Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Need a new multimeter

From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:14:44 -0400

On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 9:39 PM, Scott <[email-masked]> wrote:
> So who likes their meter and what kind do you have?

At work, I've got a variety of Fluke meters; a Fluke 77* comes to mind
as well as a simpler one like the Fluke 113.

But at home, I have a Radio Shack knockoff, as well as a Horrible
Freight $4.99 special.

The Flukes feel great, and you can drop 'em.  You can drop the HF one,
too, and then you can afford to buy another without feeling bad.

*EDIT:  It's a Fluke 73.  Still a hoss...
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From: Battmain <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:42:06 -0700 (PDT)

I have a Fluke, Harbor Freight, Radio Shack and a few kits I built many years ago. The Harbor Freight one gets the most use. Probably because I don't care if I drop it, loose it or smoke it by screwing up. A new one costs less than lunch, or even a soda with a coupon. YMMV.

B

>________________________________
> From: Scott <[email-masked]>
>To: [email-masked] 
>Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9:39 PM
>Subject: [Shop-talk] Need a new multimeter
> 
>I suspect my multimeter isn't 100%. The continuity test won't always alarm when I touch the probes, the needle doesn't sweep very well, etc. ,etc. I just put new batteries in it, so I'm thinking it might be the meter itself.
>
>So who likes their meter and what kind do you have? I'd like to be using this thing tomorrow, so ideally I can get a decent one from Radio Shack, Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get online, I can wait a few days for it to be overnighted. I don't make a living with the thing, but I'd like to enjoy using it, as opposed to the one I have now which came from Home Depot (or Lowe's) and I always questioned.
>(snip)

[email-masked]

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From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:41:57 -0700

The cheap digital one on sale with the coupon for a few bucks at Harbor 
Freight is fine for most basic home tasks.  As a plus, it is so 
inexpensive, you don't worry when you bump it and it falls down through 
the engine compartment onto the driveway.  I don't know how accurate it 
actually is, but for measuring continuity, I don't really care if it .1 
ohms or .3 ohms.  I would consider their meter to be in line with 
anything you pick up at another store in the $10 price range.

If money isn't a concern, I've liked any Fluke meter I've ever used, but 
you do pay for them.

You also have to decide on analog or digital.  Sometimes it is nice to 
watch the needle stay at a constant point and not drift.  Also if 
chasing an intermittent connection, that pointer may respond faster and 
more obvious than a digital meter.  I have both, but seldom use the 
analog, mainly because the probes suck.

I guess that brings out a final factor.  Check the probes.  They should 
be comfortable to hold and the cables should be very flexible.  I have a 
Craftsman meter that I bought back in the late 80's that has insulated 
clips that screw on to the probes for a good solid connection.  Having 
the clip on leads is nice and I'd pay extra for that.

Brian

On 10/30/2012 6:39 PM, Scott wrote:
> I suspect my multimeter isn't 100%. The continuity test won't always 
> alarm when I touch the probes, the needle doesn't sweep very well, 
> etc. ,etc. I just put new batteries in it, so I'm thinking it might be 
> the meter itself.
>
> So who likes their meter and what kind do you have? I'd like to be 
> using this thing tomorrow, so ideally I can get a decent one from 
> Radio Shack, Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get 
> online, I can wait a few days for it to be overnighted. I don't make a 
> living with the thing, but I'd like to enjoy using it, as opposed to 
> the one I have now which came from Home Depot (or Lowe's) and I always 
> questioned.
>
> What does the hive mind say?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Scott
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
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> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

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From: Scott <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:43:45 -0400

Yeah, the one I have I got because it had a needle and I remember 
someone telling me being able to see the needle twitch was useful. But 
that's only true if the thing works, and this one doesn't seem to. I 
should just get the Harbor Freight cheap digital one then?

