[Healeys] [Shop-talk] Need a new multimeter

Oudesluys coudesluijs at chello.nl
Wed Oct 31 08:26:42 MDT 2012


The hobby analogue moving coil automotive testers that were sold in 
abundance in the 1980's will be perfectly all right. Resistance, 
Voltage, Amperage, dwell angle etc. all being catered for. There are 
probably quite a few left in the stores (I came across a Hella set in a 
car parts store, it was exactly the same as the one  I tested way back 
in 1984), other makes are Sun, Equus, Gunsons to name just a few. 
Probably dirt cheap on the internet e.g. Ebay.com. These meters are 
mostly easy to read as the needle is well damped.
Most of the time the digital instruments are good but awkward to read or 
work with and often lack in damping.
Kees Oudesluijs
NL


Op 31-10-2012 13:51, Bob Spidell schreef:
> On a side note, some automotive diagnostics--checking generator 
> operation, for instance--require the use of 'old-fashioned' moving 
> coil voltmeters.  As far as I can tell, the cheapos from HF work fine 
> (don't know where you could even get a high-quality moving coil 
> VM--eBay, maybe).
>
> Bought a DVM from Radio Shack when I was in school almost 35 years 
> ago.  It cost $80--a princely sum for a poor college student--but it 
> helped me learn enough electronics to get my first job after 
> graduation.  Still have it, and it still works (a good Fluke, at the 
> time, would have been a couple hundred $ or more).
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> On 10/30/2012 9:46 PM, Richard Ewald wrote:
>> For the ultimate in auto meters, go with a Fluke 78 or 88. (I refer 
>> the 78
>> myself)
>> Probably way overkill for the average Healey owner.
>> Any half way decent digital meter form Harbor Freight/Home Despot/Lowes
>> will do just fine.
>> My Fluke has gone missing in action, and I needed a meter to run down 
>> some
>> electrical issues in my son's house.  I went to Lowes and spent maybe 
>> $40,
>> and got an excellent meter.  Works great.


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