can you recommend a multimeter?

[mike_mccue]

I'm starting to second guess my 15 year old Digital Multimeter.

Today I was measuring some DC voltages in my guitar amp and when measuring the bias circuit which was about -60vDC the 200vDC scale seemed to work as expected but the 1000vDC scale would not read with the relative range.

I'm not sure if I should trust the meter any longer. Tommorow I'll try a friends for double checking.

This evening, I took a look at Flukes website... there's a lot of stuff there.

Is there a no brainer choice that everyone ends up with?

thanks,
mike

[Paul P]

If you can swing the cost I can heartily recommend the Fluke 179, which
I got in this kit with extra leads :

http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/17...keUnitedStates

It replaced an analog Radio Shack Micronta VOM that I'd been using for the last 30 years or so.
The Fluke is a real joy to use.

Paul P

[Le Basseur]

If you can swing the cost I can heartily recommend the Fluke 179 (...) The Fluke is a real joy to use.

Good choice,Paul!
I wanted the same DMM some time ago when my ol' trusty 12 went south...but the Fluke's aren't well represented in my country...and I discovered this:
http://www.metrix.fr/Produit/famille...T=mtx%20mobile
I bought the smallest 3281 wich performs superbly.
Regards,

[mike_mccue]

Thank you for the recommendations


mike

[Enzo]

There are numerous fine meters, and even some cheap ones that work well enough. But the defacto standard is pretty much the FLuke line.

Do a search here, we have discussed meters in the past.

You don't need a $300 model. DOn't pay for extra accuracy you don't need, and won't get with the probes you use. In other words, that .5% or .1% is more than enough. DOn't pay more to get extra digits and 0.000001% accuracy. 465v is close enough for B+ readings. 465.037v really doesn't add anything. I find current very useful. SOme of the baseline models only have a low current scale, then the next model up adds 10A or 20A scales. I DO find that worth the extra couple bucks.

[Am Peg]

Mike -
When my 8060A died I replaced it with a Fluke 177. Does everything I need. I even use the capacitance measuring capability once in a while.
The Fluke 179 just adds temperature measurement. If a tube is glowing, its hot. Don't touch it. I don't need a thermocouple to tell me that.

[Enzo]

Hi to Livonia, welcome to the forum.

That temperature thing is a perfect example of paying extra for something you don't need.

[tubeswell]

I've always thought that a meter than can read Farads (as well as ohms, AC & DC volts and amps) was a good idea

[Paul P]

That temperature thing is a perfect example of paying extra for something you don't need.

Though the temperature capability may be more or less useful for amp building
I don't think it really costs any more to get it if you take into account the
accessories you get with the EDA/2 kit.

And I can take my kids' temperature with it

Paul P

[Steve A.]

Though the temperature capability may be more or less useful for amp building
I don't think it really costs any more to get it if you take into account the
accessories you get with the EDA/2 kit.

And I can take my kids' temperature with it

Paul P

Paul:

Ouch! Oh, I guess you mean taking their ORAL temperature... I was worried there for a minute.

As a long time HVAC service tech, being able to measure temperature was definitely a necessity. Depending on the probes you have, you can also use it to check the temperature in your oven or refrigerator. Or like you suggested, the temperature inside an amp cabinet (or computer since everyone here is probably using a computer...)

One function I rarely use is frequency, so I would never pay extra for a meter that included that.

Fluke is pretty much the industry standard, but I used Wavetek at work for many years before Fluke bought them out to add a less expensive line. I had a very bad experience with Fluke meters so I avoided them like the plague! After drooling over them for years, I finally bought the entry level Model 70 and within a week my work van was broke into and that meter was stolen. So I stuck with Wavetek meters ever since...

Steve Ahola

P.S. The non-contact infrared thermometers are getting cheaper and cheaper! Harbor Freight has one for about $10 or $20...

[Enzo]

I would imagine in the heating and cooling business that temp would be a useful feature. Not sure how I'd use it in amp building. Aim it at a tube and yuo are measuring the temp inside the thing. If it comes with the meter great. If it is the added feature in a line of meters that bumps the price up another $40, I see no reason to buy it.

I never use freq either. I have a bench freq meter, and it has ONE use only. After service to the transport of a tape deck, I mount a test tape and play it back. I then adjust the tape speed so the playback freq of the test tones is accurate.

Stole your FLuke and won't buy another? REminds me of a time long ago when I was in the arcade industry. I was talking to a fellow in the community of a small town, and suggested that an arcade might be a good thing in the town. I pointed out the parking lot of the local grocery store that filled up with teens hanging out every night with nothing to do. The guy gets huffy and says, "Yeah well, my kid rode his bike to an arcade once, and it got stolen while he was inside playing. You gonna buy him a new bike? I don't want no arcades here." I told the guy I thought it was a good thing the bike wasn't stolen at the kid's school then. The guy just stared at me.

[Le Basseur]

Not sure how I'd use it in amp building.

The only thing I'd care for about having a termo probe on my DMM would be related to PTs.
For the most of you,it's quite easy to buid/repair a tube amp taking into account that the PTs you have and use are factory-made,therefore well calculated.
However,I had to deal with a bunch of amps (either guitar/bass and HiFi) whose PT's weren't "original" or in their "original factory" state,meaning that these units' bobbins were re-winded in a wrong manner by some local "techs",without taking into account the necessary "thermal factor" from the PT's winding formulas.I took me some time and nerves before getting it...therefore,no internal shorts,no over-current dragged BUT a wrong bobbin that gets the tranny VERY hot,way over the standard 55 degrees Celsius...all these at idle current.
Having a DMM's thermal measurement capability handy AND a suitable probe means less dependency of the local university's lab thermal surface-probe.
Regards,

[mike_mccue]

Thanks for all the great info.

It was an eye opener to find you don't all think you need the 87C.

I'm looking the the 177, and 179 now.

best regards,
mike