Cheap Multimeter

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#22
$30 one they will end up buying it again soon. Some can die on the bench waiting, whatever, zero QC. The parts & build quality really deteriorates under the $50 mark. There are $2 RS232 to USB adapters on Ebay btw.
 
#23
This is only for those wishing to repair one or two amps. If it lasts longer, that's fine. I'm not looking for a meter that will last for 20 years. For that, I'd recommend Fluke. I need a meter that I can predict precisely how it will read various points on the board.

I don't know if you follow this forum. We help people through hundreds of repairs a year. A consistent meter is what I need for this purpose only.

Dave tested a lot of cheap meters (videos linked earlier in this thread) and he could not break the vichy meter. Again, it if gets them through a few repairs, it's good enough. If someone can provide proof that it's not reliable I will continue looking.
 
#24
By the way, not 22000 counts and not a logger like the E model is UT-61A, has backlight, for $46.5 free shipped I have seen.
The Vichy can find the selector standing between positions and then killed on measuring, some users had reported, not on Dave Jone's blog that was.
 
#28
josesony68 said:
This is my multimeter .... I know it's no big deal, but for now, I use ...
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That's the same one I've been using for most stuff,except mine says "Velleman" on the front. Got it with an Amazon gift card for $40.No complaints so far. It's accurate enough for general repairs,and has a few nice/handy features (transistor hfe test,freq counter,cap checker,etc.) that are useful once in a while.
I did get annoyed with dead 9V batteries,and strapped some Li-Ion cells to the back.Now I can recharge it,and it lasts for several months at a time.
It might be a bit spendy for the fresh noobies,but if they plan to 'stick around' and tinker with/repair electronics a bit,it's a decent meter,at a decent price.

If you want *really* cheap,the Harbor Freight meters are like $5. And it shows. Readings tend to drift with temp,etc. and are mostly 'ballpark'. But for basic go/no-go type of testing they're okay.
Not the greatest,but hey,it's $5. And it beats 'flying blind'.
 
#29
have you messed with the ideal meters perry? more specifically, the little meters that are hanging on the rack in the electrical section at most home improvement stores. i would have to evaluate a few, but they are pretty common, and i see electricians toting them around in the bottom of the bag allot. it would also short-cut the shipping process and not test the guy's patience to just let the amp sit there waiting for a good meter. most of the people i help locally are looking to walk in somewhere and pick up a meter cheap and quick, but i work in auto. i'm just happy if they grab one that doesn't zero at 5ohms, and reads within a volt. usually it isn't, and i have to tote my 87 over, which i would much rater keep at the bench these days.
 
#31
I've had one of these for over a year and its been reliable, its a cute compact size too. I upgraded (to a much more expensive Fluke) because I wanted something a little faster in continuity testing. It meets your 3 criteria 😀

VICTOR VC81D 3 3/4 Digital Multimeter AC/DC Temperature Frequency Ohm Hz | eBay

<edit> forgot to mention - the capacitance function sucks on mine, don't know if that's just a problem with my unit.
 
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#33
Even my more expensive Fluke meter gets confused by residual circuit voltages on ohms range. I'm normally using the ohms range for doing the opposite - I want to read impedances without disturbing semiconductor junctions (checking that I got the right value gain resistor around an opamp for instance), which seems to work fine most of the time, provided the circuit is well discharged.
 
#34
I have had my Mastech multimeter for about 5 years now. It cost me 50 EEK, which is about 3,3 euros (we did not have euro back then).
Over the last year I have been using it a lot, 2-3 times a week at least. It is not auto-ranging, and I think it does not measure AC correctly if there is DC bias. But at least there are no reliability issues.
Multimeter M320, digital
This one is auto-ranging, costs 13 USD, dont know about AC/DC.
 
#36
Perry Babin said:
OK. I ordered one. It will be too expensive for some people so if anyone has suggestions for a cheaper meter, post it here.
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That one UT-61A being shipped free from a US location? Means will come fast enough with zero customs taxing chance. Not a bad deal.
A question. Does burden voltage play a role in fixing car amps? Do you ever check up to an Ampere with the DMM in series off a low voltage source that the meter can steal too much? Like testing a low drop reg's draw? That one's fortunately got really low series resistance in Jones's test.
 
#38
abraxalito said:
I have some Mastech products too - I think Victor is a brand name of the same company.
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I have their MS8218 50000 counts self calibrating top one (supposedly, maybe a wild claim) which proved good for accuracy over some years, can do DC+AC average, true RMS, has good diode testing range. Fast & latching continuity testing, rather slow auto ranging for the money, very nice uA and mA range accurate with enough digits for matching JFETs. When I took it apart to change a fuse I have seen good enough PCB and parts, not what it should be for its high energy safety spec though, the case fit in combination with its bulk did not tell its to kick around. Good for the bench in designing. MS8218, data logger,computer based DMM,50,000 counts
And I got their MS8221A small one for the tool box after my old trusty Metex went to heaven. MS's switch got intermittent very soon just for no reason, its Ohm ranges died after I gave it to a neighbor to test a 30V supply headphones amp he was making. By applying voltage to the Ohm position I suppose. Terrible reliability in other words, and having to switch...yuk. Perry is right, auto range is a must even in cheap ones.
I got it for a bit under 20 thrown away Euro locally. SHANGHAI YIHUA V&A INSTRUMENT CO.,LTD.----(PRODUCTS-DIGITAL MULTIMETER)
 
#40
I rarely have to measure current. I sometimes measure idle current but that's done across a shunt. Clamp meters that can measure DC current are relatively expensive. The one time I needed one, I borrowed it. It was to confirm that my calculations were correct when using a 15ft length of 4g wire as a current shunt.
 
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