Digital Multimeters – Need Advice
boiler7904
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
I’m going to be adding a few outlets (on 2 new circuits) and some lighting (on an existing circuit) to my garage and attic this fall. Since I don’t have any electrical test equipment, I need some advice on what to buy.
Do I need a multimeter or is there something else that would suit my needs better?
What features do I need to look for in a multimeter? What are good brands besides Fluke? Model numbers would be helpful.
I don’t want to buy a “throw away tool” but at the same time, I have to be sensible with the price tag.
Thanks.
Replies
DVM's can run the full gamut from ultra cheap $40-50 to $400+. Why do you want a dvm, why not a radio shack analog volt meter ($10.)? I most often use a simple $1.98 or less led in a plastic case with a couple of insulated pig tails. I have three fluke dvms but seldom use them as they are a pita to drag around, the tester clips to your shirt pocket.
There are a number of good brands, again good is not cheap but Sears may carry a line or Radio shack. Fluke is the brand leader and pretty expensive. Simpson also makes a line of meters. Check the for sale electonics section of your newspaper or Craigs list. If you are not doing precison measuring using second hand meters would be fine if callibration is not a concern. Just make sure they work on the ohms and volt scale ok. You may get lucky and find a good meter that is dead and check to see if the internal fuse is blown (usually some nimrod sets it to measure current and plugs it directly into a ac recepticle and pops the fuse.) IF that is all thats wrong you can usually bet you have got a good meter cheap.
JF
Edited 8/21/2007 2:44 pm ET by Talisker2
Do you have any other plans for the meter. If only used for electrical work, get yourself an electrician's meter, either a clamp-on ammeter or a "wiggy".
If you want to use it for automotive work, etc, get a cheap Radio Shack multimeter, but be aware that it will likely be a "high impedance" unit that will register "phantom/ghost" voltage.
If you want something for electronic work, you may want to get a nice digital multimeter, but again you'll have trouble with "phantom/ghost" voltage.
I've got literally a dozen multimeters of various types and price ranges but when I'm doing line (110V) work I use a solenoidal tester (aka "Wiggy") almost exclusively. If you aren't pretty adept at interpreting the results from a DVM, the odds are 99.99% you'll be back here asking about the mysterious "phantom voltage" in no time. Besides, the Wiggys can take much more abuse than the vast majority of multimeters. About the only thing a genuine Wiggy won't do is test continuity, something you don't often need for "housework".
HTH
PaulB
When working on household circuits, I increasingly use a non-contact voltage detector to see if the circuit is alive or not. I am in the habit of testing circuits that I "know" are dead before working on them. Only occasionally do I need to actually use one of my multimeters to test for resistance, continuity, or voltage. I also always test my detector initially on a known "hot" circuit to make sure that it is working properly. The non-contact detectors are generally about the size of a medium cigar and range from a few dollars up through $30-$40. Some of the more expensive ones have a sensitivity control, but you probably don't need that. Others give a small "blip" periodically so that you can be assured that it is still working. Like with a multimeter, the more sensitive ones can pick up stray voltages on unconnected wires and give a false indication that it is hot. However, better a false positive than a false negative. Fluke, Greenlee, and Gardener Bender all a good reputations. The Greenlee and Gardener Bender, I believe, start under $20 while the Fluke is in the mid $20s. Some other brands have more features for similar prices. Amazon carries the detectors as do the home centers.
Not what you asked for, but today I was wiring a new reversing switch/motor on a lathe. The Harbor Freight $3.99 digital did fine. Both tracing wires (7 wires between switch and motor) and checking voltage.
A quality meter also lives here but I saw no reason to get it out. Which is your situation.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Yeah, you can buy, at Radio Shack or wherever, a $10 digital meter that is every bit as good as the couple I paid $80 and $120 for back in the 60s.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
fluke or sperry, sperry has some cheap price voltage reader
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Haga su trabajo de fricken
I use everthing from $30K Tek and Agilent test equipment on down.
What do I have the most of???
