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Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders. |
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19th Dec 2012, 6:21 pm | #1 |
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'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
It's not vintage but cheap and does the job http://www.maplin.co.uk/mt-2017-larg...timeter-626116 the best bit is it is 20k/volt matching most service sheets measurements. Although not up to AVO standards of the past it works very well, the silly name is the only downside so far, unlike an AVO the high resistance range uses a PP3 which you can get these days. All in all I am very pleased, it also has an ingeneous 'centre zero' mode where the ohms range supply is used to offset the meter, I can't see a use for that yet, time will tell.
MM |
19th Dec 2012, 6:58 pm | #2 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
Playing with it, the continuity beeper acts instantaneously rather than a few 10's of ms delay that you get with modern digital meters, great for those silly intertmitent short/open faults.
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19th Dec 2012, 11:24 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
It looks perfect for "Let's play at wireless"
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20th Dec 2012, 12:56 am | #4 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
Yes, what's with the bilious green colour? Black was good enough for Avo -and Ford!
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20th Dec 2012, 1:27 am | #5 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I reckon that that colour is so that you can find it when it is hiding on a cluttered bench top!
Al. |
20th Dec 2012, 8:07 am | #6 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I hope that there's time to drop some hints in the right ears??!! Ho-Ho-Ho!!
Love the ohms ranges with PP3 supply. Cheers John |
20th Dec 2012, 8:12 am | #7 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I have a bright candy pink tape measure, no ones nicked it yet.
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20th Dec 2012, 3:56 pm | #8 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I can't belive it took me a whole day to get it apart, so here is photo of the insides. One thing is puzzling me, how does the zero offset mode work? There are no detectable volts on the leads in certre zero mode and I can't find any opamps etc. inside. Spare fuses and very well made, the meter movement is weeny (I took the cover off so you can see it) only 3/4" across.
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20th Dec 2012, 6:58 pm | #9 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK.
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I've got one of these and the green surround on mine is a few shades darker than the website image. These are really good little meters.
Neil
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20th Dec 2012, 7:56 pm | #10 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
It looks quite similar to my old Altai YN360TR.
I must have bought this well over 25years ago. It was a bit of a poor man's AVO at the time (or in my case poor student's AVO) I bought a Maplin Gold DVM a year or two later and the Altai has hardly been used since. it's main strong point is looking at DC voltages that drift and of course it doesn't need power to indicate on the voltage ranges. |
21st Dec 2012, 1:16 pm | #11 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
I got one yesterday just for fun. I was a bit disappointed it wasn't quite as biliously green as the picture, but otherwise quite impressed. I may well change the fuses for ceramic HRC types, though, I hate to think what mains would do to the 10A one
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21st Dec 2012, 2:27 pm | #12 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
And it's just earned its keep- diagnosed two dead bulbs and an intermittent connection in a colleague's 40 bulb Christmas light set during lunch hour
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22nd Dec 2012, 4:10 pm | #13 |
Heptode
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
Hi MM,
Thanks for posting this on the forum. I've just been and got mine as a bit of an early chrimbo pressie. What a super little meter for the money. It's larger than I expected it to be and a bit less shocking green than the website shows. I cannot believe how much you get for £15! The leads are good quality and have the probe covers and the build is good. I too love the -+5 and 25 DC centre zero.. just need a use for it. My wife looked in the box and said "wow, you even get the batteries for that money?" Shows it's a bargain. I reckon I may actually reach for this before my Fluke 77 for simple tasks as you can't beat a good old dial. Thanks again, Trev
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22nd Dec 2012, 4:26 pm | #14 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
And not much dearer than the Maplin test leads I bought last year!
Peter |
25th Oct 2015, 6:43 pm | #15 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
25th Oct 2015, 7:41 pm | #16 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
I now have three, scattered around the house, the bright green does help finding them. In modern parlance they are my 'go to' meter. Is three enough?
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26th Oct 2015, 12:18 am | #17 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
I just checked Maplin's web site, and none of my local stores, or those in Central London, have any in stock. A shame as I am going to London tomorrow. They can only be ordered for in-store collection or home delivery.
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26th Oct 2015, 1:43 am | #18 |
Heptode
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
Offset will work by using the inbuilt batteries push a current through the movement to move it to half scale. This current is then added to the current through the series resistor between the terminals and the meter movement. Easy .
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10th Nov 2015, 10:48 am | #19 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
I bought one of these and for £9.99 it's a real bargain, coming as it does with test leads and batteries.
The only problem I found with it was inserting the PP3 battery. It's very difficult to insert it at the correct angle. It tilts and then it's impossible to push it down into the clip. I found it that if the entire back cover, rather than just the battery cover, was removed, the battery went in easily. It didn't take me all day to remove the back! From what I remember I just slid the rubber protectors off to gain access to the fixing screws.
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
14th Nov 2015, 7:35 pm | #20 |
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Re: 'Proper' multimeter (Maplin MT2017)
After a lot of "shall I shan't I" took the plunge a few days ago and ordered one to be collected from local Maplin. It arrived yesterday but I discovered last night that the continuity buzzer did not work. I took it back this afternoon hoping they might get another which worked, but the last remaining one is in Scotland and not available for transfer so it was a refund for me. A pity as it seemed a nice little meter but it's not really a must have.
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