Multimeter for kids getting Elegoo Arduino super starter kit - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2022, 09:12:50 pm
content: I'm thinking of giving an Elegoo starter kit to a couple of young kids (8-10), and would like to include a cheap-ass multimeter - $25 or so. Dave did a video on the Aneng AN8008, and his review was mixed. Is there a go-to meter in this price range?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2022, 10:28:27 pm
content: I'm not a big fan of the AN800X range of meters. Apart from missing things like a decent mA range they're all a bit plasticky and flimsy IMHO. The other trap is that they use fuses that aren't much bugger than a grain of rice and you can't buy them anywhere except the Aneng official store and they take a month to arrive.Iama big fan of these though:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32990176726.htmlShould you get kids a meter with amps measurement? That's debatable. They'll probably blow the mA fuse within a few minutes, so... maybe something like this pocket meter would be good:https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=zoyi+vc921The other question that needs asking is if a first meter should be autoranging or not? Many people will say a first meter should be manual ranging and I sort of agree. I've also observed that newbies seem to prefer big meters - whenever I put a mixture of meters on a table it's always the biggest manual ranging meters that are grabbed first.Zoyi (the OEM for many Aneng meters) makes this enormous hybrid auto/manual meter with lots of extra ranges for measuring things like batteries:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003618647922.htmlI'd say it was a good choice.(FWIW the Aneng rebadge of that one is called theAneng V7)As you can see, there's no simple answer or "goto" meter in that price range.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2022, 10:39:32 pm
content: I don't see any value in giving a beginner a manual ranging meter.As long as the thing defaults to DC, and has a working continuity mode, half decent probes without 10 ohms of resistance, it should be OK.

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2022, 11:37:02 pm
content: A few years ago, I gave my next door neighbor kid one of the bigger Arduino kits, several breadboards, a bunch of jumpers and two of the free Harbor Freight meters with some decent meter leads.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2022, 06:47:13 pm
content: I have several DMMs including both of Dave's meters and some other high dollar variants. The meter I actually use is the Aneng AN8008. I like everything about that little meter. Dave has done a videoETA: Corrected video link

author: armandine2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2022, 07:46:44 pm
content: how I did itarduino kit + component multifunction tester + manual ranging dmmhttps://www.aldi.co.uk/ferrex-digital-multimeter/p/806955502637600it says it comes with a 3 year warranty

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2022, 10:36:19 pm
content: Quote from: armandine2 on April 06, 2022, 07:46:44 pmI followed the link and the product is no longer available.That may be a US vs UK thing...

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 02:01:29 pm
content: Thanks for the suggestions. To save time, I'd prefer to select a meter I could get from Amazon. The Aneng AN8008 is available there, but the fuse situation is not good on that one. By the way, are the fuses 1A and 200mA? The Aneng store on Aliexpress no longer offers the AN8008, just the AN8009. But the fuses are the same.

author: robert.rozee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 02:48:09 pm
content: this may be a suitable 'basic' meter to learn on, although perhaps updated with an LCD display:now why don't we have dual-knob meters anymore?cheers,rob :-)

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 03:31:53 pm
content: Here is a link to an Amazon DMM:https://www.amazon.com/UNI-T-Multimeter-Resistance-Capacitance-Continuity/dp/B08TT8H4GS/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2U1JS2AJYF5EA&keywords=UNI-T+UT125C&qid=1649344963&sprefix=uni-t+ut125c%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-5I bought this for its portability, and it has served well. It has fixed test leads and is limited to 400 mA. It might be a good choice for your stated purpose.

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 04:34:35 pm
content: Thanks very much. The UT125C looks like it would be a good choice. And I can even buy a supply of fuses on Amazon.

author: adam4521
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 04:46:42 pm
content: Amazon Commercial range?

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 06:18:07 pm
content: Don't buy a meter that shares its mA range input sockets with its Voltage range sockets - with inexperienced young user, you'll be forever changing fuses. Also it's a hazard if they try probing something that they shouldn't (that irresistible US un-shuttered mains socket).Edit: ...Although, looking at UT125C teardown photos, it does at least appear to have a 30mm ceramic fuse.