+: PRIGE $2,00- VACUUM TUBE VOLTMETER an" 4 MODEL IM-18 use me‘this chart. is 2 guide ve eos ‘trong compeneuts, The aymipsis ae related sliuetra- TYPICAL COMPONENT TYPES stil. uae tques uf elep- Hons shomd prove helpful fr entifying must paxts an. Ponding the schomsitie dieerams. aN RESISTOR seh ah ROTENTIOMETER: (CONTROL) CAPACITOR ELECTROLYTIC: eS ig ae i a Tike SOE EA fos “IPE ‘ { eR Pe hichs « "ee ra Lt) | Leseaa! BATTERY NEON BULB TRANSFORMER, Cxggpee ruwyawar ing ai impyeror €CBILy GENERAL Lbor PIEZOELECTANC “J SWITCH I= eRveTaL Gora | 8 aye ° BiNOING z oar Fuse _ 8 CONDUGTORS OT, SHIELDED Gilera CONNECTED SHIEAssembly and Operation of the TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction, . . , Circuit Description, .. 4 VACUUM TUBE Parts List, , . 5 VOLTMETER Step-By-Step Assembly Range Switch Assembly... ,. 4... [7 MODEL IM-18 Front Panel Mounting, ys ss io t Knob Instattation, 772252007 Fyoat Panel Wiring, 02111) Cirewit Board Wiring. Connecting Cable, 0.27.1! Wiring Cireuit Board’ Yo The Panel, Mounting The Battery Spring, « 4...) Meter, Bracket, And-Cirenit Board Tnstallation, see e ees Final Wiring, . . | Preliminary Test, 111! Preparation Of Test Probe And Leads, Test And Calibration, ..., Using Your VTVM, . Th Case Of Difficulty, os. eevee ees ‘Troubleshooting Chart... , Maintenance, . 6... Accessory Probes... . Schematic. , , ,(fold-out from page)... . Replacement ‘Parts Price List... 4.444 HEATH COMPANY BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN 49022-_— SPECIFICATIONS: Electronic DE Voitmeter. TRanges.. Input Restetance, oy cosas scence es Cireuit, Aeetiratye sx Blectronie AG Vottmeter F MHS ROPES ee ee eee per eee 1 Peakuto-PuARRANEES: «say ves eee Pnewueney Respanse © Wramgey . 5.6.4 ACW ROS, «a Tipe Registinee Aud Qapaciiance, cocce ys Bleetronic. Ghiimeter- PRAMS. oes sete eee ees tawnes Mater, . 2 PROWESS sae eek naw ce tasweecseeins Divideve. a cy cas caneens sare te ewnee PUES. oo ae pee O-1.5, §;,15, 80, 150, 600; 1500 ~wilts full seaey ‘up 6 80,000 volts wtih eecessory probe, G1 mogohns (1 snegiotim in probe) oi allimanges: 1100 megohms with ascessory probe, Balaitcett beidgs. (usk-pnil) using Gwin triode, 28% full seale, Q41,5, 5, 15; 50, 150,.500; 1500 volte tall. seale {383 bf peak-to-peak): 0-4, 14, 40, 140, 200; 1400, 4000-volts:fall Beate, af db:26 eps to 1 me (600 P-souree), asipnat setie, 1. megelm shunted by 48 wut (ensured at input Terminals) Soale With 10 @ eetifer i, Rio, xT0d, TOGO, XIOK, 400K, XIMEG, Measures ,1 049 1000 megohtux With internal battery, 4.1/2", 200 wa ovemont, polystyrete dase, Comite’ AC-ORMS-DC siultehing probe, single Jack, tops for probe’ and ground eonnections, 1B precision type: + ~ 1287, tity triode meter btdge, 2» GALG, ‘aetwttiode-AC yectities,a= Page 3 Battery, se 6. 1-1/2 volt "C" cell, Power Requirements, ++ 10-125 0210-250 volts, 50/60 cps AC, 10 watts, Cabinet Size And Finish... .....2.2..000, 78/8" high x 4-11/16" wide x 4-1/8" deep, Net Weight... 2... ..esceeceeee veces S41/2 Ibs, ‘The Heath Company reserves the right to discon- tinue instruments and to change specifications at any time without incurring any obligation to incorporate new features in instruments pre- viously sold, INTRODUCTION ‘The HEATHKIT Model IM-18 Vacuum Tube Volt- meter is intended for use by servicemen, en= gineers, and maintenance mea to make accurate measurements of DC+, DC-, AC.rms and peak- to-peak voltages, plus resistance, The designis, simple and rugged, yet accurate, The instrument employs vacuum tubes for recti- fication and amplification on all measurement functions to insure good sensitivity and stability of operation, Precision resistors are used inthe voltage divider networks to provide high accu- racy, ‘The confusing tangle of test leads coming from the front panel of most VIVMs is eliminated by the use of a combination AC-OHMS-DC switching test probe and a single jack input connection for both test probe and ground leads, The 1 megohm resistor in the probe is switched into operation when the probe switch is set on DC, This iso- lating resistor allows DC component voltages to be measured separately, even when high fre- queney AC voltages are present at the test point, ‘The VTVM has a very high input impedance (11 megohms on DC and 1 megohm shunted by 35, unt on AC), Consequently, the eireuit in which the voltage is being measured will not be sig- nificantly loaded by the VIVM, Most nonelec- tronic voltmeters (VOM) have a’ much lower in— put impedance over the most frequently used ranges of test voltages, Consequently, when a VOM is used to measure voltages in high im- pedance circuits, the indicated voltage will be appreciably less than the actual voltage, The amplifier section of the