'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

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.

[Herald1360]

It looks perfect for "Let's play at wireless"

[Phil G4SPZ]

Yes, what's with the bilious green colour? Black was good enough for Avo -and Ford!

[Skywave]

I reckon that that colour is so that you can find it when it is hiding on a cluttered bench top!

Al.

[hkn102l]

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

I have a bright candy pink tape measure, no ones nicked it yet.

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.

[M0XNA Neil]

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

[G0HZU_JMR]

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.

[Herald1360]

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

[Herald1360]

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

[TrevorM6TSE]

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

[peteronnith]

And not much dearer than the Maplin test leads I bought last year!

Peter

[Station X]

I see these are now only £9.99.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/mt-2017-la...ltimeter-n60lk

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?

[emeritus]

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.

[JohnBHanson]

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 .

[Station X]

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.

[grampy2]

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.