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                                                                  EXHIBIT 10(b)


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 7
                                     TO THE
                                TRANSMATION, INC.
                   AMENDED AND RESTATED 1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN

                           EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 27, 1999


         WHEREAS, Transmation, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), has
established the Transmation, Inc. Amended and Restated 1993 Stock Option Plan,
as heretofore amended (the "Plan"); and

         WHEREAS, deeming it appropriate and advisable so to do, and pursuant to
Section 19 of the Plan, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized,
approved and adopted the further amendment to the Plan set forth herein;

         NOW, THEREFORE, the Plan is hereby amended, effective October 27, 1999,
as follows:

              1. Section 8(b)(vi) of the Plan is hereby renumbered to be Section
8(b)(vii) of the Plan (with the substance of said Section 8(b)(vii), as so
renumbered, being unchanged and unaffected by this Amendment and continuing in
full force and effect).

              2. A new Section 8(b)(vi) is hereby added to Section "8. TERM OF
OPTIONS; EXERCISABILITY." of the Plan, to provide in its entirety as follows
(with the remainder of said Section 8 being unchanged and unaffected by the
amendment set forth in this Paragraph 2 and continuing in full force and
effect):

                           "(vi) Each Option, if any, granted during the 2000
                  calendar year shall vest and become exercisable as follows:

                                    "(A) 25 percent of the Option shall first
                           become exercisable on the date, if any, after the
                           Grant Date on which Fair Market Value shall have
                           equaled or exceeded $5.50 per share for any 20 of 30
                           consecutive trading days;

                                    "(B) an additional 25 percent of the Option
                           shall first become exercisable on the date, if any,
                           after January 1, 2001 on which Fair Market Value
                           shall have equaled or exceeded $7.50 per share for
                           any 20 of 30 consecutive trading days;

                                    "(C) an additional 25 percent of the Option
                           shall first become exercisable on the date, if any,
                           after January 1, 2002 on which Fair Market Value
                           shall have equaled or exceeded



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                           $10.50 per share for any 20 of 30 consecutive trading
                           days; and

                                    "(D) the balance of the Option shall first
                           become exercisable on the date, if any, after January
                           1, 2003 on which Fair Market Value shall have equaled
                           or exceeded $15.00 per share for any 20 of 30
                           consecutive trading days."

              3. Except as amended hereby, the Plan shall remain in full force
and effect in accordance with its terms.


         THIS AMENDMENT NO. 7 TO THE TRANSMATION, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED 1993
STOCK OPTION PLAN WAS AUTHORIZED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE COMPANY ON OCTOBER 27, 1999.


                                                /s/ JOHN A. MISIASZEK
                                                --------------------------------
                                                    JOHN A. MISIASZEK, SECRETARY




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