Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On Nov 22, 11:17*am, mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Depends what he wants to do with it.

You could consider an old Avometer - nowadays go for beans on ebay -
for a high quality instrument.

On a modern instrument, autoranging is nice, and not available on
basic meters.

What kind of budget are you on?

For substantial dosh scope-meters are very nice indeed.

Is it domestic electrics or more stuff like electronics?

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:27:00 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 22, 11:17*am, mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Depends what he wants to do with it.

You could consider an old Avometer - nowadays go for beans on ebay -
for a high quality instrument.

On a modern instrument, autoranging is nice, and not available on
basic meters.

What kind of budget are you on?

Flexible. I like a bargain though


For substantial dosh scope-meters are very nice indeed.


Is it domestic electrics or more stuff like electronics?

Both. He's really getting back into making electronics at the moment
though (I now know what a PIC is and what an AVR is!)
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On Nov 22, 11:33*am, mogga wrote:
On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:27:00 -0800 (PST), "



wrote:
On Nov 22, 11:17*am, mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Depends what he wants to do with it.

You could consider an old Avometer - nowadays go for beans on ebay -
for a high quality instrument.

On a modern instrument, autoranging is nice, and not available on
basic meters.

What kind of budget are you on?

Flexible. I like a bargain though



For substantial dosh scope-meters are very nice indeed.

Is it domestic electrics or more stuff like electronics?

Both. He's really getting back into making electronics at the moment
though (I now know what a PIC is and what an AVR is!)
--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk


First youre not giving enough info to know what he would or wouldnt
want. Second he knows what he wants, you've no idea, and if you get
the wrong one it wont do what he wants it for. I suggest coming clean
and asking him.

An old avo? Just about no-one wants one of those as a day to day
meter.


NT

In article
,
wrote:
You could consider an old Avometer - nowadays go for beans on ebay -
for a high quality instrument.

Despite having had a Model 8 from new, I'd not recommend one for general
use. Batteries can be a problem. Large and heavy. And nothing like as
accurate as one costing a few pounds.

--
*On the other hand, you have different fingers*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:04:02 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article
,
wrote:
You could consider an old Avometer - nowadays go for beans on ebay -
for a high quality instrument.

Despite having had a Model 8 from new, I'd not recommend one for general
use. Batteries can be a problem. Large and heavy. And nothing like as
accurate as one costing a few pounds.


He's got a avo 1 and an avo 8 and some other one...
We've discussed the options now and he's looking at several options
now
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"mogga" wrote in message
...
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--

I bought one of these a few years ago and at a lower price.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...ct&R=369221 4

It has a thermocouple, which (with an additional probe) I used for checking
my oil fired boiler after I had installed it.

However there are times when my old fashioned meter with a needle seems
better!


--
Michael Chare

In message , Michael
Chare wrote

I bought one of these a few years ago and at a lower price.

Which seems to have a resistance range in Watts!

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

"Alan" wrote in message
...
In message , Michael
Chare wrote

I bought one of these a few years ago and at a lower price.

Which seems to have a resistance range in Watts!


Maybe that is why it was on a promotional offer, which IIRC was why I chose
it.


--
Michael Chare

On Nov 22, 11:17*am, mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

(He's still chuffed with the electronic thermometer thing I picked up
a couple of years back after recommendations on here)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Oooh - I like the examples Michael & John have come up with - I'm
tempted now!

On Nov 22, 11:17*am, mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Don't get a big Avo, but do consider a S/H Fluke from eBay. My last
was about £25

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

Something that does wiring insulation tests (a specific sparky's
model), again from eBay, is useful for much domestic repair stuff on
mains wiring and motors. 17th edition testers are horribly expensive,
but this has pushed down the price of a basic insulation tester, from
a good maker like Fluke or Robin, to a couple of tenners.

If you're buying new, combined digital and analogue bargraph displays
are nice and much easier to read for wobbly signals.

In article ,
mogga wrote:
Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...

Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

Does he do car stuff as well?

But they vary dramatically in price. My Fluke cost 200 quid. Worth every
penny to me - but maybe not worth it for occasional use.

--
*I started out with nothing... and I still have most of it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote
But they vary dramatically in price. My Fluke cost 200 quid. Worth every
penny to me - but maybe not worth it for occasional use.


I regularly use a DMM (Digital Multi-Meter) now costing under £3 from
CPC. At one time they were on special offer at around £1.50 and I bought
four just to get into the free postage zone Cheap enough to leave
one in the car

I do also have a couple of other DMMs at around £30 and I would agree
with another poster that auto-ranging is a bonus, as is auto switch off.
Ease of changing the battery may be a consideration. Very cheap DMMs
don't have a battery compartment with a cover and the case has to be
taken apart to replace the battery.


--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article , says...

Ease of changing the battery may be a consideration. Very cheap DMMs
don't have a battery compartment with a cover and the case has to be
taken apart to replace the battery.

I've got a Wavetek RMS225 (I think it was originally a Beckman design). This one came
from RS and I think they sold them for years.

True RMS, autoranging, analogue bar display below the digtal one, peak hold, etc., came
with a tough plastic casing into which it fits for protection (from the marks and
scratches on it, it obviously works!)

And you have to take case apart to change the battery ...

So what? I must have had it 15 years and can't remember the last time I changed the
battery ...

which probably means it's waterproof as well ...

I would expect anything above budget range to have auto powerdown these days, anyway.

