Electronics > Beginners

Which new Multimeter i should buy

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soldar:
People get all hung up on getting really good, expensive, tools. Yes, it is nice but I generally prefer to have the cheapest tool that will do what I need. That way, when I lose it, burn it, drop it, have it stolen, electrocute it, inadvertently drop it in a vat full of acid, have it chewed up by the alternator belt in the car, or my wife hits me over the head with it, I lose something I can afford to replace and not something I need to get a mortgage to replace.

I have about 8 or 10 meters, some better than others, some more specialized, and I try to use the cheaper ones for routine work and only use the better ones I keep at the bench when I absolutely need to. About every two or three years I forget to change the leads or the scale or something and I blow up a meter. Thankfully it has always been a cheapo meter and I only felt bad for a few minutes while I went to find the next one in line.

BTW, the first thing I would do is review/check/repair what you have. Make sure battery is good, contacts are clean, rotary selector switch contacts, etc. I see no reason why it should not work.

rstofer:

--- Quote from: soldar on February 01, 2019, 10:27:02 am ---People get all hung up on getting really good, expensive, tools. Yes, it is nice but I generally prefer to have the cheapest tool that will do what I need.

--- End quote ---

The thing about the Aneng 8008 is that it really is a good tool.  Not very expensive but with astounding accuracy according to Dave's tests.  It also has a square wave signal generator - it won't replace an Arbitrary Waveform Generator but it might be pretty handy.

I also have a couple of bench type DMMs that I rarely use.  Sometimes these show up on eBay at very attractive prices.  If the prices hadn't been compelling, I wouldn't have bought them.  A handheld meter does all I need.

As to accuracy, if the meter hasn't been calibrated in the past year, all of the readings are suspect.  None of my meters have been calibrated since they left the factory if it was even done then so I just consider the measurements as "about".  Close enough for a hobbyist!

exe:
Also, more expensive doesn't mean better usability. There are quite a few meters that even cannot do continuity test properly (read fast).

Mr. Scram:
Let's not pretend people are recommending more expensive meters here because it's some sort of fashion statement. It's not about price, it's about safety, build quality and general trustworthiness. It's also about reducing the cognitive load while you're already engaged in a demanding activity. You don't want to be dealing with wobbly and intermittent contacts while troubleshooting a real problem. A cheap meter is a liability if you don't know the differences between a good one and one purely designed around a budget. Considering OP has opened this thread he falls into that category.

Especially safety is about that one time in all those hundreds of times you need it. A good tool is always worthwhile. You don't need a Fluke 87V, but having a proper meter which will both protect you and help you best as possible to solve your problem is worth it. If you must go out and buy an AN8008 and rub off the CAT markings, but do yourself a favour and buy at least one "proper" multimeter as well. It doesn't have to be stupidly expensive, just good.

Neilm:

--- Quote from: rstofer on February 01, 2019, 07:21:44 am ---There was even a time when V-O-Ms didn't even have fuses!

--- End quote ---
True - but the people using them tended to know what they were doing. Many people using them today just do so cos they want to do a measurement without understanding the dangers.


--- Quote from: rstofer on February 01, 2019, 07:21:44 am ---Here's the thing:  You only need to worry about CAT when there is some kind of high voltage transient condition - like a lightning strike right outside your house.  How about just make a rule:  No testing of wall outlets during a storm. 

--- End quote ---

You can get some pretty large transients in the event of load switching or grid fault conditions.


--- Quote from: rstofer on February 01, 2019, 07:21:44 am ---In most cases, you can get by with CAT II.

--- End quote ---

For an ordinary user who isn't probing the mains in the wall true. However since the new version of IEC61010-2-033 all meters must be at least CAT III.

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