Why do we want fast continuity detection in a multimeter?

[Fungus]

In many of the Dave's reviews, we watch him check the continuity test function of a meter by shorting the two leads and listening for how quickly the meter beeps. Faster is better, apparently.

Instant gratification. Kids these days…

Yep, I can easily find the pins on that MCU using my slowest meter. It just takes a two whole seconds to do it instead of 'zipping'.

[chickenHeadKnob]

The situation where I most rely on audio continuity the most is automotive electronics trouble-shooting.
Place one probe, usually a Hirschmann clip-on on one side and poke one handed with a standard probe on the other side of a connector.
I like a reasonably fast scratchy non latching audio like that on the Bryman 869. There is a lot of information in the scratchy-ness.

I will contort myself into a pretzel and lie down in a footwell and work from underneath if I can rather than have to take apart a dashboard. That job is a real pain on many vehicles.
And when you are lying on your back the audio is a necessity.

[james_s]

Speed makes a huge difference, if you're tracing out a circuit with a continuity tester or checking all the diodes and transistors looking for one that is shorted you might be testing hundreds of parts, if there is a half second lag each time that adds up to a significant amount of time. Also a lag anywhere is just annoying, even a few tens of milliseconds is perceptible, if you push a button and it takes a moment for something to happen it is annoying and the tendency is to push it again or push it harder.

[Fungus]

he situation where I most rely on audio continuity the most is automotive electronics trouble-shooting.
Place one probe, usually a Hirschmann clip-on on one side and poke one handed with a standard probe on the other side of a connector.

And when you are lying on your back the audio is a necessity.

I'm just thinking it would be very easy to hack an AN9205A (see previous page) to bring out a couple of wires and put the continuity LED on the probe that's in your hand.

A light on the probe is something I always wanted in a continuity tester.