Digital Multimeter

After posting on a few threads and mentioning multimeters I realise I don't have a digital multimeter, only an AVO and some of Maplins marvelous http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/mt-2017-la...ltimeter-n60lk .

What can anyone recommend, it's only for home use so nothing special is required.

[terrykc]

That analogue meter looks interesting apart from one thing - the sensitivity isn't given and, as the spec says the lowest current range is 250mA, that isn't much help either!

Do you know what it is?

I wouldn't use anything lower than 20kΩ /V for electronics work.

As for DVMs, there is a very wide range to chose from with an equally wide price range!

Many cheap ones are not what they seem and are rarely really suited to high voltages, whatever the spec says, so be careful!

However, you don't necessarily need to spend a lot to get something reasonable as this review of DMMs under £10 shows.

[ms660]

Mmm...So who's right?

http://www.dx.com/p/pro-skit-mt-2017...6#.V9WXRK2rGZo

Lawrence.

Maplin are a bit short on the spec. dx.com is right looking at mine. It is 20kohms per volt.

[McMurdo]

Rapid have a good selection of budget digital meters. This sort of thing has come on in leaps and bounds quality wise in recent years and £20 will for example get you a pretty capable and safe meter that conforms to the relevant specs.

pwdrive, thanks for the link, perusing now.

Kevin, I always forget about Rapid despite using them, a look is called for.

After a bit of 'ummin and 'arin I have chosen this https://www.rapidonline.com/voltcraf...imeter-51-5689 Extra load for leakage reduction, true RMS, auto ranging and 600V catIII.

[WaveyDipole]

I have seen a lot of good comments recently about the UNI-T UT61E although there appear to be two variants, one with a 4 digit and one with a 5 digit LCD display with some packages also including a data cable. However there is no mention of CATIII in any of the listings which would be of concern.

This Voltcraft looks almost identical in design but has a different colour scheme and larger LCD display in favour of the four function buttons which are missing. The probes also look identical, however the specification for the Voltcraft does mention CATIII, so perhaps this is the better choice. The close similarities did make me wonder whether they are out of the same factory though.... Looks like a decent DMM though for the price.

[Radio Wrangler]

Before dashing off to buy one... What do you intend to use it for?
Do you really need something digital, or just something with more ohms per volt?
Why new? I picked up a 4.5 digit true RMS Fluke for 20 quid last year at a radio doo. I picked up a six digit Datron bench DMM for a fiver!

Top grade units have a habit of NOT exploding when applied to mains on the wrong range. They might pop a fuse, but some just wait for you to get things right and they are ready to go again when you are.

My favourite meter is my electronic avo ea113.

David

[chriswood1900]

I recently invested in an RadioSpares RS14 which was about £17 delivered, after reading some positive reviews on the web, my initial impressions are good and it sees to have good accuracy when compared to known good meters and meets CAT III which is more then enough for working on valve radios. Warranty is covered by RS so should be supported OK, it also keeps selling out so I assume it must sell well.
Chris

What do you intend to use it for?

Things my analogue meters can't, true RMS, low loading, weeny currents, accurate resistance, I can drop it off a ladder without busting it. To be honest I don't need anything more than an my AVO but I like new bits of kit.

All rather academic now, dashed off some keystrokes and it's on it's way.

[McMurdo]

I can vouch for the voltcraft stuff. Although I suspect it's Rapid's parent company Conrad's own brand name, what I've had so far has been top notch including industrial panel meters and a nifty digital wattmeter

[kellys_eye]

I find an increasing desire for fast updates on any multimeter I use. The RS14 states 2 readings/sec but I can't find a value for the Rapid model linked to.

This can mean a few seconds wait to see a resistor value which, although it doesn't sound a lot, becomes quite trying when going through a bunch of them.

Other than that, I use a Uni-T multimeter and find them to be robust and very accurate.

[MrBungle]

UT61E here. True RMS, 22000 count, capacitance and frequency. Can't lose. Yes it's suspicious CATIII rated but the real undiscussed danger zone for meters is the probe tips and shorts and you can lose your finger even with a Fluke there. I've used mine up to ~1000v DC without any surprises at all. The target circuit is more dangerous than any meter.

I bought mine from: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171595362712

UK shipped, even if it is a Chinese drop shipping operation and less than 1/2 the price of Rapid.

There's these as well for £2.86. I have a couple for voltage/current monitoring and they're not terrible. Impedance is a little low at 1.1M however: http://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d030...tal/dp/IN07220 - seem to be impossible to blow up and are fused with decent binding posts unlike other versions of the same meter.

[TrevorG3VLF]

Some of the very cheap digital meters have an input resistance of about 1M which is less than a 20k ohms/volt of an analog meter on 1000V range.
One of my digital meters fizzed at 600V in and the top range has gone. Looking inside, it is clear that there is nothing capable of dissipating 1W on the 1000V range.

[paulsherwin]

It's worth getting a couple of the dirt cheap DMMs as disposables/standbys. They certainly aren't suitable for HV work but I would use one up to the 250V DC voltages found in domestic valve radios. The really weak point with them is the dreadful probes but then they only cost a couple of quid.

I sometimes use one instead of my Black Star bench meter or an Avo because they are small and light.

[MrBungle]

Probes go straight in the bin. My choice of probe is Pomona clip leads. One of them costs more than the entire cheap DMM would!

I have it now, very pleased, good probes, strong case and a big display. The only missing thing is a range hold function, it is always in autorange mode. One of those meters you can put on anything* and measure it.

*Below 600V!

[mole42uk]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

My favourite meter is my electronic avo ea113.

But you won't get one of those for a tenner!