How good of a multimeter does a hobbyist *really* need? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: dmlandrum
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2009, 07:36:14 pm
content: When you consider that the better, higher-confidence multimeters cost as much as a good brand new oscilloscope, I'm wondering how good I really need my multimeter to be for the occasional project that will never be turned into a product for sale. I understand the argument against cheap Chinese multimeters, which can lead to false confidence in your readings, but if you consider that $300-400 for a multimeter might be overkill for a non-professional, is there perhaps a happy medium that can be found? What brands and models might that happy medium be?I suppose one other option would be hunting around for used Flukes, which come up a lot on eBay. They often spur fierce bidding wars, though, which is why I hate eBay sometimes. (Yes, I'm one of those annoying old "I used eBay before it was cool" people.). Still, I've seen Fluke 77's on my local Craiglist for not too much, so that might work for me. So I guess the secondary question is, what do we want to look out for in a used meter?Thank you for your time. I love the videos and the forum here.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 06, 2009, 08:19:35 pm
content: Some 20 odd years ago, I worked as a tech, Installing security, intercom and CCTV, I had a series 1 Fluke 77, was a very reliable, trustworthy meter. I would buy one if you can find it at the right priceThings to look for on a used Meter, that ohms worksshorted leads should be <1 ohm, to test DC voltage use an 1.5V AA cell, you should measure >1.5V on a brand new one ~1.6V, if you also have say a 1.5 Ohm 5W resistor, you could use this with the battery to make a 1A current source( I have used these tests at an electronics swap meet, if it passes some basic tests and looks in reasonable condition , I have no worries handing over money

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 04:51:55 am
content: I got a broken fluke 88 from a friend for free, sent it in to fluke for a repair with a flat repair fee of $150, Bad LCD and a broken case.Its always hard to say when you're recommending tools, everyone has a different set of rules for what works for them. Some people are happier to put up with flaws for a reduction in cost, and others will pay a lot for a recognised name, though hopefully with the support.I like fluke, I like the $50 protek handheld i got from frys, lots of features. Didn't like the protek bench dmm though.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 11:02:01 am
content: Was the Fluke your friend gave you worth repair?

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 01:33:39 pm
content: The main problem I have with cheaper DMM's is overload protection and insulation.If you measure AC 110, 230 or even 400 V I would stick to the quality Brand's.If you measure electronics <24VDC you will be fine.I think there is nothing wrong with using a meter of $5 from your local supermarket.It will learn you to do measurements. And if you make a mistake you only loose $5.As long as you do not measure on the grid or use the high current settings for more than a few seconds.Then after a while you know what is important for you.What is also important to me is the test leads. You can end up paying more for a good set of leads than the meter itself.Watch out! Older meters sometimes use odd input impedances on some ranges. Not the 10 Mohm you are used to today.Fluke isn't the only quality meter manufacturer. You can pick up good quality brands for a good price anywhere on the web.Gossen is one example. It is well known in Europe but maybe you can do a nice deal elsewhere in the world.Hewlett Packard (now Agilent) Tektronix, Philips and Beckman, Simpson, Hioki are among the brands I have or used.Also look for brands that have faded or became unpopular due to takeover by a competitor.Philips is bought by Fluke in the 90ies and relabeled the successful products to Fluke.Philips started the Scopemeter in the mid 90 with the 93, 95 and the 97 models. Hardly anyone remembers because Scopemeter is now synonym to Fluke.Tektronix is now owned by the Danaher group. They use to have a line of multimeters.You can buy older Gossen meters renamed to BBC or ABB.And there is nothing wrong with my Fluke 8020 if you can do without the bargraph display and only do basic Volts ohms and current measurements.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 08:52:43 pm
content: A hobbyist doesn't NEED a top quality meter, it's just nice to have, there are much cheaper options that will do just fine. Heck, even professionals can "get by" with a cheap $20 meter if they have to.Forget the $5-$10 hardware store ones, they really are crap, you need to spend a bit more than that get a decent build quality. By that I mean one that isn't held together with plastic clips that just break off when you change the battery etc.And get autoranging, manual ranging sucks.And I'll re-iterate the comment about high voltage and safety. Don't use cheap meters on anything mains related, even if they claim to be CAT rated, as many are simply fakes that don't really meet the standard for safety. I've got to do a blog on this...Old ebay meters can be a real lucky dip, I've bought good and bad ones...There are decent quality "mid range" brands. Amprobe, Protek, Extech and Ideal come to mind.How much do you want top spend?For example, this Amprobe 35-XP for $35 would do just fine and dandy:http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Amprobe-35XP-A-Digital-Multimeter_W0QQitemZ170415606476QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ad8fcaccIn fact that's damn cheap...Dave.

