Posted: 1/24/2012 7:41:45 AM EDT
|
I am NOT an electrician nor do I play one on TV... Been saving up for a DMM for general home use. I moonlight on the side with telecom/networking and emergency vehicle equipment and have run into several occasions recently where a DMM would have come in handy. The idea of having a thermal probe is nice but not sure its worth the extra money. Main uses: Voltage reading, Amp reading, and continuity testing. Would also like to accurately test resistance for radio applications.
I've narrowed it down to the following Fluke models: 179 (temp probe and lifetime warranty) 117 114 Thoughts? This is cross posted in the DIY forum. |
|
Beware the "Lifetime" warranty from Fluke. I have a customer who HAD a fluke with a lifetime warranty. Every 2 years he would send it in to get calibrated. Last year they sent him a new meter, said his was no longer supported, and the new one does NOT have the lifetime warranty.
I still like Fluke products. They make good equipment. But when they stop supporting your lifetime meter, you don't get a new lifetime model. |
|
If your willing to pay for the 179, have you considered the 87? (also has the lifetime warrantee & temp probe.)
Its only slightly more, and then you'd have a legendary design that widely used. Also - there's a great video review & teardown of the 117 here: http://www.eevblog.com/2010/02/08/eevblog-60-fluke-117-multimeter-review-and-teardown/ Fluke 87 Review by the same guy: http://www.eevblog.com/2009/05/24/eevblog-10-part-2-of-2-fluke-87-v-multimeter-review/ |
|
Whatever you do decide to get, remember to always get two. I'm very partial to fluke and there are some good deals on ebay for 70 series meters. I second the notion on an 87 if you want to swing it. Even the older series are fine. edit: an example would be if you wanted to measure voltage and current at the same time....you would need two meters, |
|
You know, I've got Flukes, higher end imported DVM's, HP bench top's, and other ways of taking measurements, since I believe in having good T&M equipment and using it and have been since I was a kid...
...and the meter that's 99% my go to meter is the lowly Harbor Freight DVM that's used to be on sale for ~$1.99 and now with rampant inflation is usually ~$3.99, this one... I use them most everyday and have acquired dozens over the years. Very reliable, accurate, useful, and a key SHTF supply for me. 
There's some discussion of it here. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_18/653304_I_m_testing_Eneloops_that_have_been_stored_since_abt_2006.html&page=2 I often cut off the black probe and attach a Muller mini alligator clip and plastic cover to the negative lead. Also, I prefer the non-automatic range selecting meters for fast measurements. A couple weeks ago I bought one of the H-F ~$30 DVM's on a whim to see how it preformed and to look at some of the more advanced measurements it makes vs the $3.99 ones. It's been put on the shelf under my bench prolly not to be used soon again. In any case, a prepper worth his salt should have a DVM and a backup. |
|
Quoted:
I have several of the cheap Harbor Freights ones around the house. Good enough for home use. I picked them up for $1-$3 each. Exactly and good enough for most general purpose needs in a highly advanced lab as well. 
They have to be one of the most incredible values for DVMs today and if you go back through any radio catalog to the 1920's, they beat anything in history for price and value. |
|
Quoted:
and I thought I was going to get blasted for recommending the HF meter! Good to know I'm not alone ... If you keep an eye out you can find coupons for the HF meters for free! The last one I had was junk, it was broken when I got it home. But it was free so no loss. Most of the time if it works out of the box it will be good to go, and they are damn accurate for the price. I use a Fluke 8025A at work, the thing is almost as old as me and still works great. I always suggest having a Good True RMS reading multimeter and a couple of cheap meters. I also have a TPI, they are inexpensive and are very good meter, one of the best ones I have found for the price. It is as accurate as my fluke and takes some punishment. You can never have too many multimeter laying around, one of the most useful tools one can have. |
|
I accidentally slipped and zapped my cheap DMM with 1200 amps, it made a fun BBBZZZzzzzz and then stopped when the probe melted away from the contact. do I car? nope. the multi meter works just fine, its just the probe thats messed up. it will probably be cheaper to just buy a new multimeter though.
series.... parallel... how does it work??  |
|
Quoted:
I accidentally slipped and zapped my cheap DMM with 1200 amps, it made a fun BBBZZZzzzzz and then stopped when the probe melted away from the contact. do I car? nope. the multi meter works just fine, its just the probe thats messed up. it will probably be cheaper to just buy a new multimeter though.
series.... parallel... how does it work?? Smoke test! |
|
Quoted: and I thought I was going to get blasted for recommending the HF meter! Good to know I'm not alone ... One thing with the ones I have though is if the battery in it is getting low, they become wildly inaccurate, so make sure you have good batteries in them. |
|
Quoted:
I accidentally slipped and zapped my cheap DMM with 1200 amps, it made a fun BBBZZZzzzzz and then stopped when the probe melted away from the contact. do I car? nope. the multi meter works just fine, its just the probe thats messed up. it will probably be cheaper to just buy a new multimeter though.
series.... parallel... how does it work?? Depending on the voltage you were lucky. I guess you were measuring current or that likely wouldn't have happened. If you take the meter apart you'll likely see a big ol strap that is the shunt for high current readings and that is what conducted all the current inside the meter. From what I've seen, the skinny wire in the probes is going to melt long before the shunt gets too warm. 
On other ranges the fuse is going to blow. I hate that... 
|
|
Speaking of cheap meters...
Deal Extreme sells a clamp-on ammeter/DMM for under 40 bucks that's pretty decent. Unlike most of the cheap AC-only clamp-ons, it also measures DC current - VERY handy for trouble-shooting automotive electrical problems. 
