What brand/model digitall multimeter is on your bench?

Time to upgrade my meter. Need something thats not compact, has tilt leg in the back to stand up on the bench and would be good for general wiring as well as amp repair.

Looking at Fluke 77, but open to any suggestions.

 

Right now I'm using the Lake-o-Meter...

Lick your fingers wrapped in tin foil

 

I've got a Fluke 77 (III). Man that thing is as hard as nails. I wrote a guide with one: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=63647&highlight=multimeter

It's not cheap though - but saying that it's lasted a good 7 or 8 years - was previously step dads. A good investment, I'd say.

 

Radio Shack makes some very bench top meters, at Solano College, in their computer repair classroom, has a Fluke, two Radio Shack models, and one that I can’t remember, but it can hookup with the computer as well……….Radio Shack worked for me, before….wobbles

 

I'm using a fluke 187 these days, this thing can do anything!! Can buy adapters for it to do a number of specialized jobs, from thermal to high voltage. I personally love the fiber light meter, as I am in the communications field and use it all the time for my fiber testing. Quite pricey though. But I feel ya get what ya pay for.

 

Always go Fluke if you can afford it. So says every electrician I work with or know non-professionally.

I've had mine for almost twelve years now.

 

For what little I do/did, I have a cheap Radio Shack multi, but where I used to work, it was Fluke all the way. Not only reliable as an anvil, but FAA regs required recalibration and recertification every year, and Fluke took care of their own nicely.

 

I use a little 5$ one from ACE Hardware ....It does every thing i need it to do .....

 

I use a Bluepoint, off the Snap-on truck, because it's one third the price of the Fluke. It's very durable and pretty accurate. The annoyance with it is, I've blown the fuse in it for the amps readings (easy to do in the auto business) and it's a disassembly to replace.
If I could afford the Fluke, I'd buy the Fluke.

 

It is a GB instruments GDT-11, and it is a POS, it measures 135v coming out of the wall outlet, and i live in America.

 

Sure that's not the supply?

I had a meter I had to use in physics before that told me that my little 5V lab pack was giving me 20,000V. Unlikely to say the least. I always get the crap meters when I'm doing physics practicals.

 

Fluke!

 

I'm suddenly remembering a day when we had to do a power tie-in on the lower level of a parking ramp, and the guy I was working for had accidentally set his Fluke to millivolts but didn't notice! LOL!

 

Thats what ive been using for the past 4 yrs or so. Been pretty good but I need something more accurate. I am worried about paying 100+ for a fluke and wearing out the dial. Hopefully I can find one where you can set the dial and it has a seperate on/off button. That would be ideal.

Couple of people have recommended a radio shack model and some of the craftsmen models. Looks like Sears carries a few Fluke models. Need to stop in there soon and check them out.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, its much appreciated.

 

I don't like the dial thing on my multimeter, you have to change it between like 200 ohms 2k ohms 20k ohms. those flukes I sue at school ine lectronics clas just give you a number and then a symbol like K or M and i have had 2 of these, the firast one lasted about a year.

 

My Bluepoint has the separate on/off button and a hold button, handy if you can't read the display while taking the reading. I can't remember the model number because it's at work and I'm not, But it was $130 Canadian and the Fluke was about $300 for the comparable model.
@splitt3r. You can buy "autorange". With those you set to volts or ohms etc and it will adjust to the level needed for testing automatically. I don't like it myself, I'll stick with the dial.

 

An amazing thing. This is the internet. I don't need my meter in my hand to get the model munber. It's here. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=16690&group_ID=1369&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

With the Fluke 77 you can use autorange or set the range manually with the range button. There is also a hold button which works excelently, and has an auto set - so it will discard "spike" values if you want.

A surprisingly handy feature is the little "analog" level that goes across the bottom of the screen. It works on instant feedback, so you can get a jist of the reading before you get the precise digital readout.

The only thing that it lacks is a coulomb meter (for capacitors), but that's something I have anyway which isn't too much of a problem to take with me. I've never seen a multimeter with a coulomb meter on it, but it'd be really handy

Oh and if you did get a fluke then I'd encourage you to get the Fluke leads as well, with probes and croc clips. Most of the substitute leads i've tried have been crap in that they don't sit in the sockets nearly as well as the real thing.

I did a practical today - had some time to kill so I calibrated 3 meters (of the same make and model) with an CRO and a 5V conditioned supply and for voltage they were at least 0.5V out each

 

http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/fluke/images/187.jpg
got it half off thru work
so it was only 200 sumtin
good meter
versatile

 

Thinking about the 112
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=03481380000&tab=des#tab

Seems like a good one. Only 160 bucks.

 

hey blues i will buy your old one from ya when you get a new one . just in case you become a rock star so i can make some money off it

 

I'd like a better description of the range of resistance and capacitance it will handle. Being designed for "installers and contractors" sounds like it's designed more for house wiring than for electronics.

 

They have this one
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...00&subcat=Multi-Meters,+Testers+&+Accessories

and this one
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?vertical=TOOL&bidsite=&pid=03481438000&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

I dunno which one to get LOL. I just want it to be accurate and hold up for a long time.

 

What kinds of things do you need it FOR Blues? Makes a difference in what you'd be happy with.

 

Biasing tube amps, checking values on different parts(caps, resistors, etc), measuring resistance on guitar pickups(ohms), power and output transformers on amps. Probably other stuff I haven't thought of yet.

At the moment i need something for measuring pickups and it needs to be pretty acurate. The amp stuff is on the horizon very shortly.

 

Well, the first meter (the 112) does capacitance, which your second and third choices don't appear to cover. You may need to drop in to the store and read the owners manuals for those to really see what's what. If you'll be checking caps, you really want capacitance.

 

Come on GT, now days just google it……..I’ve downloaded manuals for my digital camera, and my new police scanner….I have the manuals right here in front of me, but, its nice to change the font size (make bigger) for my eyes…………wobbles

 

I went from a simpson in the 70's and 80's to a fluke,wont buy any thing else,

 

LOL. This is true. Although I like fondling the hardware itself when possible. But download is easier.

 

Well I got tired of trying to find one and bought a craftsman from sears for 50 buck. Has on/off button like I wanted, huge display which is nice and the little flipout leg stand will flip all the way up so I can hang it on the wall. Very pleased so far. Seems rugged and is giving me accurate readings on things that the old meter was having problems with.