Is my new EEVBlog multimeter faulty?

[bright_ideas]

Real noob here but does my new EEVBlog multi-meter (few days 0ld just got to try learning it) appear to be broken somehow or am I a real noob  . Be gentle please if you care to explain my pointed concerns below. I know I have a lot to learn. Video is inserted for viewing.

• When I move the leads the voltage measurement goes up and down.
• When testing a 9v battery the voltage appears to keep going down.
• Using the EF function seems to beep when I even move the probes around. Exaggerated movement in the video.
• IS it normal for the Amperage reading to settle but still go down?
• I cannot seem to get a mA reading even though I believe I just got around a 0.63A reading.

Is my multi-meter broken? 
Thank you all

[retiredcaps]

   

• When I move the leads the voltage measurement goes up and down.

Normal.

   

• When testing a 9v battery the voltage appears to keep going down.

You are measuring a "dead" battery.  Try measuring something like an ATX power supply 12V or 5V rail. It should be rock solid if the power supply is under load, more or less.

   

• Using the EF function seems to beep when I even move the probes around. Exaggerated movement in the video.

I don't know because I don't have this meter so it could be very sensitive?

   

• IS it normal for the Amperage reading to settle but still go down?

Again, dead 9V battery.

   

• I cannot seem to get a mA reading even though I believe I just got around a 0.63A reading.

You may have already blown the mA fuse which is why the meter is showing 0.00.

[wraper]

All I can see is that 9V battery should go to the dumpster.

[retiredcaps]

BTW, I noticed that you turned off the meter first, then put red probe into A socket.  If your probes are connected to something, turning on the meter will force it go through all the ranges like V, ohms, mV and diode test before reaching A. possibly blowing your fuse.

You can do it your way in the video, but just make sure the probes are NOT connected to anything.

[ataradov]

Don't ever measure battery current for more than a couple of seconds. You are essentially putting a short across the battery, that will kill it (if it was not dead before, as you can see here).

And on mA range, a fresh battery will blow the fuse in the multimeter.

[bright_ideas]

Thanks all I guess I seriously need to read/watch some more multi-meter and electronic basics tutorials.  To eager I am.

[rstofer]

If you did blow a fuse, Dave is selling them at his store:
https://www.eevblog.com/product/multimeter-fuse-pack/

Apparently, these fuses are hard to source.

[retiredcaps]

Thanks all I guess I seriously need to read/watch some more multi-meter and electronic basics tutorials.

I wouldn't worry too much.  Everyone has to start somewhere. I can suggest these videos. I watched them when I also first started out.

[alsetalokin4017]

A "perfect" voltmeter acts like an open circuit (very high impedance) so you can connect it to a circuit with almost no effect on the circuit, and it will also pick up tiny indications from the environment due to changing lead positions etc, especially on AC range. Connect a voltmeter across a battery and you should read a stable voltage since the (ideal) voltmeter does not (ideally) load or draw current from the battery.

A "perfect" ammeter acts like a _short circuit_, that is, it has very low impedance. What do you expect to happen if you simply short-circuit the terminals of a battery? That's right-- a high current will flow through the short circuit. And if there is a low current fuse involved... say goodbye to the fuse.

Blowing the low-range fuse in the Ammeter function is so common for new DMM users -- who then believe their meter is defective --  that there should be warnings printed on the package.

[IanB]

When I move the leads the voltage measurement goes up and down.

The space you live in is full of electric and magnetic fields. When you wave the leads around they act like antennas and pick up voltages from all the stray fields around you. You see this on the meter as a fluctuating voltage reading.

When testing a 9v battery the voltage appears to keep going down.

You will notice from the voltage that this 9 V battery is dead. It is normal for the voltage to be going down on a dead battery.

Using the EF function seems to beep when I even move the probes around. Exaggerated movement in the video.

If you read the manual you will see the EF function should be used with the leads unplugged. The EF sensor is in the body of the meter at the top left hand side near the display.

IS it normal for the Amperage reading to settle but still go down?

Yes, because you are putting a short circuit across the battery and killing it. Poor battery 

I cannot seem to get a mA reading even though I believe I just got around a 0.63A reading.

I will guess you put the meter directly across the battery and blew the fuse as others have said. NEVER put a meter across a battery in a current range unless you know the current will not exceed the range of the meter.

[Muttley Snickers]

Using the EF function seems to beep when I even move the probes around. Exaggerated movement in the video.

