Was your first meter a "trashy" meter?

[floobydust]

Micronta 22-027 8-ranges! Normally came in a black housing $8.95 in 1975. Same as https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/what-was-your-first-multimeter-or-voltmeter/50/
ArcherKits came in turquoise 28-4012 $7.95 or $44 in today's dollars (pic is eBay listing).

I was a kid at the time. Rich kids got the top of the line 22-204/28-4014 "range doubler" $29.95 in 1975 or $168 in today's dollars. I think it was their overall best seller.
Remember being at Radio Shack as a guy tried to get a refund on his blown up 22-204. He wondered if his mains outlet was 15A and stuck the probes in to measure that... it exploded. Apparently the range switch launched out across the room lol.

[tautech]

First meter was dad's that he built from a kit, a English University brand that he sourced sometime in the 40/50's when he was right into SW < shortwave, not software !
I used that meter from a youngster in short pants until turning 21 for checking all manner of things from dry cells to wet cells to mains to 700V in valve based rectifiers I built in school to power a # of valve based projects.

At 21 a family friend gave as a birthday gift a Jap Kaise SK-160, a reasonably well featured moving coil meter of quite good quality......for 1980 vintage.
I've shared this pic of it here before:



It still lives in a little slide top box I made for it soon after receiving it and with luck I can pass it to a grandson one day.

[Calambres]

Mi first multimeter was a very good high end ICE 680-R, an european (italian) classic of the era. I bought it somewhere around 1978 and I had to save a lot of time to get the funds for such an expensive meter. I still have it today and is still working like new.

[Tycho_Brahe]

Mine was this "Scope" brand, model DVM-630.    I think I purchased it around 1990 and even though I also purchased (and still own) a Fluke 85 around the same time, I've used this cheap meter as my goto meter in the garage ever since.   I'm amazed it lasted this long.  I've always been curious as to where I purchased it.   It's been too long and I can't remember.   Mail order I think (MCM Electronics maybe).   Also I've always wanted to know more about the manufacturer, like where it was based and if it's still around.    Horrible brand name in today's age because there's too much 'noise' if you search for 'Scope'.

[aeg]

Mine was this "Scope" brand, model DVM-630.    I think I purchased it around 1990 and even though I also purchased (and still own) a Fluke 85 around the same time, I've used this cheap meter as my goto meter in the garage ever since.   I'm amazed it lasted this long.  I've always been curious as to where I purchased it.   It's been too long and I can't remember.   Mail order I think (MCM Electronics maybe).   Also I've always wanted to know more about the manufacturer, like where it was based and if it's still around.    Horrible brand name in today's age because there's too much 'noise' if you search for 'Scope'.

It looks like an outfit called Fordham sold these from magazine ads in the late 80s. They also had some Fluke lookalikes.

[wasedadoc]

Mi first multimeter was a very good high end ICE 680-R, an european (italian) classic of the era. I bought it somewhere around 1978 and I had to save a lot of time to get the funds for such an expensive meter. I still have it today and is still working like new.

A few years before that I bought and still have its smaller brother the ICE Microtest 80.  Supplied with English manual which has 'Electronic Brokers Ltd 49/53 Pancras Road London' printed on the rear cover.  Same method of range selection by inserting probes into appropriate hole. Still works fine except the resistance ranges because it took a mercury button cell RM627 which is no longer manufactured.  The circuit relied on the very accurate and stable voltage of such mercury cell to obviate the need for a zero ohms adjuster.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ice_microtest_80.html

It was not my first meter.  That was an Avo Multiminor Mk 4 purchased around 1965.

[Aldo22]

My first meter was a Ц4324 from the USSR.
I think it's still in the basement somewhere.
For the price it was ok back then, as far as I can remember.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/maschprib_vielfachmessgeraet_u4324.html?language_id=2

[sorenkir]

VOC 2035V from 1980 (french brand but it is a rebadged sabtronics 2035A).
3 1/2 digits 0.1%



Still in spec:



Sabtronics Ad 
https://www.industrial-electronics.com/re_elec-1981-09_sab.html

Michel.

[andyB2022]

My very first meter was this:
 


At that time I didn't even know the names of high end manufacturers like Fluke, Agilent, Brymen etc...
Of course I still have the meter, it was blown in the A range and that is why I've moved to a UNI-T.
Time flies...