I recently picked up a small DC analog kilovolt meter. The scale went up to roughly 25kv.
I have some microwave oven transformers I would like to test the voltage.
I hooked a microwave diode in series with the kilovolt meter, as an attempt to measure the voltage.
All of the lights dimmed, and the meter essentially acted as a dead short. I thought "I couldn't have burned out a 25kv meter with roughly 2kv" but some more testing provided the same results.
Is there something wrong with the setup? I don't have any info on the meter at the moment other than its a small 1.5 inch diameter analog meter that reads "DC kilovolts" and has a connection on the back for + and -. Yes, I am sure the diode was pointing
The right way.
The meter is very similar to this one on eBay.
Simpson 50280 MOD 27 panel meter 3" 0-500 2 kV
Best Answer
High-voltage off-the-shelf panel meters almost universally require external multiplier resistor(s), so you've no doubt destroyed the meter and, most likely, the diode as well by not including the required resistance in your setup.
To find out, check the diode's front-to-back resistance, and the meter's continuity using an ohmmeter. Start with the highest resistance range and work downward, and if the meter's not totally ruined you should see its pointer deflect at some point.