author: cybergibbons
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 09:21:40 pm
content: My view is this - generally a hobbyist is looking for ballpark figures (3.3 or 5.5V? 10kOhm or 22kOhm?) or comparing values, where it only matters that the reading is repeatable.There's these little yellow meters available everywhere in the UK (Maplin, B&Q, Homebase, Wickes etc.) that cost as little as £2.50 and are pretty useful for things like automotive electronics and general troubleshooting. The price makes them disposable.Problems begin when you start working with mains electricity. In this case, the hobbyist, for the most part, is simply looking for either the presence or absence of voltage. I'd even say the opportunity to measure current is a liability. Rather than fork out £120 on the cheapest Fluke meter, you can get a Fluke T50 probe for £25. It's been really rare that I've needed anything more, even with quite complex control circuits.Back onto the subject of mains and current measurements. We had two broken digital meters. Both appeared to be unfused on the 10A current range. We put it across the low voltage side of a welding transformer - it quite quickly went on fire before going open circuit. The other we put directly across the mains at the end of an extension lead. It was obliterated before the breaker had time to trip. If you'd been holding it, you would have probably lost your hand.

author: dmlandrum
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 10:41:51 pm
content: Thanks for the info, everyone. I must say, those Amprobe meters look like just the ticket.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 11:29:28 pm
content: Quote from: dmlandrum on December 07, 2009, 10:41:51 pmAnd owned by the evil Danaher group, so same company as Fluke and Tektronix.Meterman meters have now all been renamed Amprobe.I was talking with the Oz Fluke GM the other and he told me that Amprobe are designed and built in Taiwan as a separate group still, but all certification and testing is done by Fluke.Dave.

author: dmlandrum
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2009, 11:57:51 pm
content: Consolidation is the wave of the future, and the future is NOW!I suppose, given my other posts on the board, that I should be thinking about whatever scientific data collection applications as well. But for that, I'm thinking the accuracy of whatever data logger I get or make will be more important than anything else.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 08, 2009, 06:26:03 pm
content: I'd be interested to know the accuracy and resolution of the measurements a digital osciloscope takes, the rigol will provide many voltage measurements simultaneously, could this function compete with a good quality multimeter or is it just a guide.I've been through about 4 cheap meters so far, they just aren't worth it. for what I've spent so far I could have bought a decent one that would still work now. I'm on the road again looking for another meter

author: jahonen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2009, 07:22:48 pm
content: DSOs are not particulary accurate for DC measurements, which is not a surprise considering that they typically have only 8 bit ADC's. Spec accuracy is in order of percents, whereas the DMMs have at least a decade better specs. Scope is a very versatile instrument and can measure a plethora of different things, but none of them very accurately compared to a specialized measuring instrument (DMM for voltage, frequency counter for frequency etc.) Though figures (at least for noise) can be improved somewhat by using trace averaging. The power of the scope is that you can actually see if there is anything wrong with something what is supposed to be for example a perfectly steady DC-voltage. You can't easily see that with a DMM.Regards,Janne

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 08, 2009, 10:32:43 pm
content: thats about what I thought

