Recommend me a MultiMeter

[stj]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

i have a fluke scopemeter, but it's dead.

psu section blew up - phillips said no schematics existed and i had to buy a new analog board.

well they lie, i got the service manual off the mule, but not fixed it yet.

[shovenose]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

lol my first multimeter was his:
http://www.electronicplus.com/images...cts/DT860D.jpg
got it for $19.99
but it fried iteslf (nothing i did, i just measured a cap and it died!)

now i have some $15.99 analog multimeter that i have no clue how to use
something similar (not same) to this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...t:429,r:10,s:0

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I personally use
http://www.dyinstrument.com/duoyi/?q=node/33
http://www.jestineyong.com/?p=2841
http://www.jestineyong.com/?p=2851

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I would say "Fluke" dmm for accurate voltage ,and current measurments. and an analogue for testing diodes, mosfets , transistor etc.... I personally use simpson 260-6xlp, and fluke 87 III.

I personally use
http://www.kew-ltd.co.jp/en/products...ers/1109S.html

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I would say "Fluke" dmm for accurate voltage ,and current measurments. and an analogue for testing diodes, mosfets , transistor etc.... I personally use simpson 260-6xlp, and fluke 87 III.

[sanyaummm]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I would say "Fluke" dmm for accurate voltage ,and current measurments. and an analogue for testing diodes, mosfets , transistor etc.... I personally use simpson 260-6xlp, and fluke 87 III.

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I do not need.
I have three different.
Maybe somebody will like it.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Amazing that someone that's too cheap to buy a -real- ESR meter looks for ads for DMM's that cost over $200.

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

http://uk.farnell.com/benning/044080...-11/dp/9461337

[Krankshaft]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

fluke probably are made in china, do you see any pcb houses in the west anymore!

Wrong! Only the low end models (sub $150) are made in China.

The 70 series and higher are still made in the US.

Honestly when I opened a China model they were still as well built as the USA Flukes beautiful flawless soldering, dead on component placement, and not a drop of flux to be seen. They definitely made an effort to keep the quality up overseas.

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

http:

[stj]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

fluke probably are made in china, do you see any pcb houses in the west anymore!

and DX actually tell you if something is real, or a clone usually.

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

FLUKE 17B
Made in China
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28659

[PlainBill]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

What ever happended to the good ole days when you could just put your tongue across a battery and taste the juice? I got to try that on a CCFL port. Maybe I'll end up going "2 seconds to black".

Have someone videotape it. It could go viral on youtube

PlainBill

[Dgtech]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

What ever happended to the good ole days when you could just put your tongue across a battery and taste the juice? I got to try that on a CCFL port. Maybe I'll end up going "2 seconds to black".

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Fluke was the standard DMM for my specialty in the Navy and the Auto Ranging does indeed get flaky and bounce around on Flukes after a while.
Granted, probably a longer 'while' than most other brands. But they do it.

Selector dial is preferred for range switches because 'make before break' is preferred at the contacts to minimize transits in the meter or in the circuit under test when changing ranges.
A membrane switch would require added circuity to achieve the equivalent of make before break and my guess is that solution would be much more costly than a dial switch.
.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Obviously you've never used a Fluke no overshoot and super quick definitive auto range.

Meters have selector dials as a matter of tradition because that's what everyone is used too. They could easily use tact or membrane switches if they wished.

Horses for courses I guess.

[severach]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

They're easier to use.

An autoranging meter is much harder to get anything done and be certain what you're measuring. Apply the probes and it takes a few seconds for the autoranger to figure out what scale to use. Then it takes me a couple of seconds to search the display to figure out what scale has been chosen then I must stare at the multiplier to ensure that it doesn't change. Lift the probes and the meter is certain I want to know the induced voltage of the fluorescent lights so it works its way down to the mV scale. Then when I decide to measure something else it must work its way back up the scale then I must look again to see what scale has been chosen. Then I test a laptop transformer. It shows 22.7. Is that 22.7mV or 22.7V? Is it broken or are the leads not connecting? It will take a minute but I'll figure it out. While waiting for the display to stabilize I'm wishing for a meter that does not autorange.

It's about as useful as me hiring you to turn the dial on my meter. I keep telling you to not go below the 20v scale but you insist on twirling the dial every time I lift the probes. I need absolutes and all I get is sig figs. A dial I can set with confidence that every measurement I take is against that setting is something I'd pay extra for.

If autoranging works so well I want a meter with no switches at all. I'll apply the probes. Let it figure out when to turn on and off and what should be measured.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

It's just a euphemism I also use Wan Hung Lo.

I agree they're great for quick tests like a vehicles charging voltage or the voltage on rechargeable batteries and the like. Especially the little pocket ones. I just leave one in my garage so I don't have to lug the Fluke out for everything.

The one thing I can say against the cheapy meters is their lack of true RMS. If you know your non-sine AC voltages will read lower it's fine. If you don't know what true RMS is and you take that reading as a fault condition you'll be chasing your tail looking for a problem that's not there.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Is Chinamart and actual brand or a euphemism for cheap Chinese crap?
.