Multimeters

dan77714 · 16 Apr 2012

Hi all
I have a question about multimeters. I have picked out a really good multimeter with brilliant spec however the batteries it requires is two 1.5V AAA batteries as opposed to other, slightly more expensive but lower spec multimeters which take one 9V battery.These however are out of my price range.

I was wondering, will the the fact that the multimeter requires only 3V battery power make any difference?

Thanks in advance

Monkeh · 16 Apr 2012

More information on the meter you're looking at and what you're using it for would be helpful.

dan77714 · 16 Apr 2012

of course, here is a link to the spec of the multimeter i wish to purchase:

http://www.aidetek.com/New_products_info/Datasheet/Vichy/VC99+.pdf

Monkeh · 16 Apr 2012

Don't. They're crap and the specs aren't even that good.

How much were you going to pay for that thing?

dan77714 · 16 Apr 2012

The price was £34.99 from amazon. Could you possible recomend a better one for under £40.00?

Monkeh · 16 Apr 2012

dan77714 said:
The price was £34.99 from amazon. Could you possible recomend a better one for under £40.00?

It very much depends what you want to do with it.

I have one of these, unlike the VT99 it's a superb meter for the money: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250896443664

merlin50 · 16 Apr 2012

i had one of those it went up in smoke got a fluke now

Monkeh · 16 Apr 2012

merlin50 said:
i had one of those it went up in smoke got a fluke now

Unfortunately Flukes are usually too expensive for normal users (non-trade or professional engineers.) However there are plenty of suitable alternatives, if you shop around carefully.

ban-all-sheds · 16 Apr 2012

dan77714 said:
The price was £34.99 from amazon. Could you possible recomend a better one for under £40.00?

Probably anything at the same sort of price but where they've not frittered away some of the money providing useless fripperies like capacitance, frequency, temperature and transistor and diode testing.

Monkeh · 16 Apr 2012

ban-all-sheds said:
useless fripperies like capacitance, frequency, temperature and transistor and diode testing.

I can tell you've never done electronics before.

wotan · 17 Apr 2012

Have a look at Maplins electronics UT30B multimeter, very good spec for only £14.99, certainly adequate for usual tests.

Wotan

ban-all-sheds · 17 Apr 2012

Monkeh said:
ban-all-sheds said:

useless fripperies like capacitance, frequency, temperature and transistor and diode testing.

Click to expand...

I can tell you've never done electronics before.

I have.
If I wanted to measure capacitance I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.
If I wanted to measure frequency I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.
If I wanted to measure temperature I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.
If I wanted to test transistors and diodes I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.

merlin50 · 17 Apr 2012

if you are going to buy cheap get this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-DT830..._Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item256c6a120b

ban-all-sheds · 17 Apr 2012

dan77714 said:
The price was £34.99 from amazon. Could you possible recomend a better one for under £40.00?

IMO ones like these:

on the grounds, as I said, that at a given price point the fewer the functions the meter has included the better made are likely to be the ones it does offer.

Personally I would advise against an auto-ranging meter, in the same way I'd advise anyone who'd never done off-road driving against getting a vehicle with hill descent control - you need to learn how to use the tool properly and to develop the habit of thinking about what you are doing, not the habit of thinking you can just connect the probes and the meter will sort it out.

Amprobe are part of Fluke, Di-Log are, AFAIK, an OK make, and the Sealey looks like the same thing. Rapid Electronics are an educational supplier, so they might have a good idea of what's well made and what isn't.

Plan B: Start looking on eBay for used Fluke/Robin/Megger etc multimeter.

Plan C: It will mean spending more than your budget, but you could put in a nominal bid now to kill the B-I-N, and then try sniping at the end for a bargain:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Unitest-t..._Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item3a73520e81

If you want a meter for domestic electrics that will do everything you need, including all sorts of things you don't yet realise you need.

Monkeh · 17 Apr 2012

ban-all-sheds said:
Monkeh said:

ban-all-sheds said:

useless fripperies like capacitance, frequency, temperature and transistor and diode testing.

Click to expand...

I can tell you've never done electronics before.

Click to expand...

I have.

If I wanted to measure capacitance I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.

Depending on what you're doing it for, a decent £40 meter works fine.

[*] If I wanted to measure frequency I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.

Click to expand...

Depending on what you're doing it for, a decent £40 meter works fine.

[*] If I wanted to measure temperature I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.

Click to expand...

Depending on what you're doing it for, a decent £40 meter works fine.

[*] If I wanted to test transistors and diodes I would not try and do it with a shoddy £35 multimeter.

Click to expand...

Transistors yes, diodes, depending on what you're doing it for, a decent £40 meter works fine.

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Multimeters

merlin50

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