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2009, 11:00:44 am
content: I am not sure but I think the old Wavetek meters where renamed to Meterman and are now called Amprobe?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 09, 2009, 09:25:58 pm
content: Quote from: qno on December 09, 2009, 11:00:44 amYep, Meterman bought Wavetek meters, who were in turn bought by Fluke and merged with the Amprobe brand Fluke also acquired.It gets complex!The Amprobe brand is (so I'm told) the 2nd most recognisable meter brand in the US, so Fluke made the decision to rename all Meterman meters under the Amprobe label.Dave.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2009, 07:46:40 am
content: sounds a bit like the company I work forI've just bought a meter from ebay (just now so won't see it for a good few days), it was only £ 26.99 but looks like a really nice meter with lots of functions:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280422150524&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:GB:1123I was thinking dave of contacting him and telling him to send you a free sample to do a blog on, I mean hey at £ 26.99 if its anything near the quality of a real good meter then its a real bargain.I'm still confused at to whether its made by a fluke subsidery or if they are dsaying that its the same as a fluke 17B

author: armandas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2009, 11:55:25 am
content: Quote from: Simon on December 10, 2009, 07:46:40 amI've seen Fluke 17B being sold on ebay, but the meter shown is not Fluke. The 15B and 17B models are made exclusively for china's market, but since it's Fluke branded Iguessyou could expect somewhat better quality than most Chinese brands.The meter you bought obviously has nothing to do with Fluke (apart from ripped-off design). That is not to say it's going to be crap meter. My first meter cost $8 and I spent 2 years with it before I decided to get a real Fluke. I still have the old one and use it sometimes. What I'm trying to say is that you should be careful with that meter and don't try to measure mains or any high voltage/current. Take it apart, see what's inside. Post pictures here if you're unsure.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2009, 12:32:08 pm
content: looks like someone needs reporting to ebay, I had serious trouble trying to figure out who made this

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2009, 08:37:38 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on December 10, 2009, 07:46:40 amIt's very clear it's not a Fluke, that's why they add the word "compare" in the title.It's a classic eBay marketing trick, you sell a rip-off product and put the real products name in the title bar so it shows up on searches.You see terms "like fluke" and "compare fluke" all the time.This is a classic el-cheapo meter. Dead give-aways are:a) The priceb) Transistor tester (a classic feature found only on the cheapest meters)c) The cheap folded paper manuald) The classic Fluke shape and appearance. Enough to look similar, not enough to get sued.I'd be surprised if it actually meets it's CAT-II 1000V rating.Show us some inside pics when you get it!It would actually be good to do a blog on what the best el-cheapo meter you can get for under $50, but the damn things last such a short time on the market the review is obsolete by the time it's done!Dave.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 10, 2009, 10:23:40 pm
content: yep when i get it I "won't turn it on I'll take it apart !"

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2009, 07:45:08 pm
content: Cheap multi-meters are OK provided you only work on low voltages. I stopped trusting them for anything involving mains when I saw the results of one plugged into the mains on the wrong setting. The user had 3rd degree burns over his face and torso... When the situation was recreated (with a dummy rather than a real person) the high speed video showed a fireball of about 5ft diameter!

author: desolatordan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2009, 08:05:54 pm
content: I bought a handful of Cen-Tech multimeters when they were on a deal for $2 or so from harbor freight. They're just handy for monitoring a number of dc voltages at the same time. I surely do not expect much out of them.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=551&pricetype

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 14, 2009, 10:06:12 pm
content: oh yea those, don't hold out ya hopes, I've been through 3 of those in a few years, one is still going but i think on its last legs, they all came under different brand names but i'm sure they are made by one manufacturer or have something in common although functions vary slightly from "manufacturer" to "manufactuer"

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2009, 12:53:25 pm
content: If you want a peek at what is "coming to a shop near you" type inwww.madeinchina.comand type in multimeter in as a search string.In my search it started at $3.22. Check out the spec's...This is the stuff sold in blisters by the hundreds for a few bucks.Note there is no mention of a CE or UL compliance.

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2009, 07:36:42 pm
content: even they did mention ce/ul or fcc compliance its often fake anyway.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2009, 07:44:53 pm
content: please note that CE is not C E, the C E logo meaning that the unit has european certificates is often confused by the logo the chinese purposely designed to be so similar to be confused with C E which is CE this stands for (officially) china export but was obviously done to con people, I'm sure there are many other cases of logo similarities done for this purpose

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 12:31:08 am
content: TheChina Exportthing is definitely just an attempt at copying the CE logo. I think its more that they came up with the china export after it'd been noticed. But they fake the other logos too.CE seems like a fairly worthless certification anyway, its not the same as UL/TUV etc, since most of the time you can self certify it in specific areas, lots of companies think they can self certify it in certain areas and not others, but it has to be certified in the areas its meant to be used in. Also customers can ask for it to be certified for other tests, say ULV, which might not apply.You basically pick tests, then sign a a compliance document saying it passes, if it doesn't and you get caught, which means someone has to test it. Then you're in trouble. Which is never going to happen from anything from china anyway

