

I smiled and told them to keep the refund because I already threw the ammeter in the garbage ...... besides, I kept the original.

Quite honestly, I found this salesman's response quite humorous & felt sorry for them having a salesman who admitted that they sold Chinese Ammeters with needles that constantly fall off ....... a contrite attitude usually can make anyone smile.
 
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H. L. Chauvin said:
Per reply #13, if I operated a respectable grocery and "today" I only had "Stale" bread, I would at least have enough integrity to inform loyal customers that I have bread "today" ...... it is the best I can obtain ..... it is stale ..... and it will not be as good as fresh bread ...... rather than allowing customers to try to return stale bread ....... but everyone has different opinions.
Click to expand...

When the parts guy only charged me 8 dollars for the ammeter, I assumed it was of questionable (ie; stale). So, when I get the occasional one that the pointer falls off, it's no real surprise. I would rather burn up an 8 dollar inferior ammeter than a thirty dollar "quality" part.

The fact is, there is not enough perceived demand for a quality ammeter repro. That's why we have Chinese knockoffs.

Regards,
 
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