The $2.99 Harbor Freight small multimeters.
If you need to ask about meters, that is all you need.
BTW: everyone of the $2.99 meters I have is within 2% of standard accuracy as compared to high priced meters traceable to NIST.
I am all for buying tools but am not sure why you need anything to do what you said you are going to do. Existing circuit, plug something in, breaker off, black to black, white to white, etc.
Like the other guys said you can run the range. I have an assortment of Sperry, Fluke, HF, and others I inherited. I have a couple of analog clamp-on Amp meters that have the leads and other scales left over from FIL. Just bought a cheapie digital version for around $15.
I bought the Sperry solenoid and then found a brand new Fluke with the noncontact sniffer for about $40. I have two of the Fluke noncontacts and really like them. Had a Greenlee and took it back. Got an Ideal one that is a flashlight with articulating clip that my electrician was using.
I try to keep one of those $3 HF mms in each vehicle and potential family location where I get asked for help.
The ampmeter is pretty darn handy when adding lights to a circuit, lets you know real time what load.
Most of these (Fluke excepted) probably are closer to throw away than they are something for a crew to use day in day out but fine for most home or occasional use IMHO.
Bob
Edited 8/22/2007 10:31 am ET by rasconc
"I am all for buying tools but am not sure why you need anything to do what you said you are going to do. Existing circuit, plug something in, breaker off, black to black, white to white, etc."The problem is that black to black and white to white is no always right. For example a switch leg. And while the white in a switch leg is suppose to be remarked, alot of them aren't.but between a $1.79 neon tester and a $2.95 continuity tester that can be used for 99.13% of the cases..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Yeah, you are right, I thought about that but extending existing circuit was what he was talking about. If someone does not recognize or understand the switch leg probably should not be doing it in first place ( no reflection on OP). I did oversimplify, thanks for pointing out my omission.
Bob
I have been answering some question in another forum.You can't believe how (to use simple non-judgemental terms) DUMB some people are.Two common questions. 1) I replaced the ceiling light and hooked white to white and black to black. Now the light is on all the time and the circuit breaker trips when I use the wall switch.2) I am replacing the ceiling light and have 3 cables, what do I connect to what?While I can't see their expression I certainly immage the deer in headlight look when I ask "how where they connected before"..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Now the light is on all the time and the circuit breaker trips when I use the wall switch.
LOL, well maybe not too loud.
A house my son bought has one 4 gang box with 2ea 4-way and 2ea 3-way switches. no labels. Probably the most overloaded box I've seen that was supposedly done by professional electrician.
Would love to see what would happen after turning the person in your example loose on that box and randomly reconnecting wires.
"You can't believe how (to use simple non-judgemental terms) DUMB some people are."
I can believe. In a lot of these cases it is just that they are in way over their heads. Some however may have problems getting out of the rain. (;-)
Thanks for the input. I'm going with simple stupid for now - a wiggy, plug in tester, and a non-contact tester. Jjust realized today already have the last two.
make sure it's got an audible continuity feature, very hand ..
I have an old thirty year old analog simpson that is my favorite.Haga su trabajo de fricken
I have a 40-year-old (at least) Eico, but don't use it because the ohmmeter batteries are always dead.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
The tool is nowhere near as important as the person using it.
For your purposes, a simple $30 digital meter from Radio Shack will serve well. It will measure volts and continuity. A DIY really has no need for anything fancier.
A DIY really has no need for anything fancier.
In the context you infer, agree, actually then nothing better than a $2.99 HF meter is needed.
Own DIY troubleshooting of 'junk' electronic power supplies and comm gear often needs at least a Fluke 123 scope to know what part is needing fixed.
Most DIY are definitely are not rocket scientists. And the HF meters are pretty good. Might be nicer if they threw in a couple more ranges, but the price is right, especially considering the included Chinese battery isn't too bad either.
Some of the "lower end" *or* "not so specialized" Fluke products are now made in China... but still carry the $$Fluke$$ pricetag.
Buyer beware.