What multimeter do you use?

[Mikebtb]

I am just starting out toying with analogue audio and I just wondered if someone could reccomend a multimeter, maybe one you use and are happy with. Since I'm just starting out and it's a hobby I don't want to pay to much.

Thanks in advance

 

[Willen]

I am using a Chinese pretty cheap DMM rated just $5 (Aaron DT9205A). It's not accurate and stable like world's most advanced and expensive 'Fluke' though. My has:

-Resistance: 200Meg max
-Current AC and DC: 2mA to 20A max
-DC voltage: 200mV to 1000V max
-AC voltage: 200mV to 750V max
-Capacitance: 2nF to 200uF max
-Transistor's hFE test
-Continuity test
-Dial hold (DH) and auto sleep with 9V battery.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

These guys https://www.circuitspecialists.com/search.html?searchQuery=multimeter have some reasonably priced meters.

Useful things for audio are:
1) Bar graphs
2) Auto-turn off. Saves batteries.
3) db measurements are somewhat useful. It allows easy computation of gain.
4) And possibly good True RMS for a decent bandwidth. Most meters are average responding, TRMS reading for a sine wave only and limited bandwidth.

 

[DerStrom8]

I bought a $25 Craftsman from Kmart almost 9 years ago and it's still going strong. I was surprised it worked so well.

 

[Mikebits]

I have an HP 971A meter, had it for a very long time and it is best meter I ever owned. This is the most common tool I use for electronics work and other jobs such as, automotive, house electrical, and appliances. This is such an important asset in many ways, I would say, spend more if you can, as this instrument will be useful for years and years.
**broken link removed**

 

[ericgibbs]

hi,
I use this model.
Useful for automotive, household wiring etc, as well as electronics.
The Duty cycle/Freq are handy for PWM testing.

**broken link removed**

 

[Willen]

I have found a cheap DMM and a cheap Clamp Meter. Price is almost same. Do I think the clamp meter is little advanced in technology and accuracy too? I am thinking this way because detection technology of clamp meter is interesting and maybe advanced than DMM too.

 

[Reloadron]

For general purpose kick around an Omegaette that I was given. It's about a $19.00 general purpose DMM and on AC it is Average Responding RMS indicating. For more serious work when I want a good handheld DMM I use a Fluke 87 which on AC is a true RMS responding meter. So you can span about $19 to $300 plus depending on what you want and most important what features you want combined with what accuracy or uncertainty.

Ron

 

[Mikebits]

I have quite a few cheapo meters, many with exploded batteries in them, (yeah I don't know why I did not throw them out) along with those I have my trusty HP meter which was mid range priced for the time. My point being, if you want to do electronics work as a hobby or even as a tech, a DMM is an indispensable tool and well worth spending the money to have one that last and allows your hobby to grow with your knowledge. A cheapo meter is just that, a cheapo meter. Get a good one and it will serve you for years to come. I have had my HP meter for 20 years and it still rivals the newer meters on the market.

 

[dr pepper]

I have a meterman 38xr, reasonably expensive but it does capacitance, frequency and inductance on top of the usual.
Beware clamp meters with the clamp measure just ac current, unless you spend quite a bit more and get one that will measure dc current with the clamp.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I too have loads.... I have several bench meters that I use for accurate measurements... I have a reasonably cheap hand held ( LARGE display, as I'm nearly blind ) and several naff ones for quick test/checks...

Some reasonably cheap meters are very good... The TENMA I use daily is a pretty good meter (£35 ish)... I drop it often, so I don't have expensive ones out in the field!!

 

[dr pepper]

If you sight isnt great ian better lay off that JD.

 

[kinarfi]

I would recommend an LCR meter, you'll eventually want to know what the inductance of coil is, what the capacitance of a cap is and of course, what the resistance is, plus you'll have currents, voltages, hfe and maybe even temperature.
Google "lcr meter" in electrical & test equip, and click shopping, and limit the price to above 25 to get rid of a bunch off the junk
Jeff

 

[DerStrom8]

I would recommend an LCR meter, you'll eventually want to know what the inductance of coil is, what the capacitance of a cap is and of course, what the resistance is, plus you'll have currents, voltages, hfe and maybe even temperature.
Google "lcr meter" in electrical & test equip, and click shopping, and limit the price to above 25 to get rid of a bunch off the junk
Jeff

Good point, this is one thing I have yet to obtain. I've gone over 10 years without being able to measure inductance, which has been such a pain. You can easily measure capacitance and resistance with a standard meter, but inductance is a bit more tricky.

 

[Ian Rogers]

If you sight isnt great ian better lay off that JD.

No!!!

 

[rickselectricalprojects]

i use a fluke 332 ac clamp meter, a fluke 179 and a fluke 10 as a backup spare meter. i am very thankful for those meters because i am 14 and i could of never afforded them but a friends dad got them from a site he was working on and took them because they were going to be thrown away

 

[Gayan Soyza]

I mostly use an analog meter for instant checks & for repairing stuff.For precision measurements i use a descent digital meter.Both are SANWA brand made in Japan.

 

[be80be]

I got a free one at harbor freight it didn't work i was going to throw it away but something said check the test leads i took the black one off and check it with my good old cheap vom and sure enough it had bad leads. i pulled out a set that i got for my EXTCH mini multiscope it work great. I use the red one most it was the free one. But all in all its not off that much if any from the rest. It reads the same as the one on the left be it volts or resistance, One on the left is over $450 new. It's a good meter just to big to carry around.

 

[be80be]

On a side note there was a test of DMM and it was like 20 from $18 to $200 in price and 15 of them had the same chip in them to take the reading and th last five where almost the same as far as hardware goes And using them to test they all did about the same on volts and ohm the biggest difference was in the LCD. Better one had better LCD's clear reading. But what the heck I can look strait at the lcd and still hold the leads LOL

 

[DerStrom8]

On a side note there was a test of DMM and it was like 20 from $18 to $200 in price and 15 of them had the same chip in them to take the reading and th last five where almost the same as far as hardware goes And using them to test they all did about the same on volts and ohm the biggest difference was in the LCD. Better one had better LCD's clear reading. But what the heck I can look strait at the lcd and still hold the leads LOL

Dave Jones from the EEVblog did a test like that. It was very informative. I'm going to see if I can find the video.

EDIT: There were a few, apparently: