Recommend me a MultiMeter

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

http://www.ceport.com.cn/catalog/pro...id=ogxbhnvxgts

[Professor Peach]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

IMO, it's better to get a used Fluke than a new crap meter.
Look out for 75, 77, 79, 83, 85, or 87.

[MXM]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

^ and i'll have to agree with you.

peace.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I agree too, however without having used their products I'll refrain from assuming MASTECH is crap.
.

[Professor Peach]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Mastech are crap!

Far better to buy a second-hand, quality meter, than some cheap Chinese crap that'll get smoked (cos it will) and end up in landfill.
Using a second-hand product is, therefore, more environmantally friendly! And fits in with the repair-ethos of this site.

Quality meter manufacturers (IMO):-

Fluke, Gossen Metrawatt (German-made and *very* pricey), AVO, Megger, Amprobe, SOAR (Japanese), Tektronix (natch), HP/Agilent (also natch), Chauvin Arnaux, Metrix, Wavetek (now owned by Fluke and branded 'Meterman')

[smason]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Beckman arfe pretty good too, but I'm a Fluke guy myself. My trusty Fluke 77 has been on the job since 1985ish

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Mastech are crap!

So you've tried them..... LOL

[Professor Peach]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

LOL, yes, I managed to blow-up a Mastech meter!

I'd forgotten about Beckman, but they did become Wavetek; very good meters.

[devid21]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

Meterman is Amprobe.
Amprobe now-made in Taiwan.

[bsweasel]

Re: What a $1 multimeter (DT830B) looks like

First of all, this is a hobby of mine and I'm not a pro where I depend on my equipment. So I wanted the cheapest possible multimeter to check fuses, shorts (continuity), ohm tests, etc. Nothing fancy. For me, it doesn't make sense to buy a $50+ multimeter to repair a $20 residue value monitor. Even $20 would be hard to justify unless I'm trying to fix a several hundred dollar LCD or plasma TV.

This DT830B multimeter sells on amazon, but can be found on ebay for $1 + shipping. I didn't expect the greatest or most accurate, but I did it expect it to work.

After waiting 39 days, it finally arrived today. Well, big disappointment. It doesn't work at all. When I set it to ohms (200) and touch the two probes together I get nothing on the LCD display. Nothing. So I change 9V batteries (both are new and known to work) and same thing.

I tried measuring simple things like AA batteries and I get nothing at all on the display.

So naturally, I will be asking for a refund, but in the meantime, I decided to take it apart. See pics.

PROS
====
- lightweight
- rotary knob feels solid and makes a nice click sound

CONS
====
- very poor soldering job inside (see npn tester)
- 9V battery prongs need to be pryed out to make contact and hold battery in case
- user "manual" is your typical poorly written crap
- no "tone" for continuity
- plenty of reports on amazon saying it doesn't work or fails very quickly

PS. I'm going to order a different "cheap" ebay multimeter and borrow a multimeter from a friend! :-)

This is the same meter as the Harbor Freight - Centech

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/newrep...reply&p=107354

Can't beat it for a few bucks and if you kill it, go buy another.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I've bought the Harbor Freight 'Centech' meters for the sole purpose of tearing them apart for the display modules and misc IC's for use in projects.
- It's cheaper than buying the parts at Digikey or Mouser.
- Hell, it's cheaper than JUST the shipping to buy the parts at Digikey or Mouser.
.

[severach]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

The Cen-Tech 90899 92020 98025 version of the DT830B meter is better made than the probes. I had to buy another because poking the black probe into the red hole showed that the red probe broke. These work fine for the simple stuff and at $2-$4 each I'm not out much when they break. I keep one in the car because the slide switch does not turn itself on when other stuff is piled on.

I like the Cen-Tech 37772 for bench use. The pushbutton on off is a lot better and more reliable than any rotate off meter and it works very well. Unfortunately the pushbutton on off turns itself on when in the car so it must stay on the bench.

I avoid autoranging meters. They are way too hard to use. The UI and construction of the Cen-tech 37772 is perfect other than the lack of a backlight.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I have no idea what you mean autoranging meters are too complicated?? They're easier to use. Manual ranging meters are a waste of time IMO why don't you whip out the vacuum tube meter while you're at it. Because apparently the time for the tubes to warm up doesn't bother you .

When measuring multiple points in a circuit the last thing I want to worry about is if my meter is in the right range.

The only Mastech product I own is a 5 amp 0-30V variable bench PSU. This first thing I did was replace the knockoff Chemicon and Chinamart caps in it and replaced the 3 Chinamart output transistors with with ones manufactured by ST semiconductor.

After that it's a decent unit. No experience with their DMMs but I bet the component quality will match their bench supply.

As for DMMs use the Chinamart crap (like we all did to get by in the beginning) but save up for a Fluke if do more than tinker with electronics on occasion. You won't regret it.

Amprobe, Gossen, and Agilent are good brands too.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

I have a Beckman, a BK, a Fluke [bench style], a Simpson [non-digital], and several POS.

Nothing wrong with using a POS for go/no go when accuracy doesn't matter.
If nothing else it saves wear n tear on your good equipment.
.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Recommend me a MultiMeter

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

[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.

[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

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.

[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.
.

[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".