Lithium1994
Member
- Location
- Waterbury, CT
Looking for some suggestions to pick up a digital multimeter. What would be a good one to pick out for a student starting out?
Multimeters
- Thread starter Lithium1994
- Start date
- Status
pierre
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
What are you using the meter for? Are you an electrician who does troubleshooting, or a tech?
Lithium1994
Member
- Location
- Waterbury, CT
i am a electrical student who is going to be starting out as an apprentice for e2
pierre
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
Maybe what you should try to do is ask some of your coworkers what they are using. Then ask them to show you how they use them, what they use them for and if you could try your hand with theirs. After some experience, you may find it easier to make your choice.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
If you don't have a solenoid voltage tester, you need to start with that. It is not very often that an electrician really needs a digital meter. And there a a lot of issues that you need to learn about before using a digital meter. For troubleshooting electrical circuits a solenoid voltage tester is far more effective.
Don
Don
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
But very often they lead you astray!!!
Don
Remember when you had it all when you owned a Simpson 260? They, when that wasn't good enough there was the vacuum tube VOM which provided the revered higher ohms/volt ratio but it had to plugged in.
Now with the digital VOMs, even the cheep ones, the ohms/volt ratios are ridiculously so much higher.
For the common electrician this is unnecessary but comes with the meter. It allows you to measure a voltage across just about anything very often meaningless readings.
It's not enough to simply read what it's saying but you have to know that is is sensitive to a fault , fault meaning it is a negative feature.
Now with the digital VOMs, even the cheep ones, the ohms/volt ratios are ridiculously so much higher.
For the common electrician this is unnecessary but comes with the meter. It allows you to measure a voltage across just about anything very often meaningless readings.
It's not enough to simply read what it's saying but you have to know that is is sensitive to a fault , fault meaning it is a negative feature.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
realolman,
Just because the poster asked about a digital multimeter doesn't mean that is what he really needs. In my opinion a digital meter is not a good choice for most electricians and you can troubleshoot faster with a wiggy than a digital meter.
Don
Just because the poster asked about a digital multimeter doesn't mean that is what he really needs. In my opinion a digital meter is not a good choice for most electricians and you can troubleshoot faster with a wiggy than a digital meter.
I'll take the wiggy over a meter every time to troubleshoot line voltage systems.
Don
T-5
T-5
...
...yo guys .. in a previous thread I was told that a T-5 (which I use) wasn't that good for troubleshooting cuz it doesn't read true RMS .. also something about 'ghost readings' ... I don't understand .. again my ignorance shows .. any info hear would be appreciated ... thanks ... m
T-5
...
...yo guys .. in a previous thread I was told that a T-5 (which I use) wasn't that good for troubleshooting cuz it doesn't read true RMS .. also something about 'ghost readings' ... I don't understand .. again my ignorance shows .. any info hear would be appreciated ... thanks ... m
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
realolman,
Don
That is not what I am saying... I am saying for most of what electricians do, that a wiggy is a better troubleshooting instrument than is a digital multimeter. That changes for trouble shooting things like a VFD, and even with that, I will start with the wiggy if the control cicuit is 120 volts. I have a Fluke 87 and 189, but those are not the tools I start with to trouble shoot line voltage equipment.
Don
I haven't used a solenoid voltage tester since the seventies and I haven't missed it one bit.
I can't say the same about a multimeter.
Absolutely, wiggy's are useful. Hey, if that's what you want to use. .. use the heck outta it. I don't want to. You carry a wiggy and you'll still have to carry a VOM of some kind. You don't need a wiggy if you have a VOM.
If I recall correctly, wiggy's don't even "do" ohms... or amperage. I don't think I would trust a Wiggington to verify whether or not a circuit was safe to touch.
I understand exactly what some of you are saying about the impedance and being able to read voltage on just about everything using a digital multimeter. The fact is, that voltage is there... in all it's miniscule induced glory.
How much time must elapse before a person is entitled to understand electricity to his capability? How much does a person's interest influence his capability and learning curve? Maybe Lithium is interested enough to become an uncommon electrician. I think a guy should learn and work as sophisticated as he wants, at whatever rate he feels comfortable.
Lithium asked about what kind of multimeter, not anyone's opinion of whether he (or she?) was entitled to use, or capable of using one. I think a Fluke 73 is a good one. I have used it every day for a few years, and I like it a lot. That's what I recommended.
I got my tail in a knot over the cracks about impressing anyone using some mystical thing. :x
I can't say the same about a multimeter.
Absolutely, wiggy's are useful. Hey, if that's what you want to use. .. use the heck outta it. I don't want to. You carry a wiggy and you'll still have to carry a VOM of some kind. You don't need a wiggy if you have a VOM.
If I recall correctly, wiggy's don't even "do" ohms... or amperage. I don't think I would trust a Wiggington to verify whether or not a circuit was safe to touch.
