"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 08:30:54 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

fired this volley in
:


Really? As an electrical instructor, are you even the slightest
bit
worried about using a cheap multimeter?

That's sort of a 'mixed bag'. I would never use one of those
myself,
except to get a quick check of the meter itself, to verify it was
_reasonably_ accurate.

However, I install equipment for folks who are not usually
technically-
competent at fixing equipment (being competent at making things that
go
"BANG", instead), and there are sometimes things I can do "with
their
hands" over the phone to help trouble-shoot problems.

If they don't even own an instrument, I'll pick up one of those to
leave
with them (checking it first, of course), just so I don't have to
pick up
my car keys every time the phone rings.

LLoyd

I used to buy the HF $2.99 meters (now $3,99) by the dozen and give
them to my customers who were out of state and hard to get to. They
worked well enough for a quick diagnosis of equipment over the
phone.
I had guys calling me up to ask how to test their cable TV coax
(dogs
got it) and their light switches and their servo amps on CNC lathes.
Those meters worked well enough for that with no issues noted. Other
than the guy who went to get his meter to check his coax..and his
dobbies had eaten the meter as well. Shrug.

Gunner

The HF DVMs have an internal calibration pot that can bring them
within 2 counts of a good meter. Mine were generally within 5 counts
at 12.00V as received. 500 VDC from a Megger's guard terminal hasn't
fried a meter or its included test leads, which I just unplugged,
twisted together and measured as 1000 MegOhms at 1000 VDC.

I use better quality probes and leads to check the power line.

-jsw