If you read the manual you will see the EF function should be used with the leads unplugged. The EF sensor is in the body of the meter at the top left hand side near the display.

An excellent post and just a minor addition to your statement, this particular meter incorporates both single probe contact EF and non-contact EF detection so the use of a probe in this scenario is in fact somewhat normal, personally I’m not a fan of this contact EF detection method as I foresee potential dangers for inexperienced users, I still tend to use and trust non-contact volt sticks out of habit I guess. 

[Audioguru]

Today I bought some AAA Ni-MH rechargeable battery cells. They are larger than the AAAA cells in a 9V battery so they produce a higher current. I charged them and measured 8A with my digital multimeter.
I have never tried to short a 9V alkaline battery but I think it can produce 1A for 15 minutes then it will be almost dead at 6V.

[sleemanj]

Blowing the low-range fuse in the Ammeter function is so common for new DMM users -- who then believe their meter is defective --  that there should be warnings printed on the package.

I don't know why meters don't come with spare fuses by default, at least low current ones.  I certainly include spares when I sell (cheap chinese) meters, because it's just a matter of time before you blow especially a low current fuse, not just beginners.  Toasted one the other day myself accidentally in a moments inattention.  That's what they are there for.

[james_s]

Today I bought some AAA Ni-MH rechargeable battery cells. They are larger than the AAAA cells in a 9V battery so they produce a higher current. I charged them and measured 8A with my digital multimeter.
I have never tried to short a 9V alkaline battery but I think it can produce 1A for 15 minutes then it will be almost dead at 6V.

Why would you do that? NiCd and NiMH batteries can produce surprisingly high current, you can melt wires that way and blow fuses, not to mention it can damage the battery. Don't ever try to measure current across a battery, that's putting a direct short on it.

[Gyro]

Today I bought some AAA Ni-MH rechargeable battery cells. They are larger than the AAAA cells in a 9V battery so they produce a higher current. I charged them and measured 8A with my digital multimeter.
I have never tried to short a 9V alkaline battery but I think it can produce 1A for 15 minutes then it will be almost dead at 6V.

With a single Ni-MH cell at around 1.4V the thing that is limiting the current to 8A is the combined resistance of your meter leads, probe tips, meter fuse, and current shunt. That's the only thing that has saved your meter fuse (until now anyway!) The true short circuit current of the cell would actually be much higher. With more than one cell in series the fuse would blow for sure.

Either way, it's a pointless experiment. 

[ebastler]

If you did blow a fuse, Dave is selling them at his store:
https://www.eevblog.com/product/multimeter-fuse-pack/
Apparently, these fuses are hard to source.

use smaller diameter copper wire that is suitable. problem fixed. if you believe those story that the MM will blow up and smash to your face then, so be it.

What?!? 

You can't be serious?! Who knows what someone will later accidentally connect that meter to? There are so many discussions on this forum and elsewhere about the need for decent fuses with high rupture capacity on multimeters. And then you come along, in the Beginners forum of all places, with this "great" advice? 

For the record -- don't patch your fuse with a piece of wire; get a properly rated replacement fuse! 

[tooki]

Thanks all I guess I seriously need to read/watch some more multi-meter and electronic basics tutorials.  To eager I am.

I think we all blew a multimeter fuse before we learned how to measure current properly! Why don't we just say that you've passed your first initiation ritual?

I assume the manual lists a method for testing the fuses. If you've blown one, order replacements from the link above. And have fun learning!

[janoc]

If you did blow a fuse, Dave is selling them at his store:
https://www.eevblog.com/product/multimeter-fuse-pack/
Apparently, these fuses are hard to source.

use smaller diameter copper wire that is suitable. problem fixed. if you believe those story that the MM will blow up and smash to your face then, so be it.

  You are trolling, right??

Here you have what happens with a cheapo glass fuse (or a "piece of wire") in a meter should a power spike come down the line (e.g. because of a switching transient or even a lightning strike somewhere, or the user being an idiot and trying to measure voltage with probes in the current jacks - everybody does that at some point):

https://youtu.be/OEoazQ1zuUM?t=389

Now imagine you were holding that meter in your hand. That expensive fuse is there to contain the explosion so that you don't have pieces of molten metal and plastic shrapnel flying around your face!

If all you are ever going to do is playing with Arduinos, use a piece of wire if you want. But then why to buy the Brymen, a cheap hw store junk would do equally well. However, that Brymen meter is CAT III-IV rated (and actually certified as such!) so someone could have the reasonable idea to use it to measure mains and risk their life thanks to your "fix".

