This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

[mariushm]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

Go on eBay and buy some probes, they're 1$ or something like that.

A whole new 830D is 3-4$ on ebay.

Those probes are AWG18 when pigs fly. They're more like AWG20 or AWG22, they just have thick insulation to fool you into thinking they're better.

[momaka]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

Any other ways to repair this kind of probes which always come with bad craftsmanship from the factories?

Given that new probes cost very little money, it doesn't make much economical sense to fix them. However, I often find it faster to fix my old probes than to buy new ones, so I always end up fixing them up when they need it.

Here's how:
Strip the insulation on the connector leads you cut off (that is, strip the top only, and strip until you see the metal connector).
Take the stripped ends of your probes and solder them to the metal connectors your just stripped.
Insulate with electrical tape, heat shrink tubing, or hot glue (or all three, if you like ).
Enjoy!

Once repaired like this, I suggest you don't use the probes to measure high voltage sources. Other than that, they should work fine.

[lti]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

The second thing you have to know is that the dial on these cheaper meters is... well... cheap. Even if you have it on the 200 Ohm setting, it may not be snapped-on perfectly. You will find that if you move it around just a bit, you may get a good connection and low resistance.

That's actually what's wrong with the meter I have. Turning the dial slightly can make the resistance vary from 0.5 ohms to 8 ohms with the leads shorted.

[momaka]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

^ Yeah, it's a bit annoying sometimes. But I am pretty used to it now.

I just bought a second cheap HF multimeter (actually, I didn't buy it - it was free with any other purchase just like the last one), and it has that problem too, depite being a slightly different build. Same crummy leads, though. They read 1.4 Ohms at best when shorted. But it works otherwise. Just another cheap meter to have for general low-voltage measurements (sometimes, I need several multimeters when I'm working on projects on my breadboard).

[larrymoencurly]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

When I get a free Harbor Freight multimeter, I've always picked a model #98099 (yellow on/off switch), but last time I instead got a model #98025 (red on/off switch). When I opened it I thought it was better built because I saw a neon bulb for voltage protection, but it turned out to be a soldered-in fuse. The #98099 instead has a regular 0.5A fuse in a snap-in fuse holder.

[momaka]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

The second one I got is with the red switch. I picked it on purpose, since the first one I got had a yellow switch. Just wanted to see if there was any difference. When I have time / feel like it, I guess I will tear it apart and see it for myself as well.

[retiredcaps]

Re: This is why you don't buy cheap multimeters.

The second one I got is with the red switch. I picked it on purpose, since the first one I got had a yellow switch. Just wanted to see if there was any difference. When I have time / feel like it, I guess I will tear it apart and see it for myself as well.

It would be interesting to see the differences from modemhead's pictures at

http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/gallery/cen-tech-92020-dmm/