zuzu85 Posted June 13, 2022 Share #1 Posted June 13, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi everyone,I’ve recently bought a leica mr-4 light meter from Catawiki. And although the needle responds a bit, it’s not working as it should. I understand these little bundles used mercury batteries (px625), but I’ve an alkaline battery px625a just to see if the needle moves, which it does, but never goes towards the silver dot. Not even close. Has anyone tried to repair the meter by themselves or do you need to send to a repairman? Or should I buy the Wein cell replacement battery before I do anything else first?I've been reading around and found that I should try to zero the meter, by removing the battery and pressing on the metering cell for the needle to straddle the line coming from zero. I had to turn the screw on the bottom, but it managed to move exactly over zero. What does this say about the meter? I've put in a battery (px625A with 1.5v), but it doesn't move that much to be honest. It hovers a bit but nothing else. What do you think? Send it for repair, or do you think this is something that can easily be fixed as a DIY?thanks again for taking the time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 13, 2022 Posted June 13, 2022 Hi zuzu85, Take a look here Leica mr-4 repair. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Michael Geschlecht Posted June 14, 2022 Share #2 Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) Hello zuzu85, Welcome to the Forum. Please go to "Need help with my leica lightmeter mr!" in the Collectors & Historica section where we are already discussing something similar to this. Please note: MR & MR4 meters are pretty much the same meter with 2 different places for the measuring button. Otherwise they are pretty much the same. Perhaps the Moderators will combine these 2 Threads. Best Regards, Michael Edited June 14, 2022 by Michael Geschlecht Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroplait Posted June 14, 2022 Share #3 Posted June 14, 2022 Hello Zuzu58 May I ask if you are dissatisfied with the answers to the same question you asked on Rangefinderforum.com? https://www.rangefinderforum.com/node/4789068 Are you looking for another type of answer? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted June 14, 2022 2 hours ago, nitroplait said: Hello Zuzu58 May I ask if you are dissatisfied with the answers to the same question you asked on Rangefinderforum.com? https://www.rangefinderforum.com/node/4789068 Are you looking for another type of answer? Hello nitroplait, I’m not really getting an answer to my question. Or perhaps I’m looking for someone who can guide me how to solve this problem myself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 14, 2022 Share #5 Posted June 14, 2022 this schmatic diagram is from Tmosoy Repair Book. As you may may see, if you activate test switch the 2 resistors 1,7kOhm and 100 Ohm) are switched into galvanometer circuit. Galvanometer is measuring voltage drop on 100Ohm resistor, all othere componentes are deactivated. These resistor are non adjustable resistors so if in test position the needle if way off (with alkaline battery and no adapter reducing the voltage the needle shall be a bit over the white dot) then either the contacts are quite dirty or there is something completly wrong, like deffective galvanometer. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4454033'>More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 16, 2022 Author Share #6 Posted June 16, 2022 Allright guys, I have some interesting developments. Today I received a 1.35 mercury battery and thought of trying out on the mr. Guess what happened. The needle went immediately to the silver dot when testing the battery. For a while I could meter well, but after a couple of tries. The meter went back to its grave again. I’m really confused now. What could be the cause of this sudden behavior? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimofnyc Posted June 16, 2022 Share #7 Posted June 16, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) Check the battery. Is the voltage still up around 1.35 volts? Did the battery die? If it still has sufficient power, try putting it back and making sure its contacts to the rest of the meter circuitry are OK. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroplait Posted June 17, 2022 Share #8 Posted June 17, 2022 (edited) 14 hours ago, zuzu85 said: Allright guys, I have some interesting developments. Today I received a 1.35 mercury battery and thought of trying out on the mr. Guess what happened. The needle went immediately to the silver dot when testing the battery. For a while I could meter well, but after a couple of tries. The meter went back to its grave again. I’m really confused now. What could be the cause of this sudden behavior? A multimeter is almost a requirement for troubleshooting electrical circuits (and testing batteries) - get one - you may not use it every day, but it will often come in handy in a normal household. For our common environment, please make sure to dispose of that mercury battery responsibly - there is a reason why it is banned in most parts of the world and only produced in countries with no interest in environmental matters. And for the future, a zinc-air hearing aid battery will be a perfectly suitable substitute. My Leicameter MR with a zinc-air adapter reads 100% in alignment with my modern Sekonic off a Kodak gray-card. A simple dumb PX625 brass adapter and 6xPR44 hearing aid cells can be had for the same or less than the price of one Wein-cell. Edited June 17, 2022 by nitroplait Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 17, 2022 Author Share #9 Posted June 17, 2022 6 hours ago, nitroplait said: A multimeter is almost a requirement for troubleshooting electrical circuits (and testing batteries) - get one - you may not use it every day, but it will often come in handy in a normal household. For our common environment, please make sure to dispose of that mercury battery responsibly - there is a reason why it is banned in most parts of the world and only produced in countries with no interest in environmental matters. And for the future, a zinc-air hearing aid battery will be a perfectly suitable substitute. My Leicameter MR with a zinc-air adapter reads 100% in alignment with my modern Sekonic off a Kodak gray-card. A simple dumb PX625 brass adapter and 6xPR44 hearing aid cells can be had for the same or less than the price of one Wein-cell. I appreciate your comment concerning the mercury battery. I only ordered one because I didn’t know any better before and it was a chance to test it out. I’ll dispose of it responsibly of course. the weird thing is that the meter started working again. So I can’t really make out if the meter is totally broken or still fixable. I still have the opportunity to bring it back and get a working one for 100 euro’s. On the other hand, I’d love to get my hands busy with the meter myself but I have zero electronic understanding. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 24, 2022 Author Share #10 Posted June 24, 2022 This is the state of affair after I’ve finally opened the meter. So…better get cleaning I guess. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4459105'>More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 24, 2022 Author Share #11 Posted June 24, 2022 2 hours ago, zuzu85 said: This is the state of affair after I’ve finally opened the meter. So…better get cleaning I guess. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I think I broke the damn thing. After i cleaned the board a bit, i reassembled the meter and tried it again. This time the needle didnt move at all. I then noticed that the black plate didnt go down for the needle to move. I have no idea where I messed up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 24, 2022 Share #12 Posted June 24, 2022 on the photo the slider looks OK, I do not think you broke anything. It it just that the slider is not mounted properly. Shall be inserted in a way that when pushed it shall move the black plate down. Just look on the other side of the black plate, measure button shall move plate down as well, see how it works. If I remember well you shall engage measure button and only then mount the test button, it goes easier. And check how it works before you put the cover on. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 24, 2022 Author Share #13 Posted June 24, 2022 I’ll try t 1 hour ago, jerzy said: on the photo the slider looks OK, I do not think you broke anything. It it just that the slider is not mounted properly. Shall be inserted in a way that when pushed it shall move the black plate down. Just look on the other side of the black plate, measure button shall move plate down as well, see how it works. If I remember well you shall engage measure button and only then mount the test button, it goes easier. And check how it works before you put the cover on. I’ll try it tomorrow again. Hopefully it’s as you said. Thanks man! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share #14 Posted June 25, 2022 20 hours ago, jerzy said: on the photo the slider looks OK, I do not think you broke anything. It it just that the slider is not mounted properly. Shall be inserted in a way that when pushed it shall move the black plate down. Just look on the other side of the black plate, measure button shall move plate down as well, see how it works. If I remember well you shall engage measure button and only then mount the test button, it goes easier. And check how it works before you put the cover on. I’ve remounted the meter slider but this is wha I get. I still don’t manage to bring that black plate down when slider is pushed. Should i bend the black plate up a bit or the needle perhaps? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4459599'>More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share #15 Posted June 25, 2022 And this piece fell out of the meter and I have no idea what it is and what for🙃 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4459613'>More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 25, 2022 Share #16 Posted June 25, 2022 vor 2 Stunden schrieb zuzu85: I have no idea what it is and what for and now you have a problem. This is a mask which moves in front of the photo cell when being in bright light, black dot position on the cover. Usually you need to disassembly few more parts before you get to it. Did you remove this part? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! but ithas nothing to do with the black plate not going down. Remove the battery test slider, take a screwdriver or similar and press on the silver metal as arrow shows. You may help yourself by pressing in the same time measure slider. Plate shall go down, The nose of battery test slider is pushing it when mounted properly. AndI do not see a spring on your photo above, it was earlier, it shall be hooked on the battery test slider. Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! but ithas nothing to do with the black plate not going down. Remove the battery test slider, take a screwdriver or similar and press on the silver metal as arrow shows. You may help yourself by pressing in the same time measure slider. Plate shall go down, The nose of battery test slider is pushing it when mounted properly. AndI do not see a spring on your photo above, it was earlier, it shall be hooked on the battery test slider. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4459698'>More sharing options...
frame-it Posted June 25, 2022 Share #17 Posted June 25, 2022 http://feuerbacher.net/photo/frame.html?repair/Leicameter/Leicameter.html~Main Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuzu85 Posted June 26, 2022 Author Share #18 Posted June 26, 2022 22 hours ago, jerzy said: and now you have a problem. This is a mask which moves in front of the photo cell when being in bright light, black dot position on the cover. Usually you need to disassembly few more parts before you get to it. Did you remove this part? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! but ithas nothing to do with the black plate not going down. Remove the battery test slider, take a screwdriver or similar and press on the silver metal as arrow shows. You may help yourself by pressing in the same time measure slider. Plate shall go down, The nose of battery test slider is pushing it when mounted properly. AndI do not see a spring on your photo above, it was earlier, it shall be hooked on the battery test slider. I’ve managed to do all that you mentioned including the black plate. I’m still where I am. I learned a lot by this proces but I’m at a point where I’m lost and not sure where how to fix it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 26, 2022 Share #19 Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) vor einer Stunde schrieb zuzu85: ’m still where I am would be good to know where it is, which steps have you done and what is the result of each step So again: - remove the battery test switch, like on #10 - press fully measure button, like on the photo below Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Do you see the silver metal coming from down the black plate when pressing? Does the black plate goes down? Even if the needle is not released yet - does the black plate goes down? Is the needle released? Next steps depending on results Edited June 26, 2022 by jerzy Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Do you see the silver metal coming from down the black plate when pressing? Does the black plate goes down? Even if the needle is not released yet - does the black plate goes down? Is the needle released? Next steps depending on results ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4460214'>More sharing options...
jerzy Posted June 26, 2022 Share #20 Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) for your better understanding, it is copied from your photo in #14 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! this is neutral position, neither test nor measure buttons are engaged. Sliver metal is preventing black plate to go down. When pressing measure button (orange) silver metal is moving in direction of blue arrow and when fully engaged it will release the black plate, it shall go down Edited June 26, 2022 by jerzy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! this is neutral position, neither test nor measure buttons are engaged. Sliver metal is preventing black plate to go down. When pressing measure button (orange) silver metal is moving in direction of blue arrow and when fully engaged it will release the black plate, it shall go down ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/333507-leica-mr-4-repair/?do=findComment&comment=4460220'>More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.