Hey everybody! So i am a noob, bought a radioshack multi ($50). Sometimes i find it difficult to get a reading with my leads. I have to poke them around quite a bit to get a reading and its touchy. Do you think it might be a technique problem or do i need to buy a better set of leads? Whats your opinion guys?
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Re: Multimeter leads question
You can try to clean the tips and the sides with isopropyl alcohol ... get some paper handkerchief, dab it in isopropyl alcohol and rub the tips in the wet paper.
This removes the oxides and whatever crap is on the metal tips.
But sometimes the probes are simply put, bad. The metal they're made of can have bumbs and pits that you may not see with your plain eyes and it can happen to not get a good contact.
Now.. as for buying better leads, I guess it depends on the Radioshack multimeter...as far as I know, radioshack stocks cheap multimeters with not so great specs. You may do better by returning the meter for the money and ordering a good multimeter instead online.
For example I own an Uni-T UT61E that's great, and you can buy it online for about 60$. The probes it comes with are good, they could use a cleaning with alcohol as well but they work just fine for me. It should certainly be a better base multimeter to buy probes for.
If you want to go this route, I recommend this seller: http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT-61E...item2ec6ac75bd
You'll have the meter probably within a week -
Re: Multimeter leads question
In case it is a problem with the actual wires set the meter on ohms and hold the probes touching in one hand - should read 0.00 then with the other hand gently tug each wire and see if it goes to "1" or "OL"Please upload pictures using attachment function when ask for help on the repair
http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39740Comment
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Re: Multimeter leads question
I agree with Mariushm but I'd go a bit further and use some fine-grit sandpaper to really get rid of any oxidization.36 Monitors, 3 TVs, 4 Laptops, 1 motherboard, 1 Printer, 1 iMac, 2 hard drive docks and one IP Phone repaired so far....Comment
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Re: Multimeter leads question
I will clean and sandpaper them. I didn't think oxidization would be a problem with something i bought new....... I will try the touch test too. Im thinking i got a bad multimeter though, sometimes it has readings when nothing is touching the probes. i think its gonna go back to Radioshack ultimately, i will look at the link you gave me. Thanks everyone for helping me out.Comment
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Hello, I search a new probes for measuring pin of qfn and other very small stuffs. I bought the AE basics ones, but they are no longer sharp. Metal is bad. Do you have a stonger ones ?
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I recently acquired this unit for free via Facebook Marketplace, hoping to fix it up as a gift for my wife. I have some basic electronic skills (comfortable with a multimeter, basic soldering, identifying components) but I'm definitely not an advanced technician.
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