Multimeter recommendation?

[Tech4kicks]

Hello everyone!
I'm looking for a multimeter that can do the following,

1. Auto range
2. Capacitance
3. Test resisters, diodes and capacitors in-circuit
4. That I can buy used for between $100-$200

I do a lot of tv/monitor and computer repair and some stereo equipment on occasion. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Flyback]

as you know, you cannot always test them properly "in circuit".
I reckon you can get that for much less than 100 dollars.
Try Tenma, they make cheap stuff that can do that.

 

[Tech4kicks]

Yeah, I do realize that sadly :-(

 

[kubeek]

Personally I hate autoranging as it usually takes ages to get to the correct value, so I can only suggest my trusty Uni-T UT70A. They do make a version with autoranging, but I never tried that one.

 

[spec]

Hello everyone!
I'm looking for a multimeter that can do the following,

1. Auto range
2. Capacitance
3. Test resisters, diodes and capacitors in-circuit
4. That I can buy used for between $100-$200

I do a lot of tv/monitor and computer repair and some stereo equipment on occasion. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hy Tech4kiks (like handle)

You may find the following thread of interest: https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/a-hard-to-resist-problem.146690/#post-1244359

spec

 

[strantor]

I won't suggest anything but Fluke.
When I got started I didn't think it was worth investing a lot of money into an expensive DMM that I was just going to play with.
So I bought some craftsman piece of crap from sears for ~$40.
I blew it up by trying to measure the output of a microwave transformer (I had no idea they put out several kV)
So I bought another one and blew it up by accidentally measuring 120V outlet with the leads in the AMP jacks (it had a fuse but the PCB trace blew faster than the fuse).
So I bought an $80 "top of the line" DMM from Radio Shack, which worked for about a week and then started to just display arbitrary numbers on the LCD.
So I bought a used Fluke 189 off ebay for $300.
I spent a total of $460 for a $300 DMM (which I still use today)
I should have just bought the Fluke from the start.
Learn from my mistake. Just go Fluke. They are the best quality you can get, and very forgiving.
You don't need a 189, that's probably overkill.
A fluke 87 is a good all-arounder that's in great supply used, therefore very affordable.
Fluke 87 is the "industrial" multimeter, as if just being Fluke didn't already make it "industrial".
Check out the deals on eBay, several under $150

 

[Tech4kicks]

Thank you everybody for all of your input! I have been doing a lot of research and I'm leaning on the Fluke 87-V. I've used many Fluke meters and other top brands through companies that I've worked for in the past and I have always like Fluke over all. The 87-V seems to fit into the range of ability I'm looking for. I've been watching Ebay, they seem to go for more around $200 used sadly. I would much rather spend $150 of course haha.

 

[large_ghostman]

I second Tenma, its been as accurate as my bench meter and unless your really going to need Fluke your paying for the kind of thing not really needed outside industry, great to own one but a bit like having a rolls Royce to pop down the shops and back once a week.

TOP TIP if your thinking of fluke then contact farnel and ask to speak with the agligent rep, tell him your thinking of the Fluke and wondered if HP had anything that was as capable . I got a free bench power supply that way

 

[strantor]

TOP TIP if your thinking of fluke then contact farnel and ask to speak with the agligent rep, tell him your thinking of the Fluke and wondered if HP had anything that was as capable . I got a free bench power supply that way

Last night I went to Lowes to get couple cans of paint and a bench grinder. They were sold out of the $45 grinder that I wanted so I asked the guy stocking shelves in the tool department if I could buy the display model. It was missing a part rest and a spark shield. He said "sure, why not" and he wrote "20% OFF" on the tag. I brought it to the front and there was only 1 register open. The kid behind the register didn't have the clearance to authorize the impromptu discount and he paged the manager 3X as more and more customers piled up. The people behind me were getting impatient and both of us were getting more and more flustered by second. I could hear their thoughts: "Why did I have to get stuck behind the one A-hole in the store with special needs?" By the time the manager came off her smoke break and waved her badge at the register, I was ready to get the hell out of there, and the clerk was ready for me to be gone. He quickly punched something on the keypad and said "you total is twentysomething blabla..." and I swiped my card before he was finished. Grabbed my receipt and walked out. As I was driving away, replaying the scenario in my head, I thought "wait, twentysomething...?" I pulled out the receipt and saw that I was charged 36 CENTS for the grinder instead of 36 DOLLARS. Heck of a deal! I hope it doesn't come out of the kid's paycheck; I hope it comes out of the paycheck of whoever decided that it is a money saving proposition to leave the sales of an entire 5 acre shopping center in the hands of one kid and not giving him the tools to do the job.

 

[tvtech]

Hello everyone!
I'm looking for a multimeter that can do the following,

I do a lot of tv/monitor and computer repair and some stereo equipment on occasion. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sigh. Been using an analogue meter for MANY years to repair TV's etc. Might take a bit longer but you WILL find an elusive fault that a DMM (no matter the price/cost/quality) will tend to miss. Digital does not load a Junction for forward bias....even the cheapest Analogue does.

My 2c worth of doing actual repairs on TV's for round 25yrs now.

I use Digital for new electronic designs and Analogue for repairs. Just me.

People that can understand and interpret readings on an Analogue meter tend to know stuff...........

