Author Topic: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation  (Read 5380 times)

Superully

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[Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« on: July 30, 2010, 06:37:02 PM »
i've just realized that my digital multimeter has gone where a lot of digital multimeters have gone before ;)

that's why i'm looking for a replacement. on the one hand it should have all the necessary functions like an acoustic continuity test, but on the other hand it shouldn't be overloaded with buttons and functions whose name i can't even spell let alone use (electro noob alert!!!).

your recommendations are welcome NOW! :-*
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

Etienne MacGyver

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2010, 09:31:51 PM »
Model i dont have any advice , but if you want quality go for FLUKE  :P

flip971

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2010, 11:04:11 PM »
+1

ckong

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2010, 11:22:42 PM »
Just pick one from dealextreme. They are cheap and you can read a lot of reviews for the popular models. And the free shipping should make you smile.  ;)  :)

level42

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2010, 01:18:34 AM »
Yes, yes, get this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28658


For the price of a "no name" meter you get a REAL Fluke. Note that indeed the price includes shipping.

I just ordered this logic probe (you may as well order it along for the insanely low price):
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15117

and it arrived safely and WITHOUT shipping costs !

Robinholland

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2010, 01:34:51 AM »
A scope is the best logic probe  :wink:

btw andre your ms-pacman pcb and your puckman pcb is working  :P

Superully

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2010, 07:25:25 AM »
Yes, yes, get this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28658


For the price of a "no name" meter you get a REAL Fluke. Note that indeed the price includes shipping.

thx for the link, i'll get this one. have you seen that the box says "not for sale outside of china"?  ;) ;) ;)
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

Superully

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2010, 08:52:56 AM »
any other items or tools i should add to my order while i'm at it? anything i could need in the future?
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

baritonomarchetto

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2010, 10:01:48 AM »
i've just realized that my digital multimeter has gone where a lot of digital multimeters have gone before ;)


Ully, how it has gone? Just to prevent failures of mine :)
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Superully

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2010, 10:05:59 AM »
don't know what happened exactly, but when i picked it up to measure something, i realized that there was a "clicking" noise inside, as if something had come loose. i opened it up and a part of the board had broken off - don't ask me how this happened, i never dropped that damn thing. perhaps the cats ...  :evil:

anyway, i tried to reattach it, but it doesn't work anymore. well, the display comes on, but it doesn't measure anything at all, no continuity, no voltages. so thisi s definitely a hardware failure!
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

liquidx

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2010, 11:15:40 AM »
Yes, yes, get this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28658


For the price of a "no name" meter you get a REAL Fluke. Note that indeed the price includes shipping.

thx for the link, i'll get this one. have you seen that the box says "not for sale outside of china"?  ;) ;) ;)


You probably won't get the Fluke lifetime guarantee with it due to that. Which is one of the strong points of the brand.

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level42

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2010, 11:27:40 AM »
A scope is the best logic probe  :wink:

btw andre your ms-pacman pcb and your puckman pcb is working  :P
Sorry for the thread-hack but WAHOOOO !!!!! THANK YOU ROBIN !!!
(Out of curiosity, what was the Ms.Pac problem ?)

I agree about the scope, but the logic probe is a (very)cheap, quick and handy device for some first diagnostics. It's also very easy to operate (no or few things to set).

@Ully: I've dropped my Flukes (ALL the employers I worked for equipped their technical stuff with Fluke's, no exception) at least several times and sometimes from a reasonable height (couple of meters). They never got damaged from it. To be honest, the meters I use(d) have a separate (yellow) rubber sleeve that goes around it to protect it. I do see some yellow rubbery looking surrounding on the Chinese Fluke, but I don't think it's a separate sleeve, however, you won't be doing any measuring at much higher than 1.50 meter I guess.

Normally the only thing that can go wrong with a DVM is when you set it up to measure current (A) and then put the leads straight onto f.i. a battery or other voltage source. The fuse inside the meter will die right away. And yes, even pro's sometimes screw up and blow a fuse (I always have a spare with me ;) ).

Yes the box mentions Not for sale outside of China. I do think that you won't get any service from a local Fluke representative, but hey, it's a Fluke. NONE of the Flukes I ever used (at least 5) ever broke down.

The only drawback against the Flukes that I use that I can see is that the batteries are penlite type. They will run a bit less long then the usual 9V block battery, but then again, those batteries last for AGES. I use the Fluke about every day (although honestly only for short periods) but I hardly ever replace a battery.

B.t.w. don't expect anything of the capacity measuring feature. My Flukes never had it and there's a reason (apart from not really needing it in my work): It says very little about a capacitor.
A bad (electrolytic) cap will probably give a reasonable (caps usually have large tolerances of about 20%) capacitance value, but the real problem with drying out caps is that the ESR (serial resistance) will increase. You can't measure that with any DVM. There are special devices to measure this.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2010, 11:30:41 AM by Level42 »

funkycochise

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2010, 12:10:47 PM »
don't be too naive, you will probably buy counterfeit product.
explaining the "only for china market" instruction.

flip971

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2010, 12:48:45 PM »
Buyed a logic probe and a logic pulsar on ebay, for 5 bucks  ;) (but the shipmet was 10 $  >:( ).
For the scope, can be usefull buy the usb version, with 25/30$ (shipment excluded) 2ch and other interesting carateristics.
Link http://cgi.ebay.it/2-Channel-PC-Digital-Storage-USB-Oscilloscope-Probe-CD-/120593048099?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item1c13e7e223.
My "wanted to buy" item: http://cgi.ebay.it/1pc-DC-AC-High-Voltage-Probe-HVP-40-no-meter-Taiwan-/130343796679?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e59187fc7 ;).

level42

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Re: [Wanted] Digital Multimeter Recommendation
« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2010, 08:01:02 PM »
don't be too naive, you will probably buy counterfeit product.
explaining the "only for china market" instruction.

No, it is NOT a fake ! I thought exactly the same thing first, but the fact is that several people have bought and examined it and it IS a real Fluke. The whole thing is that it is AIMED at the Chinese market and _thus_  carries a lower price then compared to the rest of the world. Hence the "For Chinese market only".