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 07:48:52 am
content: sounds a bit like where i work

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 08:49:12 am
content: Its just like every day life. Every citizen is assumed to know and obey the law.When you put a product on the marked it is assumed to be safe and does not disturb the function of other equipment.It should also work flawlessly when other equipment is used near it, for instance a mobile phone.What you can expect in the field is summarized in these norms.It is in the details that the mistakes are made. When measuring line voltage of 230AC it is no problem for most meters.But when lightning strikes the grid many miles away without you noticing you can get spikes of several kV in your home.Good multimeters will survive this and protect the user.So you can put products on the marked but when something happens you can claim damage from your dealer.Your dealer will claim his damage at his supplier/producer and he/she must pay.Gone is the profit and your good name.Now, if you can show a report where the product has been tested according to today's standards and technical knowledge (CE) you are of the hook.You decide what is cheaper.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 10:55:24 am
content: the problem is when equipment is made so cheaply it becomes redicolous, a compromise is always needed (a valuable concept for a quality inspector like myself) but fit for purpose must be taken into consideration. for example, I bought a digital caliper from maplin, retailed at £ 30 put on sale for £ 10, it was never meant to work it was just a gimik ! thats the difference between fit although not with all the bells and wistles and well over the top tested but well paid for.

author: jahonen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 12:15:29 pm
content: It's a bit off-topic, but here in Finland we sometimes work very hard to achieve the EMC compliance, which is a part of the CE requirements. Sometimes that means several layout revisions and countless hours of testing before compliance is achieved. I suppose that is not the way how they work at China. One of the most difficult parts is the radiated emissions, especially with products that contain high-speed digital circuits. Of course, FCC and other bodies have similar requirements, so nothing new in thatBut here in europe EMC became mandatory only relatively recently, 1996 IIRC.For me low EMI levels from finished product is a figure of merit how well the design succeeded overall, so I am somewhat obsessed to make it even better than the standards require, if that does not add significantly to the product costRegards,Janne

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2009, 10:19:01 pm
content: FCC is somewhat similar in some areas, you can apparently get around the FCC compliance testing by deciding it doesn't apply to your product, again of course this only becomes an issue if the product is faulty and found out. I'd imagine most certifications are somewhat similar.Like a lot of things compliance testing isn't always allowed to get in the way of profit.

author: jklasdf
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 10:52:07 am
content: The Amprobe brand has been mentioned a few times as a good choice for a relatively inexpensive multimeter, especially since they now own Meterman. I own an Amprobe 35-xpa, which used to be the Meterman 35-xp, and it's a great multimeter.I recently purchased an Amprobe am-240, though, and it is not a very good multimeter. In the DC volts range, it reads ~300mV even when not connected to anything. This might be acceptable in the AC volts range (actually a little high even for AC) because of interference from the mains, but I have never seen this happen in the DC volts range -- even on the cheapest multimeters. The continuity test takes a long time to register, and it doesn't help that the probes included don't make good contact. (Even with quality probes, it still takes a long time before beeping.) Also the probe tips are not very sharp. Also, the frequency counter picks up the 60hz mains hum which is kind of annoying, but still understandable.In general I would stay away from Amprobe's self-designed low-price series (the am-100, am-220, and am-240), and stick with either models that used to be part of Meterman, or their (much) higher priced TRMS series.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 11:23:54 am
content: Stay away from these too:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270499804563I bought one and its not that great, requires zeroing before taking ohms measurements and takes a while to autorange whilst jumping all over the place, ok its got a nice array of functions but very cheaply made

author: chemicaloliver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 04:50:27 pm
content: Does anyone have any opinions of Uni trend multimeters such as the ones sold by maplin in the UK, they seem to be a step above the usual chinese rubbish yet not up to the more expensive known brands, am I right in my assumption?

