Multimeter advice
 

Can anyone recommend a good multimeter? Im not an electician by any means, I just want something that will do the job and is under $50.

fluke is one of the better brands out there, but you can find something at radio shack for $30 or under that will do the basics.

how is craftsman? JUNK since kmart bought them?

let's say they wouldn't be the first brand i think of, when i think DVMs. get a fluke if you want a really nice unit (though you may not find any under $50). seriously radio shack does decent enough stuff for your basic needs -- VDC, VAC, resistance, continuity testing, and button-cell testing. the fluke units usually have replaceable probes, where the RS ones are integrated. i've got a RS one that's both compact and thrifty on batteries.

I have a Fluke for my work tool box, and a Harbor freight for home (Fluke was $300, HF was $19). Wish the HF had auto power off, but it works for everything at home I have needed.

Fluke 87 and the T5-600 are the general all around meters we use at work for basic testing/troubleshooting. See if you can find one on EBay the T5-600's are $100 new at sears so don't pay more than that. I have a craftsman at home that has the same functions as the fluke 87, it hasn't given me any problems but I have had it for 7 years now.

Fluke - for a nice gonna-have-it-for-years (and use it often) meter.

for a "i need a meter now" - radio shack.

I found my Craftsman MM on sale for $10. Works fine so far.

I like this one, I have it.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=03482062000

Lamm

Agreed,
Ive used several other brands and not many ( if any) match the quality of Fluke. Check this Ebay fluke auctions for decent deals.
I have a Fluke 77 series II that I could let go for a decent price or trade.

Fluke is by far the best multimeter I have ever owned or used.

Fluke is to multimeters like Snap-on is to hand tools. You can get cheapos almost anywhere (Rat shack, Walmart, Auto stores, Sears, Home Depot, etc). Personally I have a few around but always seem to break or lose them so I get cheapos and replace as needed. Some cheapos are well built, some aren't but I usually won't pay more than $20 for a basic multimeter (buy on sale). Unless you are in need to more sophisticated features, to me buying a brand name MM is a bit of a waste.

I use somthing like this:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...romSearch=true

i think it depends on what you are using it for.
House wiring--->cheapest you can find! (120V,R) "auto select" are fine

AUTO diagnosis 12V---> cheapest you can find! just be mindful of switching between R and V. you will go through a few fuses before you learn.
AUTO diagnosis High voltage---> for ingnition wires, find a cheap "field effect type". it will have a clamp on it to clamp around wires to measure A w/out breaking circuit.

Electronics---> you can still find a cheap Radioshack one with manual range select ( i prefer these to easily measure componants w/out mentally moving the decimal point for engineering notation)

I have a Radioshack pocket size "auto select" i purchased for ~$15, 10 yrs ago, still works (V,R,A) for electronics.
I have a Radioshack (22-168a) "manual select" i purchased for <$100, 10yrs ago. (V,R,A,pnp,npn,C,freq counter, pc interface) Best one i have ever used. VERY ACCURATE for componant value measurement. i have had many electronic tech & eng jobs, & I prefer this unit over the plethora of Flukes & base stations. Had been anually cal checked w/the many flukes i have used & never had needed adjustment where the Flukes alway did.

Please dont think i am the Radio shack spokesman, i think there meters are amazing for their price. I cirtainly wouldn't buy anything else from Rshack, unless i was really desperate. I wish that i had someone knowlegeable to help me out when i was getting into Electronics, so if you need further advice i will help you select the right model/make.
:soap:

Fluke because they just work and also because if yours has probs they give you a chance to win a free one. I.E my dad had to send his in because it stopped working, when they repaired it and sent it back (free of charge) they included a card to send back with your feelings on the experience. Every other month they draw out of those cards and the one they pick gets a free Fluke multimetre (where mine came from :D )

if anyone has a manual for a radio shack 22-168a mm with pc interface it would be greatly appreciated. i've had this thing for about 15 years and has never failed me, but i have lost the manual.

I use my master craft picked up for 15$ and works just fine no problems with it and battery life last for ever :)

Test and Measurement equipment calibration is what i do for a living. Fluke is the leader in the field for handheld DMM's, but I'd say from 14 yrs of experience that their failure rate is pretty similar to all the other generic brands... which is pretty low. Accuracy is relatively the same. Greenfield actually makes a cheaper version generic DMM that has an IR thermometer built in that i've found to be pretty rock solid.

The most highly regarded multimeter in the field is the old Simpson 260 meters. you can throw them off a building and they'll still work. They're old, big, and clunky by todays standards. They were first made in the 50's and still in use by the military and some larger companies so that should be a nice attest to their longevity. Mostly because the analog display has a quick response and allows you to see fluctuations in signals that a digital meter wont see.