Dick Smith Q1140 multimeter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: TFL
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 06:12:29 am
content: Can anyone supply me with a circuit for a Dick Smith Q1140 multimeter as I am trying to repair one?

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 07:07:50 am
content: Your Dick Smith meter will likely be a rebranded product from some other manufacturer, to find out more information you could take it apart and see if there are any other indicators internally to help identify this specific meter.I only had time for a quick look around and found these two images below which might help with identification, otherwise somebody else on the forum might be able to recognise what it is and who made it.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 09:03:46 am
content: I had one of these as a kid and IIRC it did come with the schematic, so it's out there somewhere.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 03, 2021, 04:47:27 am
content: Quote from: TFL on July 22, 2021, 06:12:29 amAs I stated above, your meter will likely be a rebranded product and as it turns out there is currently a very similar meter listed on Ebay AU. This listing is for a Kamoden 360-TRCX which after a search also shows up on the Radio Museum site with a schematic, there is also a Kamoden 360-TR model as well, hope that is of some help.Ebay Listinghttps://www.ebay.com.au/itm/203540300179Radio Museum: Kamoden 360-TRCXhttps://www.radiomuseum.org/r/kamoden_multimeter_360_trcx.htmlRadio Museum: Kamoden 360-TRhttps://www.radiomuseum.org/r/kamoshita_kamoden_360_tr.html

author: cwispy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 30, 2023, 05:48:27 am
content: I know this is an old thread, but I found my old Dick Smith Q1140 Multimeter with the original manual, so I scanned the manual and put it up on my personal site athttps://cwispy.com/service-repair-tools/

author: TheDefpom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2023, 08:43:45 pm
content: Quote from: cwispy on November 30, 2023, 05:48:27 amThat is great, good of you to do that!Can you also post it to thehttp://ko4bb.comsite please, as that will be more easily found for people searching which are not on the forum.

author: squibby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 12:38:23 am
content: Thanks mate, I just aquired one of these.Perhaps others can correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the most feature packed analogue meter I've ever seen.Its got the three old favourites that even the most basic VOM meter would have:-DC Volts-AC Volts-ResistanceThen slightly more unsually for an analogue meter, but still quite commonly it has:- DC Amps/milliampsThen amazingly for an analogue meter it also measure:- Capacitance- decibels- AC AmpsAnd if that wasn't enough already...- Transistor checkerAnd measures up to 10A and 1KV.This is a beast of a multimeter, the only one you'd ever need if in good condition. So glad to have one, thanks @cwispy for posting the diagrams.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 02:30:38 am
content: Quote from: squibby on March 18, 2024, 12:38:23 amAND it has 100kohm/volt!Yeah, this was the dream meter back in the day.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 02:38:25 am
content: You never saw this photo, it's a figment of your imagination.But the Q1140 on the bench is real

author: squibby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 03:45:39 am
content: Absolutely, I've seen the odd vintage 200K VOM usually marketed as 'Extra High sensitivity' (usually a SANWA), but 100K is way up there with most of the good ones.Can't wait to have a tinker. it's in the post. And there I have been searching for SANWA, KYORISTU, HP, HEATHKIT, EICO, SICO, AVO, VOM's when all I had to google was..... DICK SMITH!!! LOL

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 04:50:29 am
content: Quote from: squibby on March 18, 2024, 03:45:39 amI did a poll for kicks:https://twitter.com/eevblog/status/1769588375604830663

author: squibby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2024, 05:26:14 am
content: Yeah... I'm not sure. If I was to fork out for an EEV branded analogue meter, (or anything EEV branded) what I'd personally be looking for it some super cheap chinese that has survived a good testing by EEV. In this way I'd have that warm fuzzy feeling that my cheap tat would be recommended cheap tat instead of it being completely down to pot luck on ebay or amazon.... That's my take. We don't need help with good stuff like Sanwa, we need help with selecting the unbranded no-name stuff.

author: BTO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2024, 10:21:25 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 18, 2024, 02:38:25 amahhh and would that be a Kikusui scope 40MHZ off to the side there, Looks exactly like mine.Looks like COS5040

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2024, 10:27:09 pm
content: Quote from: BTO on March 19, 2024, 10:21:25 pmCOS5020. I was dirt poor, the 40MHz jobbie was way out my reach.

author: squibby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2024, 05:13:05 am
content: My multimeter arrived. It was so out of calibration I opened it up to check all the resistors. All in tolerance, all good. It’s in great condition. But wouldn’t calibrate between different ranges…. Anyway, just found someone has changed a couple resistors for alternate values to that in the schematic. No idea. I swapped one for the correct value and it immediately improved. So basically I got to wait for some resistors off eBay and finish off the job.

author: squibby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2024, 11:29:10 pm
content: Refurbed this now.Obviously, the quality of my handiwork has an impact on the results obtained, and calibration is a juggling act between so many different functions, but I'm finding reads a tad low on AC voltages (like 220V compared to 230V on the Fluke) which I've found is pretty common on older meters, if not quite as good as the VTVM, so no issues with that. It reads Capacitor values like a charm. Very accurate. DC voltage, accuracy fluctuates depending on the range, but accuracy is comparable to my other older meters. Current, I haven't really analysed accuracy of it in detail yet.Resistance is typical 'analogue' meter. I can't really read above 1meg ohm with much accuracy, except, it'll reveal if a 10meg is open or short, it won't really tell me if it's 15 meg or 9.5meg for example with any accuracy. Accuracy for all other ranges is a little squewy when the needle is getting to close to the full left hand range of movement, but I know to double check such measurements by changing the setting to the correct range for that resistor and reading it again (accurately this time). It only claims to be accurate to 200K anyway, so the way I've got mine dialed in it's exceeding the published specs anyway. I'm happy with that.Haven't tested the transistor component, I doubt I will ever use it as i have some other more fun analysers for transistors.I really like this meter. Sometimes the odd new cap ends up in the wrong drawer on my desk, so I check most caps before I install them. It's more fun to check cap values of a new cap for example with this, then with the fluke. (my basic fluke 101 is a bit slow at checking caps anyway to be honest, this meter reads them quicker. I really only keep the fluke as a reference meter to keep all the old junk I have calibrated)

author: dazz1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2025, 09:58:21 am
content: HiI have the exact same meter branded KAMODEN 360-TRCX. It was my first item of test equipment. It cost me $72, a lot of money then. I still have it and still use it occasionally

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2025, 11:26:27 am
content: This has reminded me that I have the Sanwa 460-ED given to my father (an electrical engineer, trained in the 1930s just to set the vintage) on his retirement back in the 1970s. I had forgotten about it, but found it stashed in a cupboard. It comes in a heavy timber case with felt padding to protect the display.I have found a manual on line so will try to refurbish it for my own interest. It is the 'super-sensitive' version with mA scales, 100kΩ/V, no transistor test.There is one on Gumtree AU asking $400.

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2025, 01:32:15 pm
content: Quote from: kite31 on August 31, 2025, 11:26:27 amTell him he's dreaming.

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2025, 10:04:18 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on August 31, 2025, 01:32:15 pmMy thought too. He says he is retiring. I hope he was not counting on the meter to fund it.

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2025, 11:26:37 am
content: Quote from: Muttley Snickers on July 22, 2021, 07:07:50 amFrom the photos it's a rebranded Kamoden 360.

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2025, 11:28:04 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on August 31, 2025, 01:32:15 pmOr offer to swap it for a set of jousting sticks.