I understand exactly what some of you are saying about the impedance and being able to read voltage on just about everything using a digital multimeter. The fact is, that voltage is there... in all it's miniscule induced glory.
How much time must elapse before a person is entitled to understand electricity to his capability? How much does a person's interest influence his capability and learning curve? Maybe Lithium is interested enough to become an uncommon electrician. I think a guy should learn and work as sophisticated as he wants, at whatever rate he feels comfortable.
Lithium asked about what kind of multimeter, not anyone's opinion of whether he (or she?) was entitled to use, or capable of using one. I think a Fluke 73 is a good one. I have used it every day for a few years, and I like it a lot. That's what I recommended.
I got my tail in a knot over the cracks about impressing anyone using some mystical thing. :x
realolman,
Yes, I've got a Fluke 26 Cat III (fluke79) with a 1000a AC/DC current clamp, contact temperature probe, and noncontact temperature probe and they do have their place.
But I also have a Wiggie which when checking energized circuits is going to indicate or not indicate where a DMM often indicates a voltage even when a circuit is not energized which can be a nuisance. It can be especially confusing to those who don't have a clue about how a DMM measures a voltage. We get those questions all the time on these forums.
In all reality which one will impress a homeowner the most? You have much more respect packing a DMM than the lowly Wiggie.
That's what I went by mystical, certainly not to us but to those who watch us. Which one gives a more professional appearance even though any of us who own a DMM never intended it to impress people. I wanted a quality meter that I could count on for both accuracy and versitility.
When working with common power distribution circuits is voltage present or isn't it. Then there is continuity. Either the circuit is completed or it isn't.
If there is resistance of any degree in a power circuit that should have none does it mater what that resistance is?
If one has a reason to know the resistance value then there is a purpose.
And, yes, I bought a Fluke73 for my son which I would highly recommend.
Yes, I've got a Fluke 26 Cat III (fluke79) with a 1000a AC/DC current clamp, contact temperature probe, and noncontact temperature probe and they do have their place.
But I also have a Wiggie which when checking energized circuits is going to indicate or not indicate where a DMM often indicates a voltage even when a circuit is not energized which can be a nuisance. It can be especially confusing to those who don't have a clue about how a DMM measures a voltage. We get those questions all the time on these forums.
In all reality which one will impress a homeowner the most? You have much more respect packing a DMM than the lowly Wiggie.
That's what I went by mystical, certainly not to us but to those who watch us. Which one gives a more professional appearance even though any of us who own a DMM never intended it to impress people. I wanted a quality meter that I could count on for both accuracy and versitility.
When working with common power distribution circuits is voltage present or isn't it. Then there is continuity. Either the circuit is completed or it isn't.
If there is resistance of any degree in a power circuit that should have none does it mater what that resistance is?
If one has a reason to know the resistance value then there is a purpose.
And, yes, I bought a Fluke73 for my son which I would highly recommend.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
realolman,
Have you ever tried to trouble shoot a 120 volt industrial control circuit with a DMM? The ones I work on are 100's of feet long, often with a 100 or more conductors in the raceway. The DMM will often show 120 volts when the conductor is open at both ends. There are many cases like this where the high impedance DMM just won't do the job.
Have you ever tried to trouble shoot a 120 volt industrial control circuit with a DMM? The ones I work on are 100's of feet long, often with a 100 or more conductors in the raceway. The DMM will often show 120 volts when the conductor is open at both ends. There are many cases like this where the high impedance DMM just won't do the job.
I do it every day. I have never seen one display 120 volts falsely. Maybe a couple of volts.
I don't work for homeowners. I don't need to impress anyone and I don't try.
I understand exactly what you are saying. You don't seem to get what I'm saying:
Lithium doesn't need anyone's permission to use a digital multimeter.
He asked for a recommendation.
I gave him one.
The second next post was a bunch of crap about trying to impress someone.
I don't work for homeowners. I don't need to impress anyone and I don't try.
I understand exactly what you are saying. You don't seem to get what I'm saying:
Lithium doesn't need anyone's permission to use a digital multimeter.
He asked for a recommendation.
I gave him one.
The second next post was a bunch of crap about trying to impress someone.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
That is true, but I just want him to fully understand the problems that you can see when using a high impedance input device as opposed to one that puts a load on the circuit. If he already has a solenoid voltage tester and wants to expand his troubleshooting tools, a DMM would be great and can do a lot of things then the wiggy won't, but if he doesn't have a wiggy, I strongly suggest that he start with that and get a DMM later after he more fully understands electrical theory. Just because he asked about a DMM, doesn't mean that is the tool he needs at this time. As stated in this thread, tools like that are used by some to impress, not to do real work.
As far as seeing 120 volts on a unconnected conductor, I have seen it many times on long runs. I even had one very low current draw instrument saying it had power, with the other end of the supply conductor disconnected. We has a strobe connected to a PLC output where the leakage current would charge the capacitor and flash the strobe every 5 or 6 seconds with the output off. The leakage current through the solid state switch was the problem.
Don
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