VIVM also enables the VTVM to accurately measure much higher re~ sistances than can be conveniently measured with 2 VOM, Read the "Kit Bullders Guide" for complete information on unpacking, parts identification, tools, wiring, soldering, and step-by-step as— sembly procedures,CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION The combination AC-OHMS-DC test lead of the ‘YTVM is connected tothe Fonction switch, which is used to connect the part of the VIVM cireult needed for 2 specific measurement function, The COMMON test lead is comnected to the case (ground) of the instrument, With the Function switeh in the DC+ or DC- po- sition and the switching probe on DO, the test voltage is applied through the1 megohm resistor in the probe to the Range switch, which is a series of precision resistors arranged as a voltage divider. Depending on the position of the Range switch, a portion of this DC voltage is “picked off" and applied to the input grid of the 12AU7 tube, With the Function switch in the AC position and the test probe on AC-OHMS, an AC test voltage is applied to the GALS tube (half-wave doubler circuit) where itis changed to a DC voltage which is proportional to the applied AC test voltage, On the higher AC ranges, a voltage divider arrangement is used atthe input of the 6AL5 tube to insure that the AC yoliageappliedtothe 6ALS tube docs not exceed the tube's rating, The DC voltage output of the @ALS tube 15 applied to the Range switch and then to the Input grid of the 12AUT tube, in the same way that DC test vollages are applied, A capacitor is used at the output of the GATS to hold the applied pulsating, DC’ voltage at its peak value, so that the VTVM responds to peak voltage regardless of the test voltage waveform, The AC balance control is used to "buck-out” the small amount of contact potential in the GALS tube, thus eliminating residual readings on the lower AC anges, ‘The obmmeter section of the VIVM uses a 1,5 ‘volt battery connected in series with part of the voltage divider network (determined by the Range switeh position) and the resistance to be meas- ured, The ratio between the ohmmeter voltage divider network resistors and the measured resistance determines what portion of the obm~ meter battery voltage is applied to the input grid of the IZAUT tube, ‘Thus, for all measurement functions, a voltage dependent upon the quality being measured is applied to the grid of one-half of the 12AUT twin triode, With zero voltage input tothe 12AU7 bal- anced bridge circuit, each of its triode sections draws the same amount of cathode current and therefore each cathode is at the same voltage potential, The meter movement is connected hetween ihe cathodes of the I2AUT tubeandcon- sequently will not deflect since both cathodes are at the same potential. ‘When a positive vollage (from the Range switch) is applied to one-half of the 12AU7 tube, this half of the tube draws more current than the other half, causing a difference in cathode po- tential between the two tube sections, Since the meter is connected between the two cathodes, a current flows through the meter movement, The meter pointer responds proportionally to this current, indieating the value of voltage or re- sistance being measured, The DC+ and DC~ switeh positions are used to reverse the meter connections between the cathodes so that cur- rent always flows through the meter in the same direction, ‘The use of the bridge circuit eliminates any change in the voliage reading if the B+ voltage in the VTVM should vary since the resulting variation in tube conduction will ocenr in both triodes and, therefore, will not affect the dif— ference in cathode potential. Also, the maximum conduction characteristic of the 12AU7 tube, as used in the VIVM circuit, is such that the voltage applied to the meter terminals cannot be large enough to damage the meter move~ ment, This is one of the primary advantages of the VIVM circuit, The meter movement can- pot be burned out by inadvertently measuring a voltage that is higher than the Range switch set- ting, However, if excessive voltage {s applied, the pointer may be bent as it hits against the stop, Caution must algo be exercisedto avold applying any test voltage to the test probe when the Func~ tion switch is set in the OHMS position. The precision resistors in the ohmmeter voltage di- vider network have very low power ratings and can easily be burned out in this way, ‘The power supply of the VIVM uses a silicon rectifier in a half-wave rectifier circuit, An electrolytic capacitor is used for filtering the DC voltage from the power supply, The power supply provides both Br voltage for the 12ZAU7 tube and positive DC "buek-out” voltage for the AC balance circuit,