[infinitesymphony]

I bought the digital version of the often-mentioned Radio Shack SPL meter early last year and have only used it a few times since then--it's still in mint condition. When I clicked it on this afternoon, the display didn't show anything. I tried replacing the battery, thinking that it might have been left on, but a new 9V made no difference.

Has anyone had this problem, and is there any chance of troubleshooting or replacement? I'm not sure I want to pay $50 for another meter if they're this flaky.

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

i didn't know they even made them...any spl meter worth your time/effort/money costs several hundred dollars, so I wouldn't count on it working again, especially if the quality of the ratshack soldering irons is any indication of the quality of other ratshack branded sh!t...sorry

 

[infinitesymphony]

It wasn't especially accurate (+/- 2 dB over most of the range), but it was suitable for basic HT calibration and volume level checking, which was its purpose for me. It just seems weird that something so compact and without moving parts could break from sitting around unused.

 

[Budgie]

I had the same problem with my analog version. For me it was the rotary switch had broken. Took it apart and glued the broken part. (plastic shaft from the knob to the switch on the pc board) Don't know if this will be any help to you, but maybe.

 

[Sovkiller]

Radioshack only rebrand products, this meter is done maybe by another company, they should be under warranty, are they still selling it...?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Yes, it's their most recent meter. They've had two versions of the analog meter and one version of the digital meter (AFAIK). Here's the link.

Unfortunately, their warranty is only 90 days, and it has been over a year.

 

[Inzane]

My Radioshack Digital SPL Meter is working fine after 3 years so your may be a unique case.

What kind of temperatures was it exposed to?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inzane /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Radioshack Digital SPL Meter is working fine after 3 years so your may be a unique case. What kind of temperatures was it exposed to?

Probably around 65-80º F for the most part; nothing out of the ordinary. It's been sitting on a shelf in my room.

 

[Budgie]

Take the plunge and open it up.

You may find the same problem I had and it is super easy to fix.

 

[infinitesymphony]

I think I might take it in to RS and ask about a potential exchange... Maybe if the manager is in an especially nice mood that day, he'll grant me one. When that inevitably doesn't work, I'll open it up.

It's true that the only moving part that could affect on/off operation is the rotary knob. Hmm...