I had one of the cheapies ($10) from Radio Shack and it worked all right for
a while but after a few months it started giving erratic readings on the
most commonly used ranges. I don't think it was the chip, but the selector
switch. Place it on 20 volts and try to test a 12V source and it would give
you any reading but the true one. Flip the selector back and forth a few
times and it would work for a while and then just go funky again.
I suspect corrosion on the selector contacts.
Same story with the ohm meter.
In addition the leads are very cheap and fragile. This is the second of
these meters I've discarded.
I bought a better, and more expensive, one ($40) at Home Depot, so I'll see
how this one lasts.
Don't think I'm up for a Simpson or a Fluke just yet, although their prices
are not too much higher. If this one dumps I may just have to open my
billfold a little wider.
Bill Lawrence
On 2/2/05 6:28 PM, "Blue One Hundred" <international_investor@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> Bill -
>
> I hate to say it, but it ain't like the old days.
> Probably every digital multimeter in the world, cheap
> or expensive, gets its processing chip from the same
> factory in China these days!
>
> By the way I did buy this very multimeter for
> emergency purposes about a year ago, and it works very
> well actually.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Alan
>
> '53 BN1 '64 BJ8
>
>
> --- WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink@msn.com> wrote:
>
>> My opinion of cheap multimeters is that about the
>> only thing they are good
>> for is throwing away.
>>
>> Bill Lawrence
>>
>>
>> On 2/2/05 12:58 PM, "Alex" <alexmm@adelphia.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Harbor Freight has digital multimeters for $2.99.
>> At that price they can
>>> become a throwaway item. Put one in every car, and
>> one or two on your bench.
>>>
>>>
>>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92020
>>>
>>> == Alex in Maine
>>> 1960 BT7 3000 Mark 1 - "The Blue Mainie"
>>> Former owner of 1957 100-6, and 1967 3000 Mark
>> III BJ8
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