Unsure of which digital multimeter to purchase - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: nite
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 20, 2020, 10:09:49 pm
content: I'm currently looking to purchase a DMM. I don't want to spend too much. I am currently looking at the 90DM150 from AmazonCommercial. Any thoughts on this? I'm also going to likely buy a test lead kit from probemaster. I will be using this for electronics repair of consoles, laptops, phones, etc.Thank you!

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 02:32:36 am
content: For primarily low-voltage circuits it probably doesn't matter too much. I think you'll find that the most used function of your meter will be continuity testing. This is one area where there's a wide variation in meters -- latching vs. non-latching, quick vs. slow response, even the sound of the beep can be a factor in deciding which one to get.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 03:13:19 am
content: The Aneng AN8008 is pretty decent for the money. I bought one right after Dave reviewed it. I already had a Fluke 87-III and a cheap M9803R bench style meter, but the AN8008 has been my most used meter since getting it. Before the 8008 was released I'd come close to buying a Uni-T UT136, which is another decent, cheap multimeter. Cheap meters usually come with probes that are just "okay", so planning to get some from Probemaster is a good idea.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 03:20:30 am
content: I'd avoid Amazon myself and stick with a name brand that has t elast some history in the industry. As for"I don't want to spend too much"that really doesn't help a lot. How much is too much?As for a starter meter you can get very good ones for $50 and up. For the most part anything much cheaper has issues of one type or another. You don't need a expensive meter to get started but on the other hand you won't want to buy a meter that will have to be replaced in 6 months. It might help to list out the features you think you need and then try to budget for a decent meter that supports those features. On the flip side don't go shopping for useless features.There are several threads about multimeters here including one that evaluates meters on their safety. Personally I'm going towards pointing you to meters that is properly CAT rated. Avoid the trash meters that obviously do no meet their safety ratings.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 08:01:09 am
content: HiWelcome to the forum.The others have covered most of it.The Uni-t UT139c is considered a safe dmm (can be used for mains and high voltages) but does not have certified CAT ratings. Other Uni-T dmm are variable in terms of safety.Another very useful UniT dmm to get is the UT210E clamp dmm. The CAT rating is not certified, that means not trusted with mains voltage or high ( >50V ). It is the cheapest reliable clamp dmm that has 1mA resolution. Probably get this for your 2nd dmm.Name brands to look for Agilent/Keysight/HP, Fluke, Brymen/Greenlee, Hioki, Gossen Metrawatt, Tektronics (though if cost is a key factor these brands may be out of range for you when buying new).May be worth looking at import a Fluke 10 series, like the Fluke15b or 17b, these are for Asia market, not sold in USA. Perfectly good Fluke meters, just difficult to get in US. There will practically no warranty because you will have to send it back to retailer in China.Avoid the Fluke 110 series, these are electricians dmm. They lack low voltage (mV) and low current (sub 200mA) range. The sub 200mA range us particularly useful in electronics for measuring very low power circuits. The 110 series maybe ok for you if you are just using to repair stuff.The Aneng mentioned will work fine. Not sure about durability, 1 forum member has already reported his broke already (but at that price it is not a loss). Definitely do NOT use to measure mains or high voltage ( > 50V )Avoid any dmm with '830' as part of model number, these are modern copies of the DT830. In modern day these are not considered safe. The modern copies are so cost reduced that they are pretty much junk.If you want something thus cheap, see if Harbour Freight still do the free dmm coupon, that freebiee is a clone of the dt830 inside just with a slide on/off switch.

author: CharlotteSwiss
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 01:07:30 pm
content: amazon? mmmmmtry to see Uni-T multimeters, they offer enough features at a cheap price. My father and I have 3 models, I am satisfied with all of them

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 02:18:04 pm
content: I have a bunch of DMMs beginning with a Fluke 189 and working down to the Aneng 8008. The meter I actually reach for is the Aneng. It is a very convenient size and has the selections and ranges I need most often.I recently bought a Bside ZT-X DMM and it has a terrific display. Big and bright! It will become my favorite meter in the very near future.https://www.amazon.com/True-RMS-Multimeter-Auto-Ranging-Temperature-Capacitance/dp/B07JJ9MR3LI don't use my high dollar meters very often. No particular reason, I just tend to use the inexpensive meters - especially the ZT-X with the fantastic display.

