forgot I left my multimeter in AMP mode...

[needWheels]

and accidentally tried to test voltage in AMP mode...!

at least it was only a $2 harbor freight meter!

That spark woke me up better than 10 sodas.

Probes are nicely toasted.

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

...Nice.

I only did that once or twice. ALLWAYS double check your probes are in the right spot before you start poking around, especially with several large batteries...

 

[needWheels]

Yeah I've read about others doing this but never had the experience myself
because I've only used amp mode a few times in my life.

I should have switched the probe socket back over but I guess I was lazy.

The positive probe tip is now a ball instead of a point, lol

Apparently the fuse does NOTHING in amp mode? I just opened it to take a look and it's intact.

 

[Karolis]

Frequently this happens to me. And one time it was big. 60V 12Ah at a fresh charge. The Tester's probe end melted and that melted metal stucked to battery 's connection pin (originaly three pin connection). I took a screwdriver and tried to remove that metal from connection pin (ofcourse forgot to discconect one end from the battery). The screwdriver accidently touched both + and - pins. The room was so lighted with the light. A huge ball of sparks and all melted screwdriver's metal fall on the carpet. Connection fall apart. A couple of minutes in my eys I saw the sun.

 

[johnrobholmes]

I did this twice a few weeks back. Sure does stink.

 

[dak664]

The fuse is for the milliamp ranges, typically there is none on the 10 amp shunt. Next time buy two and dedicate one for an ammeter. Wrap some tape around the current probe, thinking volts but "feeling" amps has saved me many times.

 

[needWheels]

That tape idea is very good.
I can actually make it so I physically cannot put the amp probe tip into the battery socket that I use.

I feel bad for those without harbor freight, $2 meters make them disposable without kicking myself too much.

 

[John in CR]

I've done it twice, but with the probe on the 20A limit plug. Nice flash and lost most of the probe tip, and also burned the end of one Konion and finger but both still work fine. No damage to the multimeter though, other than the plasma'd tip. I guess I got the right cheapie multimeter.

John

 

[dnmun]

first voltmeter i blew up had the probes inserted into a 240 outlet, so i twisted the dial over to high volt range, except i passed though the ohm meter settings on the way. the voltmeter literally exploded, jumped off the ground and smoke poured out seemed interesting in slow motion to see smoke filling the window and little needle just disappeared in the smoke. one of my current voltmeter probes looks like an amputee with stub for a probe, it is actually like a socket now. just cut those probes off and now it is a voltmeter for the bike, soldered into the battery jumper and taped onto the top tube. thank god for harbor freight specials. i bot 2 more for $2.99 when i was there last.

 

[swbluto]

Luckily, setting up a measurement of current is a complex enough procedure that dismantling it is a special enough procedure to ensure switching off current measuring mode. However, I've fried a 200 mA fuse before (Have no idea what, but apparently it doesn't take much of a voltage difference).