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...

[Dave Wise]

floobydust, thanks for the trip down memory lane.  Was I rich because I got an allowance?  I saved and saved and saved and finally bought a 28-4014 Archer 50K/V Range Doubler VOM kit.  After assembling it I was so excited I forgot to check the knob position, and I stuck the prods into the wall outlet and blew out a resistor.  I bodged in a replacement and used that meter for years.  I dropped it a few times and kept using it, keeping it in the shipping box in lieu of cabinet.

Today my trashy meters are a DT-830B given to me at work, and a Micronta 22-191 DMM I found tucked inside a yard sale mystery box.  I use them without shame any time they are at hand.  If my Fluke 87 is closer, then I use that.   

[floobydust]

My allowance was $7/month so I did not buy much. Visiting great-grandparents and they would give me $20.

I remember the range-doubler was slowwww for the meter pointer to settle. That, and having to be awake to know to half the reading oh yeah and there is no fuse... when measuring current like all manly multimeters of the day, do not screw up!

[coromonadalix]

For me

It was an Wavetek (Beckman Industrial) HD160,  a gift from my defunct father,  my small allowance could not pay for that,  300$ CAD at the time, and i was at age 14, into electronics

I was building   the Science et Vie magazine  electronics projects, can't recall when they stopped doing that.

It was the most good and beautiful meter i had in my youth, i gave it to my best friend who still use it 25 30 years later, i'm now at 53

While over the years  i began  "my tons of meters" purchase wanting this or that ....          craziness who costed a lot  now ending with Gossens ...    last ones

[LMedu]

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.

I had the same one.