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 04:56:36 pm
content: forget maplin, forget anything in maplin, they are either heavily overpriced or selling the worst crap known to man !I bought a digital caliper that they were trying to sell for £ 30 before putting it on sale at £ 20 and then £ 10, its the biggest load of rubbish ever made, it stopped working within minutes of use and I'm still trying to get a refund, the worst customer service too. Maplins: just don't go there, you can get the same stuff on ebay and at least know where you stand

author: armandas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 06:19:27 pm
content: Quote from: chemicaloliver on December 27, 2009, 04:50:27 pmI was quite interested in uni-t meters. They have their own brand and style, they make huge variety of test gear and so on. The top of the line UT71x series meters cost between £70 (UT71A) and £110 (UT71E) which is not too bad.So I was looking for pictures that show what's inside of their meters and found some pictures on one Chinese forum. Build quality is definitely better than most Chinese-made ware, but where is that finger-sized HRC fuse that can be found on every quality meter on the market. Also battery attachment is cheaply made.The specs are here:http://www.uni-trend.com/UT71E.htmlWhat's up with the +30/+50 counts in the accuracy? Is that normal?Perhaps anyone has any more insights?Bigger picture here:http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tudRZJzB9lHF9ABEQXU3MQ

author: chemicaloliver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 08:54:35 pm
content: I have a UT60A which I'm planning to replace soon it was around 40 pounds, I've taken some photos of the inside:http://chemicaloliver.net/electronics/inside-the-uni-t-ut60a-multimeter/I'm 99% settled on a low end agilent meter to replace it as they seem better value than the fluke 175/179 etc while still being a good brand

author: armandas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 09:09:47 pm
content: Quote from: chemicaloliver on December 27, 2009, 08:54:35 pmThat's very useful, thanks! Is the C23 cap, on the right of the range switch, the same you can find in fluorescent lamp starter?

author: chemicaloliver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 09:28:49 pm
content: I've had another quite glance and they could be except they're about half the size, they have no markings on so I can't really tell you much more than you can see, they have translucent sides and you can see the insides similar to your photo.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2009, 10:03:51 pm
content: The inside shot of that Uni-T is typical of the cheaper brand meters. Construction quality isn't too bad, but it's poorly designed in terms of overload. No HRC fuses, cheap crimp style input sockets, no high voltage isolation slots, a few tacked on components that don't fit the footprints, and no real high energy protection devices like spark gaps. Cheap looking plastic range switch through the board there too.The DC specs are very impressive (if it actually meets them), but yeah, the AC specs is horrible. +30 or +50 counts is typical for cheap meters trying to meet high specs, but they fail over temp range or something. More typical to see horrible figures like this on the DC range on cheap 4.5 digit meters though.We have a few of these Uni-T bench meters at work, they are just horrible:http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=Q1520Dave.

author: jone
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2009, 11:37:46 am
content: Has anyone got first hand experience of mastech meters?Was thinking of taking a punt on this one for £25http://www.p-mastech.com/products/04_dm/ms8221c.htmlRegards,Jon

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2009, 02:50:27 pm
content: When a multimeter in lower DC ranges displays a high value or even switches to a higher range it also can have very high input impedance.For one, the fluke 87 IV has an option of High Z where the voltage divider of 10 Mohm is disabled. Making input current in the pA range.This enables measuring voltages on CMOS inputs without significant loading.Sometimes the load of the multimeter although much better than the old 20k/V is loading the circuit too much changing its function.Important with modern low power designs.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 31, 2009, 05:01:46 pm
content: Does any one have any experience with Rigol bench meters?I'm thinking of buying a DM3061 6 1/2 digit meter from a online supplier, for around $500 on sale with coupon. I need a good meter for my bench. I could also go with a used Fluke 5 1/2 digit meter for a bit less.I have a Rigol function generator and 4 channel o-scope, which have performed pretty well, but still am not 100% sure what to do.

