Author Topic: EEVblog #482 - Retro Iskra Multimeter Teardown (Read 48872 times)

EEVblog · « **on:** June 13, 2013, 05:29:49 am »

What's inside a 1980 vintage Yugoslavian digital multimeter, the Digimer 10 from Iskra
Schematic: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/9018886137_3c72fc2089_o.jpg
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/sets/72157634077598344/

duskglow · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2013, 05:42:54 am »

Sometimes I miss all that old circuitry. Reminds me of when I would take apart 1960s vintage televisions - they didn't even have PCBs, they just had all of the parts stuck together on little bakelite terminal boards. There was an art to it back then that doesn't exist in quite the same way now.

Lightages · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2013, 06:13:00 am »

NO! Do not harm that beauty. DO NOT TAKE IT TOTALLY RIP IT APART!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2013, 06:50:49 am »

"Is that common in Yugoslavia?"
Dave, you do realize Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore, right?

The place where that meter originates from is now Slovenia and I encourage to visit us. I'll take you out for a drink if you stop by.

Eonir · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2013, 07:04:23 am »

Dave, this multimeter is NOT ugly! I'd argue precisely the opposite.

Today, robots make everything. You could say cheap Chinese 5$ DMMs are all "beautiful" compared to this. But they're not! They're just more aestetically pleasing. A factory spits out thousands of these in an hour.

Whereas this old Iskra (which means "Spark") is a true work of art. A great deal of thought went into this thing. How to divide these circuits for best performance, how to miniaturize all these discrete circuits... If you tried to make a better multimeter using the same tools today, I don't think you'd do a lot better.

Artisans made this multimeter.

If you replace the old 555 with a lower current device, and use more efficient LEDs for the display, you'd cut down the current consumption by at least one order of magnitude. It would be pretty usable!

EEVblog · « **Reply #5 on:** June 13, 2013, 07:16:10 am »

Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2013, 06:50:49 am

"Is that common in Yugoslavia?"
Dave, you do realize Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore, right?

Did the people of the former Yugoslavia suddenly vanish and start their culture and industry from scratch when the name officially changed 10 years ago?

You'll have to forgive us non-europeans for using your 10 year old name, that has changed and been sliced'n'diced, what, 5 times in the last century?

Nermash · « **Reply #6 on:** June 13, 2013, 07:35:16 am »

Quote from: EEVblog on June 13, 2013, 07:16:10 am

Did the people of the former Yugoslavia suddenly vanish and start their culture and industry from scratch when the name officially changed 10 years ago?
You'll have to forgive us non-europeans for using your 10 year old name, that has changed and been sliced'n'diced, what, 5 times in the last century?

It is complicated and still emotional issue, country dissolved in a bloody war. Industry is pretty much gone everywhere...
If you are interested to learn more about Yugoslavia, here is a PAN AM promotional video from the it's glory days in 1960's

http://youtu.be/5B6eBAuhvEY

fridrik · « **Reply #7 on:** June 13, 2013, 07:41:20 am »

Beautiful meter Dave, thanks to the guy who sent it in!
please don't ruin it. I would very much enjoy seeing you use it in your (fundamental Friday) videos!

(maybe fix the current range?)

Thanks for the video.

dr_p · « **Reply #8 on:** June 13, 2013, 08:03:56 am »

Yeah, fixing the current range sounds like fun to me. I don't think it'll be hard either since you have the complete schematic and the build is spaced out neatly.

mrkva · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2013, 08:07:10 am »

Quote from: fridrik on June 13, 2013, 07:41:20 am

Beautiful meter Dave, thanks to the guy who sent it in!
please don't ruin it. I would very much enjoy seeing you use it in your (fundamental Friday) videos!

(maybe fix the current range?)

Thanks for the video.

+1

Stonent · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2013, 08:54:17 am »

I think a multimeter like that deserves to live in a acrylic/perspex/PMMA clear case. I just love the giant hand painted resistors.
I remember taking some early 80s things apart as a kid that looked not too different from this. Even unrolling some big mylar caps.

My take... clean it up, calibrate it, full restore job. It's a nice display piece!

EEVblog · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2013, 09:20:00 am »

Quote from: fridrik on June 13, 2013, 07:41:20 am

Beautiful meter Dave, thanks to the guy who sent it in!
please don't ruin it. I would very much enjoy seeing you use it in your (fundamental Friday) videos!

Ooh, maybe I'll slip in an old analog meter or this one into a future video just for kicks

Berni · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2013, 09:33:48 am »

Yup this multimeter came from where i live. Iskra was a huge company that made everything from lighting fixtures to car alternators to angle grinders, phones, capacitors, multimeters, large industrial control systems etc.

They are still around today, but they are not doing anywhere as well as back then.

But please don't rip that thing apart, the stone age construction of the thing is a thing of beauty in its own way while also being in such good nick.