I've been using one for about a year, and have been very satisfied with it. |
|
Quoted: I have a "regular" multi meter at work and was using it to check power supplies. With that one,Quoted: I like the clamp style with treu RMS. My 3 cents Yes true RMS and AC current have plenty of uses... I would get a higher voltage than what the power supply said it was. With the clamp true RMS, I got the "correct" voltage. The clamp also lets me check the amp draw on my electric motors.
|
|
Quoted:
This.
Flukes are great for professional use (I use one daily) but at home I just use the cheap harbor freight meters. They are accurate enough for most uses and cheap enough to have multiple ones in different places. Have a Fluke also for aircraft related work and whenever I'm in need of 'nth degree accuracy from a calibrated instrument, which isn't that often. Otherwise I've got two or three Harbor Freight meters laying around and for everything I've done in ham radio so far work just fine. FWIW: Had a $10 Radio Shack DMM for years that passed calibration annually. Finally had to retire it when the the case literally rotted away and there was nothing left to duct tape it together. |
|
I have a cheap one I bought at the auto parts store for $25 at home for general automotive/radio use, and it works good enough. We just got a new fluke 28-II at work to replace an older model (cen't remember) which got destroyed. The new one is the industrial, drop resistant, waterproof, gorilla-proof model. Either I'm stupider than I used to be, or this sucker is way complex for a DMM –– I've got some reading to do...  |
|
Quoted:
I have a cheap one I bought at the auto parts store for $25 at home for general automotive/radio use, and it works good enough. We just got a new fluke 28-II at work to replace an older model (cen't remember) which got destroyed. The new one is the industrial, drop resistant, waterproof, gorilla-proof model. Either I'm stupider than I used to be, or this sucker is way complex for a DMM –– I've got some reading to do... I hate when they do that to a DVM...
|
|
Quoted:
Speaking of cheap meters... Deal Extreme sells a clamp-on ammeter/DMM for under 40 bucks that's pretty decent. Unlike most of the cheap AC-only clamp-ons, it also measures DC current - VERY handy for trouble-shooting automotive electrical problems. http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/6761/unitut200clampmeter.jpg I've been using one for about a year, and have been very satisfied with it. Yep, DC current clamp- probe is very handy for 12 vdc powered cabins and solar setups! Is yours stable and does it have a low range DC amp scale? |
|
Quoted: Beware the "Lifetime" warranty from Fluke. I have a customer who HAD a fluke with a lifetime warranty. Every 2 years he would send it in to get calibrated. Last year they sent him a new meter, said his was no longer supported, and the new one does NOT have the lifetime warranty. I still like Fluke products. They make good equipment. But when they stop supporting your lifetime meter, you don't get a new lifetime model. Sears did the same thing with their tape measures, and will probably end up doing the same with the rest of their tools. I have two Flukes at work and one at home. Good stuff. I have never had to send one to Fluke for cal. There are plenty of shops that can do it if you need the NIST cert. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Speaking of cheap meters... Deal Extreme sells a clamp-on ammeter/DMM for under 40 bucks that's pretty decent. Unlike most of the cheap AC-only clamp-ons, it also measures DC current - VERY handy for trouble-shooting automotive electrical problems. http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/6761/unitut200clampmeter.jpg I've been using one for about a year, and have been very satisfied with it. Yep, DC current clamp- probe is very handy for 12 vdc powered cabins and solar setups! Is yours stable and does it have a low range DC amp scale? It has a "zero" button that you press immediately before taking a DC current measurement - holds very stable as long as you don't wave it about in the air... 40 amps DC is the lowest range setting. It'll give meaningful measurements down to 50 mA or so. |
| I have a Fluke 179 True RMS DMM and a Harbor Freight DMM I got for free with a coupon out of any gun or car magazine. I ran the two head-to-head concerning voltage, resistance, and current. The Harbor Freight meter is good to go for the type of work you mentioned. I also bought a Harbor Freight handheld infared thermometer with laser for $19.99 that is well worth the money, no need for K-probes and short wires. Also bought a Harbor Freight clamp-on ammeter that works just fine for home use. |
|
Quoted:
My company requires an annual calibration check to be within FAA rules. The Fluke passed without a hitch every year except once. The leads had a near break somewhere in the lead that gave really odd readings. I suspected it and tossed a note in the box when I sent my stuff off for cal. My leads came back cut into several chunks. Other than that, bulletproof.
I have never had to send one to Fluke for cal. Otherwise that $20 Radio Shack DVM served me well until it fell apart. It passed cal annually also. |
|
my US$0.03 ... inexpensive DMMs are perfectly usable for 99% of ham radio-related troubleshooting. that said, 1) the probes that come with "high end" DMMs are *vastly* superior to the probes that come with el-cheapo meters. current fluke and older HP probes are awesome –– tough, sturdy tips, collars on the handles, high quality easily untagled silicone rubber leads that don't hold a set even at reduced temperatures, and low profile right angle banana plugs that make it easy to roll up the DMM and throw it into a travel bag for on-the-road projects. 2) most "high end" DMMs (the fluke 87 is one example) have a safety feature which alerts you in the event that you have voltage measurement selected but the leads are connected across the current measurement shunt (i.e., a dead short). the 87 chirps in protest when configured as such, thereby warning of potential damage to you, the probe ends, and/or the meter. the best case scenario is a blown fuse in the meter, but the EUT can get damaged as well from the low impedance path through the meter probes. ar-jedi 
|