Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

[leniko]

Hi. Newbie here. I was looking at a friend's Toshiba TV with the blackscreen but power light on issue. First suggested step was to test incoming voltage. I failed this step.

I put the multimeter to the incoming power source with the tv plugged in and I heard a pop, saw a flash and smoke. Pictures show the settings that I had my multimeter set to and the resulting blackened area (bottom right) where I attached my multimeter.

I'm thankful I'm alive but would like to know did I "fry" the power board? Is there a way to test this? Sorry, but if so, could you explain whether I need to adjust the probes on my multimeter and what setting should I set it to?

Thanks

[budm]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

Where are the pictures so we can see how the meter was set to, and also the pictures of damages?
BTW, you can always ask us first before attempting to make any measurement, especially in the HOT DEADLY side of the circuits.

[R_J]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

I will guess probe was in the current jack, not the volt/ohm jack, that would do it

[leniko]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

Sorry. Forgot the attachments. I'm dumber than I thought.

[leniko]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

An update. I went back to his place today and put black probe of multimeter to ground and red probe on different wire connection points and all the ones I checked still had voltage. Also standby light still comes on in front of tv when I turn it on (same as before I checked voltage first time and caused smoke, etc).

[R_J]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

The dial on your meter is set to 10 AMP! If you are measuring AC voltage it should be on the ACV 200

[stj]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

put a new battery in the meter first.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

I'm thankful I'm alive

Before you continue, see this 5 minute video on how to use a multimeter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF3OyQ3HwfU

Those cheap/free Harbor Freight meters are not forgiving of an "oops" moment.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

Actually, the harbor freight meter seems to be open when the probes are plugged into Volts and COM when the selector is at 10A mode.

All bets are off if the probe is plugged into 10A and COM regardless of the selector. The meter is unfused and will kill itself and possibly whoever's using it, if not careful...

---

On the other hand, if the power light is on, I think you should be able to safely deduce that power is getting in, and usually you can omit this step (and treat the circuit as LIVE as always.) It looks like the blackened spark area is near the inlet which is fairly robust and likely you didn't do too much more damage whether you shorted it with the multimeter in the 10A range or accidentally bridged the two incoming power wires with the long metal part of the probes near P801.

Thankfully likely nothing expensive got damaged like self. At most a fuse or breaker blew, and hopefully the power cable wires are still good (check insulation very carefully for any melt.)

[goontron]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

(check insulation very carefully for any melt.)

Normally I would make a snarky comments that the wires won't melt.... But after converting a Pakistani lamp for US use, I would believe it. It had 32Awg, at most.

[ReeceyBurger123]

Re: Did I blow powerboard with Multimeter

Leds are out any way Lg E panel so testing psu was prolly pointless