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2010, 09:30:07 am
content: I found some info about voltage spikes.see page 5.http://www.fairchildsemi.com/an/AN/AN-7514.pdfHere is a graph of voltage transient/year vs peak value.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 15, 2010, 10:04:55 pm
content: First, sorry for my english...I have experience with various multimeters like old Unimer 43 (analog), and digital like Fluke 73, Fluke 83, Fluke 123, Sanwa PC5000, Sanwa PC510..., and low cost like Voltcraft and Mastech.Last few years I am using Fluke 189, but have to say thatSanwais the best buy solution (true RMS, high precision, very good price, design...), and that my experience with handheld Mastech (high end series) was good too.

author: Murphy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2010, 12:53:09 pm
content: I love my Fluke 189you used to be able to get em on Ebay for less than $200, not sure what happened to that...Most of the time a real fancy meter isn't necessary, but it's pretty awesome to have. High end meters are definitely worth investing in if you can find a good price, it'll last forever.

author: rossv
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2010, 11:49:26 pm
content: Quote from: dmlandrum on December 06, 2009, 07:36:14 pmYou could also take a look at the 'low-end' 110 series meters from Fluke. These units have no lifetime warranty, but the quality and performance is still years ahead of any cheap garbage (Chinese or otherwise) in my opinion.For example, I own a Fluke 111, which does all the usual measurements (V, I, R, C, Freq). With my light use it will probably last forever. I don't know how they compare to the high-end stuff, but I think they are really excellent for the price. A current model that is equivalent is the Fluke 115. On Amazon they have them brand-new for 122 USD!http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-115-Compact-True-RMS-Multimeter/dp/B000OCFFMWRegards,Ross..

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 31, 2010, 12:01:13 am
content: I've got access to a 110 series meter now, so might do a review in the not too distant future.In fact, a full episode on "what multimeter to chose" is probably appropriate!Dave.

author: rossmoffett
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2010, 01:34:05 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 31, 2010, 12:01:13 amDefinitely. I have a used Fluke 87-V right now, but when I'm out of college my needs will be totally different. For my field, I feel I need a Fluke 787 process meter, preferably supplemented with a good amp clamp and mA clamp like the Fluke 771. It's difficult to troubleshoot industrial electronic installations without that stuff sometimes, but boy do they make you pay for it. I wonder what kind of good alternatives are available with those feature sets, so far as I know there aren't any.

author: DJPhil
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2010, 04:26:55 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 31, 2010, 12:01:13 amI love this idea!I've been thinking about this a great deal lately, as I'm just breaking back in to hobby electronics after a decade or so. In my (unusual) case, I've got abundant scrounged parts (I knew those ISA soundcards would come in handy), lots of time and patience, almost no disposable income (think $25US/mo), and no reliable instrumentation. After reading thecommunity bench meterthread it seems that the most fundamental metrics are voltage and resistance measurement. From there you can go on to accurate current measurement, LC meters, and all sorts of other things. I'm sure a case can be made that any two of Ohm's threesome would work, but the intricacies of those arguments are beyond my level of understanding at the moment. It seems that current measurement's demon is burden voltage, resistance measurement is more accurate in low ranges with a four wire (Kelvin?) measurement using a known current, and voltage . . . I haven't found the demon for voltage yet, more reading required. All other instrumentation appears to be an assembly of these capabilities (and the understanding of discrete component behavior), and this was an awesome revelation to me(I'm a little slow).Now I'll try to tie my ramblings to the original question, stand back. My question is, where does 'good enough' sit for various activities?When does a hobbyist need more accuracy and confidence in their volt/ohm/current readings: basic programmable logic, advanced programmable logic (FPGA stuff fits here?), RF circuits like ham radio, RF circuits that just open your garage door, high voltage experimenting (I suppose you'd better know what you need at this point), op-amp experimenting vs. tube amp experimenting, battery powered circuits, power supply design, etc.?Or perhaps, is it the case that accuracy and confidence are pretty much 'more is better' after a certain minimum, and it's some other factor that the hobbyist should hold dear? Feature set, 'oooh, this one does capacitance AND duty cycle', portable vs. bench, etc.I suppose my approach is obvious, give me dependable basics and I'll just build everything else later.I certainly don't expect this to be a majority point of view, but I'm hoping to enrich the discussion with some observation. I also have it written down as a long term goal that I intend to make an autoranging analog multimeter someday, just because it sounds awesome.

author: rossv
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2010, 06:51:09 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 31, 2010, 12:01:13 amThat sounds great! I always wondered when you'd cover the 'affordable' Fluke to see if how it shapes up in terms of quality/performance, and I considered offering my Fluke 111 for review :-)Regards,Ross..