Multimeter Recommendation

[csmarr]

My old Radioshack multimeter has started giving me wacky readings. Damn thing only lasted 25 years! What are your recommendations for a good replacement.

 

[gmouchawar]

If you have a harbor freight tools near you, they carry digital DMMs for under $10

 

[TylerDurden]

My old Radioshack multimeter has started giving me wacky readings. Damn thing only lasted 25 years! What are your recommendations for a good replacement.

HAHAHA.... mine too!!! Cheap sh*t shoulda lasted at least fourty yrs.

I got a HF:

http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1867&hilit=

I will miss the PC logging, tho.

 

[RLT]

The purist will say if you don't have a Fluke, you are an amateur, and a not very bright one at that .

My Radio Shack logging meter is still working fine and accurately... (Mine's yellow and only 5-7 years old, though). Best meter for the money I've found, although I have run across some on eBay that were VERY tempting.

I have five.... wait, .. no six... I wasn't counting the analog meter... different Harbor Freight models. They are ALL mediocre at best. I usually end up double checking them with my RS meter when more than 0.5 accuracy on volts and amps or 20% on ohms is important.

Don't have Tyler's model, though... It looks pretty neat.

 

[Link]

I really liked my $60 one from Radio Shack before I blew it up.

Too bad I never got to use the PC oscilloscope function, though . It wanted a serial port; I only have USB. :?

 

[RLT]

I really liked my $60 one from Radio Shack before I blew it up.

Too bad I never got to use the PC oscilloscope function, though . It wanted a serial port; I only have USB. :?

You can get a USB to serial port adapter.... I think the last time I checked, you could get one for about $20... I paid a lot more for the one I bought ... what.?.. about 5 years ago, though.

 

[Link]

I really liked my $60 one from Radio Shack before I blew it up.

Too bad I never got to use the PC oscilloscope function, though . It wanted a serial port; I only have USB. :?

You can get a USB to serial port adapter.... I think the last time I checked, you could get one for about $20... I paid a lot more for the one I bought ... what.?.. about 5 years ago, though.

I figured, but I had no real need for it at the time. I only had it for like 2 or 3 months before I destroyed it when checking voltage in an electrolysis experiment and accidentally had it set to A instead of V. Got the full power of mains through it. Blew up a trace on the PCB. Fuse didn't even have time to react. I got the trace repaired, but it seemed to have done damage to part of the main IC, too. It kept giving wonky readings like a few kΩ resistance when the leads weren't touching anything and a wildly varying voltage potentials whenever it was set to the lower voltage ranges.

 

[tomv]

I bought Fluke with a bit of a guilty feeling. It cost 100+ and there are $20 multimeters that look the same on spec. Now that I have it and use it I think price difference is justified. I Mine is Fluke 117. Here's why:

- Amazing ergonomics. Noodle wire probes with comfy grips. Soft shell perfectly curved case that's easy to hold and has a stand also. Clear large display with low power but good backlight. Ruggedized construction that looks like can take a lot of abuse. Control dials, buttons, display layout are intelligently laid out.

- Calibrated accurate readings. It's crazy frustrating and time wasting if you have to doubt or double check your readings. This would happen a lot with my $10 radioshack. Most of the time it's correct, but you never know.


This is probably my most used tool together with soldering iron, so getting a good one was worth it. Now all I'm lusting for is Tektronix scope