Cen tech multimeters

Status
Not open for further replies.
360Youth said:
I had a saying when I first got started and I noticed these 1/4 and 1/2 million dollar homes buying low-dollar fixtures..."You know what you get when you buy a $5 light fixture....A $5 dollar light fixture." Same goes with $3 dollar meters. I have and still do at times buy low because that was all I could do, and, as you said, at worst you are out $3, but a $3 meter is just that.
Click to expand...

When I started as an apprentice, I bought a Triplett 630NA swing meter. It still would work, if I could find the weird 30 volt battery.

My first DMM was a Fluke 25. It still works. The water resistant feature was cool. As a youngster, I owned two boats with major electrical problems. I used to buy cheap vehicles with electrical problems, because I could fix them. Not true of todays vehicles.
 
I have seen the cheap meters sent with electric floor heat mats that need the Ohms checked before and after install. Seems like a good idea for a throw away tester. Like the cheap screwdrivers they put in some ceiling fan kits.
If your in need of a meter for more then one use it seems like you may want to spend more for the meter then you do for a cup of coffee. :D
 
tallguy said:
Funny... around some parts of the country that's exactly the price range where you would expect the cheap stuff to be purchased. $250K is the bottom of the single family real estate barrel around here (Boston region), while $500K is probably scraping the bottom in Silicon Valley.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter where you are, if you can spend 400k on a house, buy some decent fixtures.

acrwc10 said:
Seems like a good idea for a throw away tester. Like the cheap screwdrivers they put in some ceiling fan kits.
Click to expand...

I love those little screwdrivers. It kept me stocked on stubbies for years and made great Christmas presents. :grin:

acrwc10 said:
If your in need of a meter for more then one use it seems like you may want to spend more for the meter then you do for a cup of coffee. :D
Click to expand...

I think that has as much to say about the price of coffee as anything. :roll:
 
360Youth said:
I think that has as much to say about the price of coffee as anything. :roll:
Click to expand...

Keep the cheap meters and give me the good coffee. Now that I think about it I could buy a great meter for what I spend on coffee.:smile:
 
weressl said:
What does your life worth?

Any product that I would use that comes in contact with live parts would have to be UL listed and meters should be built to the category overvoltae protection that the circuit is expected to deliver in case of surges and overvoltages. There are many devices with fake UL labels.
Click to expand...


It does not surprise me that it seems that only one person so far has mentioned safety.
I cannot say for sure, but I would be willing to bet all of Mike Holt's money that those CHEAP meters do not really provide much safety.
If one is using them for class, and any testing is actually performed, I suggest getting the very best in insurance. ;)
 
Pierre C Belarge[COLOR="Red" said:
]It does not surprise me that it seems that only one person so far has mentioned safety.[/COLOR]I cannot say for sure, but I would be willing to bet all of Mike Holt's money that those CHEAP meters do not really provide much safety.
If one is using them for class, and any testing is actually performed, I suggest getting the very best in insurance. ;)
Click to expand...

That is because it seems so obvious that it is an issue.If the tips of the leads fall off leaving the conductors exposed you are in danger without any abnormal power condition. Would you trust a 3 dollar bullet proof vest?
 
LarryFine said:
http://www.google.com/products?q=Eveready+%23413&btnG=Search+Products&scoring=p
Click to expand...

Thanks. It's a wonderful old meter. While in school, I had a Heathkit VTVM. I built it myself. It worked great, but it had to be powered up for a couple of hours before it would give consistant measurements.

While I am rambling about old test equiptment, does anyone else remember the Tektronix o-scopes with plug in modules and clamp on polaroid cameras? Very hi-tech.

I think I just dated myself.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top