best multimeter for the money

Hi folks,

If this has been addressed before (or a thousand times), my apologies.

I'm not sure I need to rush down and get a fluke. Anyone think of good multimeter (new) that does a good job? I'm thinking I want one that's autoranging...is there any issue with this? Any uncommon features I should look for?

Thanks!

Kelly

Well, I'll always maintain that a Fluke is your best value. But other than that, we have some Protek 506's at work and they do the job well. I like them almost as much as my Fluke 179 :wink:

With Flukes so cheap on eBay, and lifetime warranties on the multimeters, they are the best value.

Not to mention that you can trust the readings instead of thinking that they might be close....

If you do buy another multimeter, the second meter you buy will be a Fluke!

Buy cheaper, buy twice.

I still find uses for my cheap "Metex" multimeter, even though I've got a Fluke scopemeter for most things. And of course I have to drag out my Simpson 260 for tube work.

If you do tube stuff (or anything with higher voltages) make sure you check out the high voltage limit of any meter you're looking at. My Metex only goes up to 400 volts, so it's not very useful for amp repair. On the other hand, it's got a nice high input impedance (something like 10x what my Fluke has) so it's more useful on high impedance circuits.

I bought one from "radio shack" here in the USA (don't know where you are located) that has everything from ac/dc to capacitance to frequency for 30$ on sale. I tested it against my flukes at work and it was DEAD accurate according to the flukes, and this was for all the tests that the flukes could do. there were even MORE things that this meter did that those flukes couldn't do! not bad for something that cost 1/10th of the nice flukes i have here at work. :green: cheap can be good, just NEVER trust it.. once you trust anything like women, cars, bosses, dogs, electronics or chinese buffets.. it will turn on you!

:guinness: :guinness:

In addition to my 179 and 73, I also own an 87. It's a great meter, but mine has a weird problem: it draws big current from the battery when it's supposedly turned OFF. So I can't leave a battery in it. I should probably send it to Fluke for repair, but I just haven't gotten 'round to it.

Thanks a lot everybody, this is great.

From what I can tell, the Fluke will set me back another $30. Considering I struggle enough as it is with electronics, I'm not sure I want the handicap of potentially innacurate test instruments.

kelly

Another thing to look at is the DC and AC max voltage rating. If you work on tube stuff this can be a very important spec. Good leads count and probes that don't slip in you fingers like the cheap hard plastic stuff.

Flukes are very nice

[quote author="NewYorkDave"]In addition to my 179 and 73, I also own an 87. It's a great meter, but mine has a weird problem: it draws big current from the battery when it's supposedly turned OFF. So I can't leave a battery in it. I should probably send it to Fluke for repair, but I just haven't gotten 'round to it.[/quote]

Yes, do send it off. I had a meter go on me, and they shipped me a new one right off.

They do pride themselves about building rock solid equipment.

Regards

ju

[quote author="fum"]

Yes, do send it off. I had a meter go on me, and they shipped me a new one right off.

They do pride themselves about building rock solid equipment.

Regards

ju[/quote]

wow... it might be time to get my old fluke upgraded :green:

It isn't about best value, it is getting the job done while leaving some money for other toys.

You really should buy the $20 Radio Shack DVM or equiv. You can find these for $9.99 and $14.99 if you shop around and don't mind a 1-page "nearly English" manual. They ARE accurate, as far as they go. Even if you get a super-sexed meter, you always need another so you can watch two values at once.

Many low-price DVMs (even some famous brands) think "AC Volts" means 25Hz-400Hz. They can't be used for audio frequency response. Perfectly good (and accurate) at 100-200Hz. If you have some other device that is "flat" (but not calibrated) 20Hz-20KHz, you can use the two to get precise frequency response.

Many DVMs will not measure the DC Ohms of a large choke or tube output transformer. They may tell you the winding is "open" when it isn't. Never trust them on funny loads.

I would not be without a basic VACUUM TUBE analog voltmeter. (The FET "VTVM"s are a poor second choice.) I get mine in dumpsters; eBay must be loaded. Heath IM-28 is a fine machine, except the probe needs a lot of repairs. (Be sure you get the probe: most VTVMs have a switched resistor in the probe.) The accuracy of an analog VTVM is 2% best, 10% after you sling it around, but it will read DC Ohms inside big chokes, it will read AC Volts from 20Hz to 400KHz naturally-flat. It may not give the exact answer, but it gives a good-enough answer and can't be fooled by digital sampling glitches.

And then there is my 2.5-digit Nixie-tube Heath IM-1202 "Digital Multimeter". This isn't even as accurate as a good mirror-scale analog needle, and hopeless on quick-changing signals, but is Nixie-neat.

FWIW

I got a really nice Extech on ebay (brand new) for $35.00. It does it all, from capacitance and frequency to temperature. It's not Extech's best model, but it certainly isn't a budget meter.

Radio Shack sells the same exact one as their premium model for like $100.00. I got it brand new on ebay for 1/3rd of that. the guy had several so I'm sure you can find them easily.

Shane

An AC VTVM (or its modern equivalent, the AC millivoltmeter) is essential if you're into building audio circuits. I own a number of HP 400-series AC VTVMs, their later HP solid-state descendants, and also a cool Tenma dual-channel, dual-movement model (now sadly discontinued).