"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
I'm on my, oh, third el-cheapo (~$3) DMM (digital multimeter) from HF.
Guess this one'll keep working fine if I can keep it dry and not stomp on
it.

But today I was using it to test a bunch of transistors, using the
handy-dandy "hFE" test function, and realized again what the weak points
of these meters are.

The meters themselves are fine, so far as I can tell. I'm willing to bet
that they're pretty much functionally identical and just as accurate as
much more expensive ones. In other words, the guts are probably pretty
much the same as any DMM on the market, apart from really high-end ones
(Fluke, etc.).

No, the weak points are the damned connectors. I already knew how
****-poor the test leads are; you can practically pull the wires right out
of them. Of course, these can be replaced with better ones.

But in testing those transistors, I had a hell of a time getting a decent
connection. Had to twist and wiggle the xistor leads in the socket to get
any kind of reading. Opened up the case, thinking I might be able to bend
the contacts tighter or something, but the jack is closed on the back, so
not possible. It's just a really poorly-made connector.

So long as one realizes this, one can still be content using these meters.
They're still a great buy. How could you *not* buy a DMM for $3?


--
The phrase "jump the shark" itself jumped the shark about a decade ago.

- Usenet

I have bought several so to have one in each vehicle, in my work shop, in
garage, and one in the living quarters. The test out equal to my Flukes.
However never used to test transistors as I have a good transistor tester
for that purpose. WW