Gossen Super Pilot battery voltage options

[bzb882]

I thought I had this licked when I ordered one of those battery adapters (two actually, one for each of two Super Pilots) from Thailand. I tried them in both Super Pilots with an LR44 battery. Meters act like there's no battery installed. I know they work because I tried them in the light meter on my Nikon F and they work fine. The meters are working with 1.5 V batteries installed. I guess my next option is to place a 1N5711 diode in series with the battery. Any guidance to how to do that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[old_tv_nut]

1) Not sure I followed what you said. Do you mean the Super Pilots work with 1.5 V batteries (but read wrong), but don't work at all with 1.5 V batteries in the adapters? Is it possible the adapters are wired in the wrong polarity?

2) Is it possible to just use the meters with the 1.5 volt batteries and simply compensate for the reading by setting the ISO value differently? In other words, if the meter should read 1/100 sec at f/16 but it reads 1/150 sec, change the ISO setting from the film's rated value of ISO 100 to ISO 67, or ISO 400 to ISO 267.

 

[bzb882]

Correct, they don't work with the adapters with a 1.5V battery inserted. The adapters (with the 1.5V batteries) work fine in my Nikon F's photomic meter, so its not the adapters. For #2, I've read that the degree of error varies with the light intensity, and is not linear. I'm guessing I'll have to try installing a diode in the meter. I've read that a 1N5711 is the recommended diode....