Old Fools Journal: Life Support Power Panel

The latest addition for monitoring the electrical grid in my hovel. This was a square meter from the front panel of a portable generator. The generator was damaged in transit (UPS can sometimes be so indelicate) so the seller sent me a new one and told me to keep the old. Most of the parts on the old one were still usable. The bezel is the ring from portable led lamp that went sour because of my inattention (it will give light for 72 hours on 3 AAA batteries but if a battery goes bad and leaks it will kill it in a heartbeat). The meter is held inside with silicon. It is mounted on a box that held the buzzer under the dashboard of my 22 year old Ford. If you have an vehicle less than 40 years old you know the buzzer I'm talking about. It buzzes when you leave the key in the ignition, fail to fasten your seat belt, leave the headlights on, don't hold your mouth just right and when it just damned well feels like it. Annoying. It is the first thing I take out when I get a vehicle. The finish is wipe on brass stuff from the craft store.

It is a voltmeter and It is for monitoring the line voltage in this spaceship.

The "Panel". There is another panel in the cockpit but this one is for the life support system. From right to left there is the new meter showing 115 volt AC. Below the AC outlet the red and black terminals are for 12 volt DC. The first meter left of the light switch is monitoring the 12 volt DC at the red and black terminals. It's due to be replaced with something that more fits the theme. It is a Sears multimeter from the 1970's and still works quite well. Left of that is my first "volt/ohmmeter". It is an early 1950's or late 1940's attempt at miniaturization. I acquired it in about 1960. It worked fine until a couple of years ago when the meter itself failed. There are no transistors or tubes in it. There is not even a silicon diode just big resisters and cloth covered wiring. I keep it for nostalgia. I will repair it if I ever stumble across a 2 and 7/8 by 1 and a half inch meter. By today's standards that's huge.
In a larger context with 12 volt led lamp in the foreground.