Minolta Autometer Battery Type?

[eddie g.]

I just bought an old "Minolta Auto Meter Professional" meter. It's

the kind that has a Hi/Lo setting with rotatable dome, nd analog

reading from 1/8000 to 2 hours, Cine readings and f-stop of 1 thru

90. Does anybody know what type of battery this meter may take? There

are no notes on it, but the comparment size looks like a 4LR44. I

hate to be wrong and stick a 6V battery instead of 3V in there and

damage the meter.

 

Also, can anyone tell me what's the coverage angle of its spotmeter?

No notes on that one, either.

 

Btw, how reliable are these meters anyway?

 

Many thanx...

[babo]

Several month later I asked the same question from him by email, here is his own answer:

 

You can't find PX-1 batteries anymore. Go to a photo store or to adorama.com or to ebay and get a Wein Cell (get a couple more for backup). It is 1.35V replacement for the mercury batteries PX626/KX13, so it's shorter than the PX-1. Put it in the Minolta and then make a spring out of paperclip or use the springs that are in the AA flashlights or cut a piece of copper pipe to fill in the gap between the battery and the cover. Make sure you take the protective sticker off of the Wein Cell at least half an hour before using it. Follow their instruction.

 

Wein Cells don't last as long as mercury batteries used to, but they have a good shelf life and are mercury free. Plus those are the only 1.35V batteries in the market. The 1.5V "replacement" batteries screw up your meter reading, so you have to have you meter adjusted before using them.

[eddie g.]

I thought we were talking about Minolta Autocord camera. My answer was wrong unless the meter used to use PX-1 battery.

 

Eddie

[babo]

Finaly I found the solution, here is a link to a scanned owner's manual : <a href="http://yandr.50megs.com/minolta/ameterp/ameterp.htm">http://yandr.50megs.com/minolta/ameterp/ameterp.htm</a>.

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The battery is a 6V silver oxide, Everready No. 544, Mallory No. PX-28, or equivalent.