author: CharlotteSwiss
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 02:34:49 pm
content: very unusual a multimeter without a rotary knob

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 03:52:02 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on August 21, 2020, 02:18:04 pmHow's the battery life for this meter? In a review Dave noted that the ANENG Q1 meter had a high current draw:https://youtu.be/HmkIPkXpg9U?t=7m40sand someone has created a DC/DC upconverter hack for it:https://youtu.be/dlgV64Q_CsA

author: StuartA
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 03:54:43 pm
content: Another vote for the AN8008, though I've also had a Uni-T meter and that was good.

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 10:24:26 pm
content: Since I had a set of AAA cells leak in my AN8008, although it survived, I have not put cells back into it again.Now I will only buy models that use a 9V battery.Judging by Dave's review, some meters will not run well on AA NiMh cells to avoid leak damage.Im happy with this Thsinde model so far,https://www.amazon.com.au/Ranging-Digital-Multimeter-Battery-Alligator/dp/B07R39SQWH/ref=asc_df_B07R39SQWH/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=341743978224&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1256087457119179907&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068981&hvtargid=pla-787793753229&psc=1

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2020, 11:35:13 pm
content: Quote from: xavier60 on August 21, 2020, 10:24:26 pmIn the US Amazon store:https://www.amazon.com/Mult%C3%ADmetro-digital-autom%C3%A1tico-cocodrilo-multiprobador/dp/B06ZZG2F2N/

author: Corner
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 06:13:04 am
content: Quote from: MosherIV on August 21, 2020, 08:01:09 amThat's simply not true. The 115, 116, 117 all have mV mode.QuoteI'm going to call out on this one. My dad used an analog meter majority of his career as a factory maintenance electrician and later as a residential electrician. There was no safety features on that meter that he still uses. Several years ago, he bought a Victor 890D multimeter cuz he wanted to try out the new digital stuff. Thousands upon thousands of electricians in certain parts of the world use those what we call cheapie meters that's in the $20-30 range because that's simply what they all use, and they wire houses and fix things with them, no problems.Yeah we all want those more robust and safe meters, but I see no reason why you can't use a cheap meter like Aneng 8008 in a CAT 2 environment, say checking if a power outlet has power.QuoteWho considers this a safe meter if it has no certification? I know Joe Smith has tested this meter, but did he really prove it's a safe meter to use compared to others?Using the Victor 890D as an example, even though I think it's a shitty meter and I especially don't like the build quality, it's battle proven to be a standard electricians multimeter in certain parts of the world.What makes you think one of the non-certified meter is safer to use than another?EDIT: I certainly think some better safety standards would be nice to have in those parts of the world I talked about, but the idea that you can't touch 120V/240V in the house with these cheap meters is not based on facts. China doesn't just produce those meters as toys specifically for people to play with their arduinos. They have a market to target and people do use those meters for serious work, no matter how low we think their safety standard is, and the majority of the meters do prove to work well for a lot of people.EDIT: fix some phrases that I don't think were appropriate.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 06:30:46 am
content: Quote from: ledtester on August 21, 2020, 03:52:02 pmI have no idea! I don't use any of the DMMs very often so it doesn't really matter. I would expect the backlight to use quite a bit of power.

author: Dabbot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 08:31:44 am
content: Quote from: rstofer on August 22, 2020, 06:30:46 amI thought that looked familiar. It's a rebranded Aneng Q1. Dave's review:

author: Jwillis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2020, 12:42:26 pm
content: Quote from: nite on August 20, 2020, 10:09:49 pmMake sure that which ever DMM you choose has a high input impedance. 1M to 10M . Although low impedance multi meters has their place they can give false readings because the impedance across the DMM effects the circuit.For what your doing I would suggest the highest impedance DMM you can find in your price range.