On 10/30/2012 10:39 PM, Roland Wilhelmy wrote:
> There are real reasons to have a multimeter (VOM) with a needle
> (analog) display.  If you want a needle display, you may have to pay a
> lot or look on eBay.  Harbor Freight's $5 digital meters are the most
> for the least.  I have a couple lying around.
>
> If it works, it's a Fluke.
>
> -Roland
> with a very old Fluke digital meter and an even older Weston needle
> meter.
>
> On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:39:18 -0400,Scott wrote:
>
> ::I suspect my multimeter isn't 100%. The continuity test won't always
> ::alarm when I touch the probes, the needle doesn't sweep very well, etc.
> ::,etc. I just put new batteries in it, so I'm thinking it might be the
> ::meter itself.
> ::
> ::So who likes their meter and what kind do you have? I'd like to be using
> ::this thing tomorrow, so ideally I can get a decent one from Radio Shack,
> ::Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get online, I can
> ::wait a few days for it to be overnighted. I don't make a living with the
> ::thing, but I'd like to enjoy using it, as opposed to the one I have now
> ::which came from Home Depot (or Lowe's) and I always questioned.

[email-masked]

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From: Rand E <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:24:28 -0700 (PDT)

Check the automotive magazines. There are coupons for a free meter with any
other purchase. 

Randy

________________________________
From: Scott
<[email-masked]>
Cc: [email-masked]
Sent: Tue,
October 30, 2012 10:11:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Need a new multimeter
Yeah, the one I have I got because it had a needle and I remember 
someone
telling me being able to see the needle twitch was useful. But 
that's only
true if the thing works, and this one doesn't seem to. I 
should just get the
Harbor Freight cheap digital one then?

On 10/30/2012 10:39 PM, Roland
> ::I
suspect my multimeter isn't 100%. The continuity test won't always
> ::alarm
when I touch the probes, the needle doesn't sweep very well, etc.
> ::,etc. I
just put new batteries in it, so I'm thinking it might be the
> ::meter
itself.
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annual donation  $12.96
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From: Mark J Bradakis <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:27:07 -0600

I have a digital one I got at Sears some time ago.  I picked that 
particular model
because it also has a temperature probe.  It was handy for slipping into 
radiator
cores, for example, or checking the temp in the garage fridge.  Lost the 
temp probe
some time ago.  It also came with alligator clips that screwed onto the 
probes, those
are pretty handy.  A lot of times you want to clip one side to ground 
and then poke
around with the other.  I've been pretty happy with it, but I have no 
idea what the
current equivalent model might be.

mjb.

[email-masked]

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From: Wayne <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:29:41 -0400

On 10/30/2012 9:39 PM, Scott wrote:
>[snip]
> So who likes their meter and what kind do you have? I'd like to be using
> this thing tomorrow, so ideally I can get a decent one from Radio Shack,
> Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get online, I can

If you need one ASAP, Harbor Freight has a little "CenTech" DVM that 
sells for anywhere from free (literally, on sale with coupon)) to $10. I 
have three of them. They're so cheap, I keep two @ work in different 
locations so I don't have to bother carrying them around, and another at 
home. All have been reliable for 5+ years. They're not auto-ranging, but 
they do the job.

But... I've been an electronics geek for 30+ years since I was a kid, 
and wanted something nicer. Specifically, one with capacitance 
measurement for HVAC and motor start/run caps. Fluke is THE name in 
meters; after using a friend's, decided I needed one too. Kinda like 
Snap-On tools -- sure, Sears will loosen your bolts most the time but 
the S.O. just feels better doing it. Same with Fluke.

Decided on either a Fluke 116 (HVAC tech's) or 117 (electrician's.) 
Either is about $165 on Amazon. I went cheap, and after two weeks 
watching Ebay, scored a used very clean 117 for only $70. Lots of nice 
bells & whistles:  capacitance range, frequency reading on the AC & DC 
voltage ranges, manual or auto-ranging, simulated analog bar-graph 
display on the LCD, remote "point in the general direction" hot wire 
detection, etc. And it feels solid as hell using it  :)

-Wayne

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From: Dave C <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:20:47 -0700

I bought a Simpson 260 years and years ago when I was still working in 
the trades and it was the go-to meter of the day.  I still have it but 
haven't taken it down off the shelf for ages.  If I had a dedicated 
electronics bench I would probably keep it set up just because it's so 
cool, but I haven't done any real electronics work in decades, and the 
260 is really too delicate to be banging around the shop.  What I do 
have is  four of five of the little red Harbor Freight meters scattered 
all around the shop,  garage and work so one is always handy for 
troubleshooting.  I even put a two pin SAE connector on once to take on 
my motorcycle to monitor voltage while using various electronic 
accessories while riding.  I remember once I took three or four of them 
to work and compared them against a good Fluke and they were more or 
less spot on on a number of voltage and resistance readings.