Oh look! This is it:

http://www.weisd.com/store2/BECRMS225A.php

and Stewart of Reading have got it for £75 unused (+VAT and carriage)

http://www.stewart-of-reading.co.uk/DMM.htm

If nobody's got any better ideas, it looks like a bargain!

--

Terry

In article ,
Terry Casey wrote:
and Stewart of Reading have got it for £75 unused (+VAT and carriage)

http://www.stewart-of-reading.co.uk/DMM.htm

If nobody's got any better ideas, it looks like a bargain!

Has *anyone* ever got a bargain from Stewart of Reading?

--
*Could it be that "I do " is the longest sentence? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , Terry
Casey wrote

So what? I must have had it 15 years and can't remember the last time I
changed the
battery ...


Leave a battery in any equipment long enough and it will leak and cause
damage.

Usually a failing battery causes DMM to read high long before the LCD
display indicates that there is a problem with the power supply.

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article , says...

In message , Terry
Casey wrote

So what? I must have had it 15 years and can't remember the last time I
changed the
battery ...


Leave a battery in any equipment long enough and it will leak and cause
damage.

Usually a failing battery causes DMM to read high long before the LCD
display indicates that there is a problem with the power supply.

Yes! Just writing that post prodded my memory!

All I have to do now is check it before the prod wears off ...

--

Terry

On Nov 22, 6:00*pm, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
In article ,
* *mogga wrote:

Him indoors has just suggested I buy him a multimeter for christmas as
his old one is looking rather tired and knackered...
Any suggestions for any particularly nice ones?

Does he do car stuff as well?

But they vary dramatically in price. My Fluke cost 200 quid. Worth every
penny to me - but maybe not worth it for occasional use.

--
*I started out with nothing... *and I still have most of it.

* * Dave Plowman * * * * * * * * London SW
* * * * * * * * * To e-mail, change noise into sound.

My ideas about cheap meters and the mains has changed somewhat after
reading this;

http://ecmweb.com/ops_maintenance/de...ment-20100101/

Yup 440V arc flash, but encountered suprising 415V in domestic
premises before, converted back from flats.

Flukes are available on Ebay for a lot less than 200 quid for
something basic, and a 30 quid one for things below 50V.....

Cheers
Adam

In article
,
Adam Aglionby wrote:
My ideas about cheap meters and the mains has changed somewhat after
reading this;

http://ecmweb.com/ops_maintenance/de...ment-20100101/

Yup 440V arc flash, but encountered suprising 415V in domestic
premises before, converted back from flats.

My first DVM was a Maplin Gold which cost about 70 quid, many years ago.
Bought to supplement my Model 8 AVO where you need a high input impedance.
I'd had a valve voltmeter for this before which had blown up in a big way.

Some time down the line, I used it to measure mains. And it went bang.
Brass dust from the switch tracks had caused a partial short. Which hadn't
shown up on any other measurements. I cleaned it up and replaced a couple
of components which got it going again - they had provided a circuit
diagram in the instruction book. And calibration details.

Flukes are available on Ebay for a lot less than 200 quid for
something basic, and a 30 quid one for things below 50V.....

Fluke - at least in their lower price range - are now made in the far east.
What impact this has on quality, I dunno. But I suspect you're now paying
through the nose for a name.

--
*Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

The Socket & See crowd (or is it Kewtech) have a range of multimeters
on Ebay which are in the £20-30-40 price bracket as I recall and
report they compare favourably against the Fluke 197 (or similar).

For domestic electrical testing #1 is RCD tester, #2 is Insulation AND
200mA resistance tester. Most general multimeters do not do 200mA on
the resistance test setting and thus not ok with BS7671. Both can be
had quite cheaply used or even not that much new if you time things
right.

On Nov 24, 4:01*pm, "js.b1" wrote:

For domestic electrical testing #1 is RCD tester, #2 is Insulation AND
200mA resistance tester. Most general multimeters do not do 200mA on
the resistance test setting and thus not ok with BS7671. Both can be
had quite cheaply used or even not that much new if you time things
right.

Really? I bought a KT62 from eBay specifically to get something that
met this 17th ed issue and it still cost me an arm and a leg.

On Nov 24, 1:43*am, Adam Aglionby wrote:
http://ecmweb.com/ops_maintenance/de...ment-20100101/

"An estimate of the fault current through the meter
shows that it could have been from several hundred
to as much as 1,000A at 277V."

If so the typical PSSC (L-N) for the UK is typically 1200-2200A, but
can be considerably higher.

I never did like cheap multimeter little glass fuses, best kept for
automotive use only.
If the meter does not disconnect a fault, pulling the probe away allow
an arc to form and follow which at a certain distance can flash to
meatier prey; in this instance the nearby busbar.

Fused test leads are a Very Good Idea albeit yes expensive.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adam Aglionby
saying something like:

My ideas about cheap meters and the mains has changed somewhat after
reading this;

http://ecmweb.com/ops_maintenance/de...ment-20100101/

Fark. You and me both.
Amazing, the consequences of a cheap piece of tat. When that crappy
little meter blew, his fate was sealed.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:43:50 -0800 (PST), Adam Aglionby
wrote:

My ideas about cheap meters and the mains has changed somewhat after
reading this;

http://ecmweb.com/ops_maintenance/de...ment-20100101/

Maybe it's an old story that has been resurrected to create a new
article but in the UK fused meter probes were being heavily promoted
by the HSE, and enforced by proactive companies, at least 15 years
ago.


--