The present invention provides a meter retrofit and method for use thereof, utilizing a transducer with an encoder driven by a rotating shaft of a meter reading dial, the transducer including a plurality of encoder contacts surrounding a rotation axis, with each encoder contact connected to a magnetic switch. A continuous elastic laminate may be formed by bonding elastic strands between a first continuous substrate layer and a second continuous substrate layer. The capstan can be driven by a motor when the tendon is needed to pull on a structural member of the instrument. The channel selection is based on a review of the channel association table.