Dave · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2013, 09:41:27 am »

Quote from: EEVblog on June 13, 2013, 07:16:10 am

Did the people of the former Yugoslavia suddenly vanish and start their culture and industry from scratch when the name officially changed 10 years ago?
You'll have to forgive us non-europeans for using your 10 year old name, that has changed and been sliced'n'diced, what, 5 times in the last century?

The only word that really bugged me was the word "is", instead of "was". I think we, as a nation, are quite sensitive to being called Yugoslavian, we take much pride in having our own country, flag, anthem,...
By the way, our little country will be 22 in 12 days.

My offer stands, if you ever wander into our parts of the globe, let me know.

ttp · « **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2013, 11:04:31 am »

Great teardown, thanks Dave and Sylvain! I think this multimeter deserves to be fixed and kept for the future generations of geeks. It's in such good condition for its age. Just few months ago I have restored to working condition my old Metex 4500H purchased froim Jaycar store in April 1988 for only $223.37

for no other reason but to keep the past going.

EEVblog · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2013, 11:10:27 am »

Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2013, 09:41:27 am

The only word that really bugged me was the word "is", instead of "was". I think we, as a nation, are quite sensitive to being called Yugoslavian, we take much pride in having our own country, flag, anthem,...

Understandable, but in the case of not knowing which "new" country you are talking about, it could be safer to just say "Yugoslavia" (or "former Yugoslavia")

lapm · « **Reply #16 on:** June 13, 2013, 12:07:46 pm »

Please Dave, do not harm that thing. For me it looks like beauty of times when things for not so automated. Hand drawn, hand soldered, throw hole components.. Beauty i say...

32 years old multimeter and still mostly works. Take that cheap chinese multimeters..

puzzlery · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2013, 12:14:43 pm »

I recommend fixing the current ranges, as a video of course.

Attached is the data sheet for the LD110/LD111 chipset.

lapm · « **Reply #18 on:** June 13, 2013, 12:17:40 pm »

Quote from: dr_p on June 13, 2013, 08:03:56 am

Yeah, fixing the current range sounds like fun to me. I don't think it'll be hard either since you have the complete schematic and the build is spaced out neatly.

Was about to say same... Sounds like troubleshoot video and repair. Cant even complain things are too small to solder

david77 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2013, 12:39:28 pm »

Great video, Dave. Please do not harm this beautiful meter. I think it deserves to be fixed, can't be much wrong with it anyway. It may well be the only one of its kind in your hemisphere!

I would say that Iskra were a bit behind the state of the art with this meter. I believe in western Europe you wouldn't find construction like this in the late 70ies, early 80ies. The hand drawn PCB's and these chunky components were mostly gone by then.

The over all design and construction looks like the old Goerz Unigor meters. Iskra made them under licence and obviously carried some parts of those designs over into their own meters.

Alana · « **Reply #20 on:** June 13, 2013, 02:09:13 pm »

Quote from: puzzlery on June 13, 2013, 12:14:43 pm

I recommend fixing the current ranges, as a video of course.

+1

MetraCollector · « **Reply #21 on:** June 13, 2013, 02:23:07 pm »

Wanna see some old stuff from former Czechoslovakia ? I have many of them, as I am Slovak living in Czech

I have one Mesit multimeter made in 90's and it is counterfeit of some 80's Fluke.
I have also PU500, I don't know which counterfeit is it of.

dentaku · « **Reply #22 on:** June 13, 2013, 03:07:59 pm »

I love those machine pins. I like soldering them onto perfboard to make temporary connections for wires and they hold very well.

ivan747 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 13, 2013, 03:14:21 pm »

Quote from: Eonir on June 13, 2013, 07:04:23 am

Dave, this multimeter is NOT ugly! I'd argue precisely the opposite.

Artisans made this multimeter.

It's ugly as f*ck! That thing was probably slapped together by people working on minimum wage. Just look at all the wires absolutely non-servisable. And ask for mercy if a bit of metal happens to fall off inside when measuring 2kV!

Hey, at least it looks cool on the outside.

free_electron · « **Reply #24 on:** June 13, 2013, 03:33:29 pm »

Quote from: ivan747 on June 13, 2013, 03:14:21 pm

Quote from: Eonir on June 13, 2013, 07:04:23 am
Dave, this multimeter is NOT ugly! I'd argue precisely the opposite.

Artisans made this multimeter.

It's ugly as f*ck! That thing was probably slapped together by people working on minimum wage. Just look at all the wires absolutely non-servisable. And ask for mercy if a bit of metal happens to fall off inside when measuring 2kV!

Hey, at least it looks cool on the outside.

This multimeter was designed to be used in a laboratory environment. It is not a field instrument. It would be used by people that knew what they were doing. ( as opposed to lumbering goofballs that just prod their probe everywhere...)


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Author Topic: EEVblog #482 - Retro Iskra Multimeter Teardown (Read 48872 times)

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