Need to purchase a multimeter

[CNP934DC]

Finding more need for my own multimeter for electrical system checks, (voltage, amps , ohms). I saw one at Advance Auto but did not see selection for 6 vs 12 volts. Still have my P-15 in 6 volt mode so any advice as to type, manufacturer of multimeters?

[JerseyHarold]

I just bought a cheapie digital multimeter at Harbor Freight. $1.99 with the coupon, a few more dollars without.

[CNP934DC]

Thanks guys. I'm not on the forum often, but when I am I can always trust quick response and sound advice.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Multimeters usually have voltage ranges as marked and selectable between AC and DC. Ohm scales are also funtion within a certain range as marked. Very few meter will have a AMP scale and even the very best usually will have 10 or maybe 20 AMP max load capability. DO NOT exceed that rating..miliamp scale is also on most units and of very little use to the automotive repair/troubleshoot. The best thing to do is get a good quality multimeter and a clip on adjustable amp probe capable of say 300 amp read inductively. The proble will output to the the voltohm meter in milivolt scale where one mil will equal one amp.

[falconvan]

I've used a Fluke 322 at work and home for several years. It's been a great tool, really bulletproof. I paid $99 for it.

[Don Coatney]

Fluke is the best (I have one at home and another in my work tool box) but for a novice the two buck Harbor Freight deal is hard to beat. You can use them wrong and fry 40-50 of these two buck meters before you catch up with the cost of a Fluke. A word of caution. There are two basic kinds of meters. Digital and analog. The digital meters are a lot more sensetive than the analog meters. When working on voltage sensetive computer equipment a digital meter is required. When working on 40's cars an analog meter will work well. If you use a digital meter on old cars you may get a false reading.

[dirty dan]

Fluke is the best (I have one at home and another in my work tool box) but for a novice the two buck Harbor Freight deal is hard to beat. You can use them wrong and fry 40-50 of these two buck meters before you catch up with the cost of a Fluke. A word of caution. There are two basic kinds of meters. Digital and analog. The digital meters are a lot more sensetive than the analog meters. When working on voltage sensetive computer equipment a digital meter is required. When working on 40's cars an analog meter will work well. If you use a digital meter on old cars you may get a false reading.

How's that? Why would you get a false digital reading because a car is old? In Louisiana, DC voltage is DC voltage, amps are amps, and resistance is resistance.

[busycoupe]

Don is right. Old generators with brushes and old motors cause minute quick fluctuations in the current. A digital meter will pick this up and sometimes flicker, sometimes just read wrong (and you won't know it). An analog meter kind of naturally evens out the reading. The needles on an old meter are damped so that they won't bounce around, this helps when reading old car circuits.

[Don Coatney]

Problem is mostly in grounding. A digital meter will read a ground where a true ground can never be found. An analog meter buffers the minute ground so it will not show as a problem. In sensetive computer equiptment this buffering would be a problem. But in a fifty-sixty year old car this minute ground will not be a problem.

[oldmopar]

I still use a old radio shack analog meter I got at a yard sale years ago. Its a good side meter with I guess a 3 or 4" scale. It does more then I understand how to use. One feature I find useful to trace out wires is a continuity switch that makes a beep when you are on the end of the wire you are tracing.

[BobT-47P15]

I have one Radio Shack meter and one Harbor Freight cheapie meter.

Guess my hearing must be getting bad 'cause I seem to have trouble hearing

the beep for continuity. And, I'm not much of an electrician, so I'm never

sure what sort of setting I need to be reading.

[T120]

..I agree, buy a cheap multimeter - if you fry it it's not a large loss.Having a 6 volt or 12 volt electrical system is of no consequence in the choice of a meter.if you're interested you might google Ohm's law - don't be baffled it's not too difficult to understand and will fall into place once you start using a multimeter.If you have trouble using the meter or have a question post it on this forum.I'm sure you'll find helpful suggestions

[dirty dan]

Don is right. Old generators with brushes and old motors cause minute quick fluctuations in the current. A digital meter will pick this up and sometimes flicker, sometimes just read wrong (and you won't know it). An analog meter kind of naturally evens out the reading. The needles on an old meter are damped so that they won't bounce around, this helps when reading old car circuits.

I've never had that problem with my fluke meter. I see the fluctuations, but I've never had a "flicker" or a false reading. A "poor ground" can be registered on a new car just as easily as an old car. One has to keep in mind the gauge of the ground wire being used when checking for a proper ground.

I'll take your word for it!

Got my Ignitor ignition in today...time to go play cars!

Edited May 29, 2009 by dirty dan

[greg g]

problem with the meters and other electronic stuff (digi micrometer) from the Chinese Embassy, is they eat batteries like crazy. I used my meter about 3 times before the bats went dead, replaced them 3 x 3 volt round jobs, and used it twice more. Went to grab it the other day to do continuity checks on my studie wireing harness and its dead again. Might suggest a step up to Radio Shack or craftsman, cause the batteries are more expensive than the meter.

[Don Coatney]

problem with the meters and other electronic stuff (digi micrometer) from the Chinese Embassy, is they eat batteries like crazy. I used my meter about 3 times before the bats went dead, replaced them 3 x 3 volt round jobs, and used it twice more. Went to grab it the other day to do continuity checks on my studie wireing harness and its dead again. Might suggest a step up to Radio Shack or craftsman, cause the batteries are more expensive than the meter.

Is there not an on-off switch on your meter?

[Don Coatney]

I've never had that problem with my fluke meter. I

see the fluctuations, but I've never had a "flicker" or a false reading. A "poor

ground" can be registered on a new car just as easily as an old car. One has

to keep in mind the gauge of the ground wire being used when checking for a

proper ground.

I'll take your word for it!

Got my Ignitor ignition in today...time to go play cars!

I have never had a "flicker" problem with my Fluke either. But the meter is

over sensetive when searching for a ground. Try this with your car.

Disconnect your "hot" battery cable from the battery. Connect your Fluke

meter (set on DC voltage) from the battery post to the disconnected cable

insuring that the disconnected cable is not touching any metal car part. Let

me know what reading you get. As you see in my picture the Fluke is telling

me that I have a dead short to ground. Try the same with an analog meter

and the reading is zero. I never disconnect my battery and my car has sat for

over a month and the battery does not go flat.

[Don Coatney]

Another Fluke benny, if you leave it on and set it down it will automatically shut off in a few minutes.

[Dodgeb4ya]

I use a Fluke "88" automotive meter. USA made- NOT CHINESE---It has both a smoothing feature and an analog vertical bar graph pointer scale for "flickering" situations like when checking oxygen sensors with a rapid voltage swing from.100 to.800 volts ect..

Shown are both voltage readings on my 1952 Plym W/a post to cable reading of 3.86V-- after making sure the clock rewound and all the lights ect. were off. And 2nd reading of battery standing direct voltage.

Bob

Edited May 30, 2009 by Dodgeb4ya

[greg g]

Yes

duàn kāi

does it work, dunno, screen goes blanl..........