multimeter suggestions

**jusatry** · 04-17-2004, 12:09 AM

Hey everyone - when i first started out with this comp/elec stuff in the car i was just installing a sub in my trunk, so i bought a $20 digital multimeter @ radio shack. Sure enough, 6 months later it is broken and reads no voltages and comes up with 0 ohms resistance all the time and a short constantly. Tried changing the battery - no go.

Anyway, now i am into much more electronics, actually trying to build my own carputer from parts, bulding an LCD projector, etc. and i want to get a good multimeter that wont break on me. Can anyone make any suggestions about where/what to get since obviously we all know radio shack will suffice in a pich but not if i am serious about this.

Thanks for any input (BTW, there is a fry's elec around here, so that is an option, but the stuff ive seen there is always huge.)

Anyway - thanks

**azcowboy** · 04-17-2004, 12:13 AM

Try FLuke Multimeters. They make pretty good ones. What do you mean that the ones at Frys are huge.

**jusatry** · 04-17-2004, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by azcowboy

Try FLuke Multimeters. They make pretty good ones. What do you mean that the ones at Frys are huge.

I mean that compared to the little digital one i have now, the ones at frys are all the size of a large calculator or bigger with the circle and the needle and all that - not so portable and whatnot. I guess if thats what it takes to get a good one, i might have to do that.

Other ideas. Thanks AZN Cowboy

**azcowboy** · 04-17-2004, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by jusatry

I mean that compared to the little digital one i have now, the ones at frys are all the size of a large calculator or bigger with the circle and the needle and all that - not so portable and whatnot. I guess if thats what it takes to get a good one, i might have to do that.

Other ideas. Thanks AZCowboy

Nope no other ideas. Haven't seen one with a needle on it in a long time. Might have to go to Frys just to take a look.

But if you are serious about electronics as a hobby then you are going to need one of the SO CALLED BIG ONES. You don't want one thats going to fit into your pocket. LOL.

**jusatry** · 04-17-2004, 04:08 AM

thanks for the input. Damn, those fluke ones are expensive. Anyone have any rec's that are cheaper but stil good enough quality they arent gonna break on me?

Thanks!

**Curiosity** · 04-17-2004, 05:50 AM

Hobbytron has some cheap ones here. Those look decent right? Fluke is definately the best though, and radio smack is inacurate junk.

**tom2112** · 04-17-2004, 11:14 AM

Sorry Dude. In the world of multimeters there are Flukes, and there are junk meters. (There's a few exceptions, but they're not cheap either.) So you're left with either the cheap $20 rat shack variety or the $$$$ Flukes.

Fluke does make a model for about $100. I had one at work, but I can't remember the model number. It didn't have all the features, but it did everything I needed working on PC's, network gear, and hospital equipment.

**jusatry** · 04-17-2004, 01:28 PM

thanks everyone! Well, i took your suggestions and got a fluke (on ebay). It is model 111 which i think is the one you are reffering to tom becuase it froogles for about #120, i picked it up on ebay (from a seller with a feeback of 81 and 100% pos) for $81. It measures frequency, capacitance, voltage, ohms, amps and diode voltage drop. I figure that oughta cover me for now.

Thanks for the advice everyone!!!