On Sun, 8 Jan 2012 13:48:36 -0800 (PST), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Jan 8, 3:15*pm, JimCo wrote:
On Jan 8, 2:49*pm, notbob wrote:

On 2012-01-08, Doug wrote:

starters lets say $100 (estimate).

Fluke! ....nuff said.

nb

--
vi --the root of evil

I know that I may be laughed off the net, but nevertheless I can
recommend Radio Shack for decent inexpensive digital multimeters. I
have 3 of them: one I use for everyday hacking around on my workbench,
a second one that's a little more sophisticated, and a third even
fancier one that, I admit, I hardly use at all. I've had all 3 for
several years. The first one, on the bench, I have had for many, many
years, and it still functions very well and quite satisfactorily, a
real rugged, sturdy work horse. I don't know what the current Shack
lineup is, but I've been content with the models I have from them.
JimCo

I vote for buying or getting free with a coupon the Harbor Freight
digital meters. They are cheap, yes, but work fine and if you should
drop it you don't have many $$ to lose. I have used everything from
$500 instruments to my free HF, and the HF is just fine for everyday
use around the house. In a scientific laboratory, no, but the OP is
looking to learn and free beats the heck out of $100 or higher.

I think there is something to be said for starting off with a cheap
meter. For one thing, most people connnect them wrong a few times
before leaning to be more careful, so they'll only be burning out (one
range of a) cheap meter. (There is overvoltage protection on a lot
of meters, especially expensive ones, but I odn't know who well it
works.) One can burn out a part of a meter by setting it to too low a
range, and even on self-ranging, can't one damage the meter by trying
to measure resistance when there is 20 vdc or 110 vac present?

Then there is the meter I left in the engine compartment connected to
the battery. I didn't remember it until I checked the oil in
Missouri.

For another, very few uses of a beginner require precise measurement.
Plus or minus 20% is good enough, because in most cases, if the value
is within 30% of what it's supposed to be, it will be just what it's
supposed to be. For voltage and resistance. Most people don't
measure current very often, but it's even more true for current, which
usually isn't rated, so any reasonable value is thought to be correct
and is probably accurate enough.

When most electric things** break they break completely. Yes, there
are times when that's not true, and times when a tenth of a volt
matters, but then after using his head to reach conclusions, the OP
can buy another, better meter. **I guess semiconductors are named
after semi-conductinng, but the OP won't be working on them this year.
Maybe the power suppoly or the speakers but not the internal circuits.

Finally, the only big problem with the 4 dollar HF meters is that they
don't have an audible continuity tester. But it took me a year or two
to notcie that. A 20 dollar rado shack meter is okay too, or the 24
dollar at Lowes or HD.

Whenever I'm down in the dumps I buy musyelf another screwdriver.
Sometimes a meter. My most expensive is about 60.

When he has bigger uses, he'll know what he wants and how much it is
worth it.