need help with getting a digital multimeter

ad_breaker · 5th February 2006, 07:53 PM

hi guys as you can see I'm new here... and also new to the audio dyi thing. as far as i read on the internet i'm thinking i need a digital multimeter. so can anyone help me find the right one? I'm looking for something I can get on ebay, even used because I don't want to end up spending too much... $200 at most i would say... so here's what I need: something that also measures low ohms, capacitance, and frequency and it MUST be able to do accurate AC voltage measurements over the 20hz-20khz range. RMS and a dB readout option would also be nice.
Please guide me towards something that would do all of theese.
Thanks in advance.

Netlist · 5th February 2006, 07:55 PM

Welcome ad_breaker,
You might want to read these threads, some of them are very recent.
Clicked 'Have you searched' a bit too fast? tsk,tsk...

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/searc...der=descending
Digital Multimeter recommendation
which is best multimeter in the world? Fluke or extech?
which is good DIgital auto range multimeter.
What to look for in a multimeter

/Hugo

ad_breaker · 6th February 2006, 12:49 AM

thanks for the links and the quck reply... read them up but still quite puzzled... right now it looks like a good choice for my needs would be the Fluke 89 IV... which I can probably get on ebay for less that $200 but from the data sheets I can find on this and my understanding it doesn't measure AC voltage at frequencies lower than 45hz... is this so? What else should I be looking at that would be able to measure AC voltage throughout the whole 20hz to 20khz range?

Netlist · 6th February 2006, 07:15 AM

Sure it does, here is 9V, 10Hz.

/Hugo

ad_breaker · 6th February 2006, 02:06 PM

hey I see yours is an 87 IV... basically the same as the 89 IV except for the logging functions right? Well some other thing I noticed on a website is that the 87 V only goes up to 20khz with a low pass filter - 3db @ 1kHz. Is this the case with the 87 IV too?

Netlist · 6th February 2006, 02:20 PM

Now, really? Don't believe what's written on websites.

Go to www.fluke.com and download the PDF.
The model 87's frequency ranges from 0.5Hz to 1000Khz.
Just go and buy one, you'll be happy as a clam*.

*clam: happy creatures but it remains unknown where the contentment resides from.

/Hugo

dnsey · 6th February 2006, 02:25 PM

While you're at it get a 'cheap and nasty' meter too.
There will be occasions when you'd rather not risk your good meter (Fluke are rugged, but nevertheless), and certainly times when you want to measure two parameters at the same time.

pixpop · 6th February 2006, 02:51 PM

Don't get confused between frequency measurement and voltage measurement.

Most of the Fluke DMMs measure frequency over a wide range, but when they measure RMS voltage or current, the frequency range is much more limited.

The maximum frequency when measuring voltage is usually much lower than when you measure frequency.

ad_breaker · 7th February 2006, 12:17 AM

yes pixpop that's exactly what I'm talking about... I know that it can do frequency measurements over a broad range of frequencies but my concern is if it can do accurate AC Volts measurements in the 20hz-20khz range...

dnsey · 8th February 2006, 07:10 AM

You're generally better off with a 'scope for doing that.
Remember that unless you're dealing with pure sine waves, the 'RMS' voltage will be pretty meaningless for most purposes - and even then, you need a 'true RMS' meter for accuracy.
OTOH, if you want to check frequency response, etc., knock up an integrating AC voltmeter from an op-amp and a handful of bits.

5th February 2006, 07:53 PM	#1
ad_breaker diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Craiova	need help with getting a digital multimeter hi guys as you can see I'm new here... and also new to the audio dyi thing. as far as i read on the internet i'm thinking i need a digital multimeter. so can anyone help me find the right one? I'm looking for something I can get on ebay, even used because I don't want to end up spending too much... $200 at most i would say... so here's what I need: something that also measures low ohms, capacitance, and frequency and it MUST be able to do accurate AC voltage measurements over the 20hz-20khz range. RMS and a dB readout option would also be nice. Please guide me towards something that would do all of theese. Thanks in advance.

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5th February 2006, 07:55 PM	#2
Netlist diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003	Welcome ad_breaker, You might want to read these threads, some of them are very recent. Clicked 'Have you searched' a bit too fast? tsk,tsk... http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/searc...der=descending Digital Multimeter recommendation which is best multimeter in the world? Fluke or extech? which is good DIgital auto range multimeter. What to look for in a multimeter /Hugo

6th February 2006, 12:49 AM	#3
ad_breaker diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Craiova	thanks for the links and the quck reply... read them up but still quite puzzled... right now it looks like a good choice for my needs would be the Fluke 89 IV... which I can probably get on ebay for less that $200 but from the data sheets I can find on this and my understanding it doesn't measure AC voltage at frequencies lower than 45hz... is this so? What else should I be looking at that would be able to measure AC voltage throughout the whole 20hz to 20khz range?

6th February 2006, 02:06 PM	#5
ad_breaker diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Craiova	hey I see yours is an 87 IV... basically the same as the 89 IV except for the logging functions right? Well some other thing I noticed on a website is that the 87 V only goes up to 20khz with a low pass filter - 3db @ 1kHz. Is this the case with the 87 IV too?

6th February 2006, 02:20 PM	#6
Netlist diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003	Now, really? Don't believe what's written on websites. Go to www.fluke.com and download the PDF. The model 87's frequency ranges from 0.5Hz to 1000Khz. Just go and buy one, you'll be happy as a clam. clam: happy creatures but it remains unknown where the contentment resides from. /Hugo

6th February 2006, 02:25 PM	#7
dnsey diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Shropshire, England	While you're at it get a 'cheap and nasty' meter too. There will be occasions when you'd rather not risk your good meter (Fluke are rugged, but nevertheless), and certainly times when you want to measure two parameters at the same time.

6th February 2006, 02:51 PM	#8
pixpop diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Los Angeles	Don't get confused between frequency measurement and voltage measurement. Most of the Fluke DMMs measure frequency over a wide range, but when they measure RMS voltage or current, the frequency range is much more limited. The maximum frequency when measuring voltage is usually much lower than when you measure frequency.

7th February 2006, 12:17 AM	#9
ad_breaker diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Craiova	yes pixpop that's exactly what I'm talking about... I know that it can do frequency measurements over a broad range of frequencies but my concern is if it can do accurate AC Volts measurements in the 20hz-20khz range...

8th February 2006, 07:10 AM	#10
dnsey diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Shropshire, England	You're generally better off with a 'scope for doing that. Remember that unless you're dealing with pure sine waves, the 'RMS' voltage will be pretty meaningless for most purposes - and even then, you need a 'true RMS' meter for accuracy. OTOH, if you want to check frequency response, etc., knock up an integrating AC voltmeter from an op-amp and a handful of bits.

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