For checking continuity in motors and control wiring, like a lot of you, 
I prefer an analog meter.  For years I used a cheap Radio Shack model, 
but this year it finally bit the dust and I got this to replace it:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00064CH6A/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00
So far it's been fine.

(And of course, about ten or so years ago I also bought an old-school 
black analog clamp on Amprobe, because they are really cool, too.  Don't 
need batteries, either.)

On 10/30/2012 8:29 PM, Wayne wrote:
> sells for anywhere from free (literally, on sale with coupon)) to $10. 
> I have three of them. They're so cheap, I keep two @ work in different 
> locations so I don't have to bother carrying them around, and another 
> at home. All have been reliable for 5+ years. They're not 
> auto-ranging, but they do the job.
>
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

[email-masked]

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From: "John T. Blair" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 07:52:05 -0400

At 10:41 PM 10/30/2012, Brian Kemp wrote:

 >You also have to decide on analog or digital.  Sometimes it is nice 
to watch the
 >needle stay at a constant point and not drift.  Also if chasing an 
intermittent
 >connection, that pointer may respond faster and more obvious than a digital
 >meter.  I have both, but seldom use the analog, mainly because the probes
 >suck.

I have to agree with this.  I prefer the analog meters and have 
several of them.

As for the digital ones, I have a bunch of the inexpensive H.F. units 
- one in every
car, one in every tool box, etc.

 >I have a Craftsman meter that I bought back in the late 80's that 
has insulated
 >clips that screw on to the probes for a good solid 
connection.  Having the clip
 >on leads is nice and I'd pay extra for that.

I agree about having the ability to clip a lead to a connection, but 
I have a bunch
of the aligator clips from Radio Shack and use them to clip the meter 
to a test
point or ground.

John

John T. Blair  WA4OHZ     email:  [email-masked]
Va. Beach, Va                  Phone:  (757) 495-8229

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From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:45:01 -0500

On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 8:39 PM, Scott <[email-masked]> wrote:
> I suspect my multimeter isn't 100%. The continuity test won't always alarm
> when I touch the probes, the needle doesn't sweep very well, etc. ,etc. I
> just put new batteries in it, so I'm thinking it might be the meter itself.
>
> Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get online, I can wait
> a few days for it to be overnighted. I don't make a living with the thing,
> but I'd like to enjoy using it, as opposed to the one I have now which came
> from Home Depot (or Lowe's) and I always questioned.
>

I've got a ~$20 extech one.  came with a type k thermocouple, works
fine, seems more likely to last past the first drop.

Whatever you buy, do yourself a favor and get a kit of probes.  It's
ncie to have ones with clips sometimes, it's nice to have a set that
are six feet long, it's nice to have plunger clips, but you don't want
to use any of these all the time.

-- 
David Scheidt
[email-masked]

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From: Doug Braun <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:23:15 -0400

Real cheap (HF-class) meters of today have one big advantage of ones form a
few years ago:  The test leads are much better made and more secure.
A lot of old meters had pin-style plugs that were soldered to cheap thin
wire, and either the wire would break off in the plug base, or the plug
would fall out of the socket in the meter.  Today the leads all seem to
have molded-on banana-style plugs with an additional insulating sleeve.

This is a good thing.  I suspect this is due to consumer safety regulations.

Also, having filled my generator several times over the last three days, I
am starting to really appreciate the new-style gas cans, with the no-spew
spout.  I have an old one and a new one, and the old one tends to spew gas
all over the generator unless I am very careful.

Doug

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From: Brian Kennedy <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:49:59 -0400

David, I find the Radio Shack VOMS are not very accurate. I Googled VOM
reviews and bought whatever was recommended. They work pretty well except the
banana plugs from other cables don't stay in very well. I'm on the road, so I
don't have the info about the VOMs with me.
Brian Kennedy

>> Ace, etc., but if I really want a whatever I can only get online, I can
wait
> _

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