 

[spec]

Last night I went to Lowes to get couple cans of paint and a bench grinder. They were sold out of the $45 grinder that I wanted so I asked the guy stocking shelves in the tool department if I could buy the display model. It was missing a part rest and a spark shield. He said "sure, why not" and he wrote "20% OFF" on the tag. I brought it to the front and there was only 1 register open. The kid behind the register didn't have the clearance to authorize the impromptu discount and he paged the manager 3X as more and more customers piled up. The people behind me were getting impatient and both of us were getting more and more flustered by second. I could hear their thoughts: "Why did I have to get stuck behind the one A-hole in the store with special needs?" By the time the manager came off her smoke break and waved her badge at the register, I was ready to get the hell out of there, and the clerk was ready for me to be gone. He quickly punched something on the keypad and said "you total is twentysomething blabla..." and I swiped my card before he was finished. Grabbed my receipt and walked out. As I was driving away, replaying the scenario in my head, I thought "wait, twentysomething...?" I pulled out the receipt and saw that I was charged 36 CENTS for the grinder instead of 36 DOLLARS. Heck of a deal! I hope it doesn't come out of the kid's paycheck; I hope it comes out of the paycheck of whoever decided that it is a money saving proposition to leave the sales of an entire 5 acre shopping center in the hands of one kid and not giving him the tools to do the job.

The front disks on my Granada became unwell and, as they were big and vented, I was worried about the replacement cost. I went to the local trade spares place where I am registered as a company and got a quote. The chap behind counter said £44 UK and delivery by 9am tomorrow. I said Christ... and he quickly responded OK I will knock 15% of that. I said that price is for each disk? He said no, both. If he had let me finish I was going to say, 'Christ, that is a remarkably good price!' and that was when I thought the price was for one disk only. Sure enough the disks were there at 9am the next day and, by 12am, they were fitted and no more brake judder. Then the missus wanted me to go shopping.

We were designing a transponder for light aircraft and, unlike most aviation equipment, cost was critical. We had completed the prototypes and were working on the production design. The case was an expensive item, and we went to see an injection mounding company with our design for the case. While we discussed delivery schedules and contract conditions etc, the technical boys took the case design drawings away to study them. About an hour later they came back to the meeting looking very worried.

They said that out design was quite difficult and that the environmental conditions meant the use of special and expensive plastics. They said that they had tried to reduce the cost but it would still be around £500 UK. We were expecting something in that area and weren't too shocked by the price, in spite of the apologetic stance of the engineers. The tooling costs of £7K UK were a surprise though; we anticipated an order higher cost.

A bit later when we talking about quantities it turned out that the engineers estimate was for a batch of one thousand cases which was their minimum production run. After the meeting out of earshot, we burst out laughing.

 

[large_ghostman]

Last night I went to Lowes to get couple cans of paint and a bench grinder. They were sold out of the $45 grinder that I wanted so I asked the guy stocking shelves in the tool department if I could buy the display model. It was missing a part rest and a spark shield. He said "sure, why not" and he wrote "20% OFF" on the tag. I brought it to the front and there was only 1 register open. The kid behind the register didn't have the clearance to authorize the impromptu discount and he paged the manager 3X as more and more customers piled up. The people behind me were getting impatient and both of us were getting more and more flustered by second. I could hear their thoughts: "Why did I have to get stuck behind the one A-hole in the store with special needs?" By the time the manager came off her smoke break and waved her badge at the register, I was ready to get the hell out of there, and the clerk was ready for me to be gone. He quickly punched something on the keypad and said "you total is twentysomething blabla..." and I swiped my card before he was finished. Grabbed my receipt and walked out. As I was driving away, replaying the scenario in my head, I thought "wait, twentysomething...?" I pulled out the receipt and saw that I was charged 36 CENTS for the grinder instead of 36 DOLLARS. Heck of a deal! I hope it doesn't come out of the kid's paycheck; I hope it comes out of the paycheck of whoever decided that it is a money saving proposition to leave the sales of an entire 5 acre shopping center in the hands of one kid and not giving him the tools to do the job.

They will simply view it as not having to dump a display model they didnt pay for and gaining a loyal customer, Apple have just given away 4000 iphone 6's for £1 all you had to do was register and pay £1, they ran out so they are sending a iplyer for the £1 instead. The reason they did it was the new iphone CE is about to come out, so in order to gain market share against android they ditched there stocks of the iphone 6 knowing the CE will be taken up by the I must have the latest types at £600 a pop. Good marketing and an easy way to get people locked into your system.

I always ask to talk to reps etc at farnel, the only one who has ever been completely unhelpful was the microchip rep. Agligent have been brilliant and silicon labs are superb, i often get a few of there new dev kits FOC and all they ask in return is my thoughts on the product. Nice bargain BTW you will smile every time you use it and when no one is looking occasionally punch the air lol

Do it enough times when they busy in the same store and the cash people will just take a look at you and say " look just take the foofing thing will ya"

 

[spec]

They will simply view it as not having to dump a display model they didnt pay for and gaining a loyal customer, Apple have just given away 4000 iphone 6's for £1 all you had to do was register and pay £1, they ran out so they are sending a iplyer for the £1 instead. The reason they did it was the new iphone CE is about to come out, so in order to gain market share against android they ditched there stocks of the iphone 6 knowing the CE will be taken up by the I must have the latest types at £600 a pop. Good marketing and an easy way to get people locked into your system.

I always ask to talk to reps etc at farnel, the only one who has ever been completely unhelpful was the microchip rep. Agligent have been brilliant and silicon labs are superb, i often get a few of there new dev kits FOC and all they ask in return is my thoughts on the product. Nice bargain BTW you will smile every time you use it and when no one is looking occasionally punch the air lol

Do it enough times when they busy in the same store and the cash people will just take a look at you and say " look just take the foofing thing will ya"

Quite true LG, most of our development stuff was built with samples, some costing the earth.
spec