What’s It Worth: Early portable
Portable meters have been in use for over 100
years. Unlike many of today's digital multimeters that can measure
ac and dc volts, resistance, current, capacitance, temperature, and
more in a single, small handheld device, early portable meters were
usually designed to perform only one measurement. A large number of
the meters you will find that were manufactured before 1900 were
fairly large. Many of these early meters were 6 or more inches in
diameter. Portable versions were the same meter mounted on a wooden
board and had a fitted leather or wood case. In the early 1900s,
portable meters decreased in size and multiple functions were
One of the earliest portable devices I have in
my collection for electrical measurements is a "Polarity
Indicator." It was manufactured by the Manhattan Electrical Supply
Company (MESCO) and patented in 1905.
1905 Manhattan Polarity Indicator.
This unique device is a small liquid-filled
glass tube encased in a rubber type housing. It has two windows
with a small binding post on each end. When hooked up across a dc
circuit the liquid on the negative end will glow red. There is a
metal sleeve that can be rotated to cover the glass windows when
carried in your pocket. The MESCO Polarity Indicator was available
in two models: model 3220 for battery circuits and a model 3221 for
50 to 600 Vdc. I have not been able to find out specifically what
type of circuits these were used to test, but I would guess by the
patent date they were used for checking polarity on telegraph
circuits. I have actually hooked up one of them in my collection
and found it still works after over 100 years. At auction, these
usually sell for between $30 and $50.
Typical "Pocket Watch" battery meters.
Leader (left), American Ever Ready (right)
Pocket watch meters
I regularly receive value inquiries about small
meters the shape and style of a pocket watch. Since homes were not
wired for electricity until the late 1920s, most early radios
manufactured for use in the home or on farms were battery powered.
Many of these early vacuum tube radios used several dry or wet
batteries. Due to the high current requirements of vacuum tubes,
these early radio batteries needed to be recharged or replaced on a
Companies like Hoyt, Sterling, Ever-Ready,
Readrite, and others produced thousands of these pocket-watch-sized
meters for testing radio batteries at home. These meters were a
necessity for finding dead cells and knowing when to recharge or
replace batteries to prevent the radio from dying during your
favorite evening radio show. Most of these were the size of a
typical pocket watch and many used the same watch style case. The
meter would read dc volts, amps, or a combination of both.
To check a battery, a fixed test point on the
bottom of the meter would be touched to one battery terminal and a
short cloth covered test lead attached to a stem at the top would
be touched to the other battery terminal. Due to the number of
these produced and it's ability to be tossed into a drawer and
forgotten about, this type of meter is quite common even today and
can be frequently found at estate sales, auctions, and swap meets.
The plain style case like the Sterling shown above has little value
and may often found for $8 or less. The meters that actually
resemble a pocket watch case usually have more value to collectors
and will sell for $20-$30 or more depending on condition, style of
printing on the meter face, and if the original box and
instructions are included.
1930s: Portable service meters
By the early 1930s home radio service was in
full swing. Servicemen needed portable equipment for servicing
radios and electronic equipment in the field. Several manufacturers
began to produce portable and handheld meters that measured ac and
dc volts, resistance, current, and even capacitance.
An early Hickok handheld portable
Some of these meters were small enough to hold
in one hand, but many were still large enough to require a carrying
handle. Pictured above is an early Hickok meter that measured dc
volts and resistance. Most early Hickok test equipment from the
1920s and 1930s has value to collectors. It's not uncommon to see
single pieces of early Hickok equipment selling for well over $100
even though it is only wanted for display.
Supreme Instruments was also a popular
manufacturer of test equipment in the 1930s. They produced several
models of service grade portable meters. Their earlier portable
meters were housed in oak cases. Unlike other manufactures, Supreme
trained it's assemblers to assemble one instrument from start to
finish. It is not uncommon to find a name written in pencil on the
inside of an early cabinet.
The 1934 Supreme Multometer.
Supreme's 1934 line of test equipment included
one of these portable meters. The Supreme model 222 "Multometer"
measured ac and dc volts, milliamps, ohms, and capacitance.
The Multometer like other early meters did not
use switches or buttons to select ranges. Each range was brought
out to a pin jack and ranges was selected by moving the test lead
from jack to jack.
The Supreme Multometer is a rare find and looks
to have been produced for only one year as it does not appear in
their 1935 catalog. Later portable models were referred to as
multi-meters, a term that still describes many meters today. Since
surviving examples of the Supreme Multometer are scarce expect to
pay at least $100.00 or more for a Multometer in good cosmetic
Automobile service kit
One of the largest manufacturers of early meters
was the Weston Electrical Instruments Co. of Newark NJ. Weston
produced meters for just about every industry in the first half of
the 20th century. Its 1916 model 280 volt-ammeter kit for testing
early automobile electrical systems was popular in early garages.
It included a leather carrying case with a fan-type meter and three
shunts for current measurements. The shunts for making current
measurements covered 3, 30, and 100 A.
A complete 1916 Weston Garage Type
The meter assembly itself was housed in a steel
case with a bakelite base. The meter had four binding posts and
scales covering 3, 30, and 300 V. A 46-page manual with hook-up
diagrams was also included discussing every type of auto electric
test the kit could do. Although this kit is still in good working
condition, its value would be based on finding a collector wanting
to add it to his automobile test equipment collection. I have seen
a few of these at auction. A complete set in good condition with
the original 1916 manual should sell for $25 to $55.
These are only a few of the thousands of
portable meter models produced before World War II. Although many
still function, values of these earlier meters are based on the
condition and design. The more art and detail used in the design of
these meter faces and identifying plates, the more value they have
For more information about vintage test
equipment, you can view some of my collection at StevesAntiqueTechnology.com.