Seriously,  mate ...

[BBBbbb]

A bad video example, do you notice he said that the leads due to bad wire quality were actually like a fuse [emoji3]

I guess idea of a small wire as a fuse comes from the old household fuses, but do you really want to play with your DMM that way?

[Seekonk]

Wisdom comes from knowledge.
Knowledge comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad decisions.

You bought a meter before you had any use for it.  Of course you are going to do things like measure how many amps are in a battery because you are bored.  I have a 6 1/2 digit meter, but I most often use the free meters from Harbor Freight. Buying an initial meter that you think you can live with for a long time is a mistake. Better equipment doesn't make you smarter. These days meter fuses are expensive.  Put this on the shelf and get a cheap meter to experiment with.

[rstofer]

If you did blow a fuse, Dave is selling them at his store:
https://www.eevblog.com/product/multimeter-fuse-pack/
Apparently, these fuses are hard to source.

use smaller diameter copper wire that is suitable. problem fixed. if you believe those story that the MM will blow up and smash to your face then, so be it.

I have seen the results of measuring 480VAC on the Rx1 (?) scale of a Simpson 260.  It might have been one of the current scales, I wasn't there at the time.  In any event, the entire case exploded with pieces attempting to embed themselves in the mechanic.  I guess the engineer standing along side had to go home to change.  When you have an available fault current of 50,000 amps or so, bad things can happen.  Compound that problem with the arcing that quickly turns to plasma and things can get real exciting.

These high interrupting capacity fuses are sort of new.  Meters built in the '50s and '60s might not have them.

Even with the high interrupting capacity fuses, I wouldn't expect the meter to survive an 'oopsie' with that kind of available fault current. 

As to shorting batteries:  That's a really bad idea.  I accidentally shorted a rechargeable Alkaline and the battery caught on fire.

[ebastler]

use smaller diameter copper wire that is suitable. problem fixed. if you believe those story that the MM will blow up and smash to your face then, so be it.

You are trolling, right??

no i'm not. but you are right, thats not a beginner recommendation as rstofer has given.

You are not getting out of this by adding red highlighting after the fact, mate... 
So what constitutes a "suitable" replacement wire in your expert opinion? One that happens to be located inside a ceramic tube, embedded in quartz sand, and tested to 1kV high current rupture? 

Regarding the Fluke demo: Yes, it is designed to look spectacular, and probably tests the circuit design of the Chinese meter rather than its fuse. But that does not take away from the fact that there are measurement modes where the fuses are designed to protect you from potentially catastrophic failures, and can only do so if they are proper HRC fuses.

And no, the Fluke engineer does not talk about "Fluke fuses" at any point in the video. Listen again.

[Zero999]

Any discussion regarding fusing and DMMs always gets heated very quickly.

Whilst I agree, that a fuse, should always be replaced with one of the original type, used by the manufacturer or better, a beginner shouldn't really be measuring circuits which can develop such high fault currents, they'll ever need anything beyond an ordinary glass fuse.

[joeqsmith]

It does seem irresponsible to suggest jumping out an HRC fuse in a handheld meter with wire to a beginner. 

Even if we completely ignore the safety side of things, how much would it take to damage the EEVBLOG meter if we jump the fuse?  Anyone willing to try it?  Does seem like something the idiots suggesting this would be willing to do before they go posting about it being a good idea.  Maybe these fuse experts could post some data where they have successfully replicated the time/current curves for the fuse supplied in the EEVBLOG meter.   For me, it seems like a total waste of time and stupid to even attempt it but anyone willing to suggest it should have already done their homework. 

If we ignore that being stupid like  this may result in damaging your meter, the other problem with beginners is they may not understand when they are putting themselves at risk.

I agree with Seekonk.  Get a cheap meter to start with. 

Wisdom comes from knowledge.
Knowledge comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad decisions.

You bought a meter before you had any use for it.  Of course you are going to do things like measure how many amps are in a battery because you are bored.  I have a 6 1/2 digit meter, but I most often use the free meters from Harbor Freight. Buying an initial meter that you think you can live with for a long time is a mistake. Better equipment doesn't make you smarter. These days meter fuses are expensive.  Put this on the shelf and get a cheap meter to experiment with.

[joeqsmith]

Having some fun with some an inch or so of 30AWG.