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[Reply #15 on:]

I'd agree, the cheap ones I've seen these days are fine for most use, and will always serve as a backup in the future, or can be added to  DIY/automotive tool bag.  One thing worth looking for is audible continuity testing, handy to have.

[Reply #16 on:]

This is probably the betsy advice in the thread.

Agreed. Never buy an expensive piece of test equipment until you understand why you need it. A cheap meter will do everything a beginner will ever need to do and if you accidentally destroy it, no biggie.

I personally own and through work have access to many meters (both high and low precision, analog and digital) and for 90% of what I do personally or professionally, it doesn't really matter what meter I grab. (Although my preferred meter is the B+K Testbench 388B)

I have quite a few of the cheap chinese-made ($2.99 on sale) meters from Harbor Freight and a couple of their >$20 meters. I keep one in my car, my wife's car, my motorcycle, and all my toolboxes. While I wouldn't use one of them to select resistors for an active filter, they're more than adequate for most household and hobby uses. Is there mains voltage? Is the power supply working? is my battery dead? Is that a 10K resistor?  Is that output pin high or low? For tests like that, a $300 Fluke doesn't really provide me with any more useful information.

[Reply #17 on:]

Well Yeah but a Cheapie... won't turn itself off after 1 minute or so. I've been using the same battery for 2 years now and anytime I need it I just hit the Yellow Button. Betcha yer cheapie... won't do that... Nyaaahh, Nyaah, nyah...

Doc

[Reply #18 on:]

Well Yeah but a Cheapie... won't turn itself off after 1 minute or so. I've been using the same battery for 2 years now and anytime I need it I just hit the Yellow Button. Betcha yer cheapie... won't do that... Nyaaahh, Nyaah, nyah...

Doc

3 Minute Auto Off, Backlight, Lipo Battery ... 30 bucks, is that still a "cheapie"?

[Reply #19 on:]

however it is a lot of overkill for a beginner. Better I think to learn on something breakable... The Best Lessons are the Painful ones.

And that was the Gist of my Comment. Go get an inexpensive one and learn what "Not to Do"... Perhaps 2 "one to loose and one to use"... Worked for me...

Doc

[Reply #20 on:]

Well Yeah but a Cheapie... won't turn itself off after 1 minute or so.

Actually, several of my cheap meters do have auto-off.

But that might just be a...

"fluke."
 

[Reply #21 on:]

Well Yeah but a Cheapie... won't turn itself off after 1 minute or so.

Actually, several of my cheap meters do have auto-off.

But that might just be a...

"fluke."
 

That would read better as "fluke luck". 

[Reply #22 on:]

Hi, I use one of these every day: http://goo.gl/xRJQ3  And it's very close in readings to my more-expensive Fluke. Nice big characters, powers itself off. I just sold 250 of these to a school system in New York after they tried a couple out.. 

Great price makes shipping seem expensive :-( 


DISCLAIMER: Mentioned stuff from my own shop...

[Reply #23 on:]

A few other tools that wouldn't hurt to have are a logic probe and if you can get one and restore it (or find a restored one) an old VTVM. When working with digital outputs a DMM is not good enough really. A digital output is not really ON and OFF. It is really +5 volts for high and ground for low. A logic probe is very helpful also when dealing with devices that can't source (power when high) or sink (power when low) enough current for an LED as it will switch it's own LED drivers on and off.

An old VTVM is useful when you need to monitor your analog sensors. A DMM will vary too much and you can't see trends, a VOM (simple analog multimeter) will draw too much current to move the meter and affect your readings. A VTVM (or solid state equivilent) will only pull enough current to sample (sort of like a DMM) and amplify it enough to give you a voltage reading. When reading values that change too fast for a DMM and too slow for a scope this is your best bet. In fact a VTVM is more sensitive than a scope and pulls less off of your circuit.

[Reply #24 on:]

your actual 'needs' will inevitably expand beyond your current ones.

I use mine for voltage and resistance needs too! Ah, the puns are endless  

I just have a cheapy $10 DMM from Electronic Goldmine. I blew the fuse several years ago and haven't replaced it yet. One of these days I'll open it up and pop in a replacement. I also have an analog meter. Just a simple radio shack one: 3 DC and 3 AC voltage ranges, one Ohm and one mA scale. I find I use it more than my digital meter for continuity checks ect.