Multimeter

[berryr99]

Good evening - its been a bit since I have posted however I have been hard at work on Blaenau North.

I have decided to replace my multimeter so went onto Amazon to be totally confused by the choice.

Is anyone able to recommend a decent instrument in the range

[Hugh Norwood]

Well... How long's a piece of string?

I must admit I get by with a very simple digital (autoranging) one that measure volts and ohms and has a continuity sounder. Sometime I think it might be useful to measure current, but I have so far never got around to getting another one. (As an aside, I did buy an oscilloscope a few years ago but hardly ever use it).

I find the ohms setting very useful as, despite having good colour vision, I find it difficult to read the stripes on resistors, and to be frank it's just as easy to use the ohmmeter!

Sorry if that's a bit woolly.
Just had a look at Amazon. What a lot of choice.... Trouble is, one is reluctant to advise in case one recommends a lemon!

What make was your old one?

[Graeme Dunbar]

Perhaps the first thing to ask yourself is what you use it for.

I use cheap digital multimeters. Two or three cheap ones may be more use that one more expensive one for general checking. It can be very handy to be able to measure voltage and current simultaneously.

Something like this:
http://www.rapidonline.com/Test-Measurement/Voltcraft-VC-11-Digital-Multimeter-51-5199

You may have to spend rather more than your budget to get a big improvement in performance though you should get a more substantial case and leads and a number of extra 'features' that you may or may not use.

Even if you do need an expensive meter for some applications it would still be worth buying couple of cheap ones for taking to exhibitions or club house just in case there is the possibility they will get abused or 'walk'.

[B.Meldon]

I have one like this:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350969594889

This even comes with a PP3 9v battery installed!

It has worked just fine for well over 10 years now on model railway work!

I think it cost me

[berryr99]

Thanks for the suggestions - my current (no pun intended !) one is a Rapidtest that must be 20 years old and the problem is that it seems to be losing the ability to do a circuit test, having swapped leads around etc I think it must be an internal fault.

Bob

[B.Meldon]

The most common fault I have seen with meters is with the lead connection sockets getting dirty and not working as they should.
The next most common fault is with the rotary switch.

But I assume you have changed the internal battery Bob?

Brian Meldon

[Graeme Dunbar]

The DMM that Brian linked to on eBay is the sort I have (or something very similar). Maplin or Rapid did a 2 for 1 offer a few years back. I've found  them perfectly satisfactory.

[berryr99]

Brian,

I've checked/swapped out the leads and replaced the battery so I think its the unit.

Bob

[Retiarius]

I have one like this:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350969594889

This even comes with a PP3 9v battery installed!

It has worked just fine for well over 10 years now on model railway work!

I think it cost me