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Multi-meter help

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Old Aug 18, 2005 | 10:03 PM
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Default Multi-meter help

im pretty clueless about them, but i need a digital multi-meter with 10 mega-ohm impedance. can someone recommend me one? the cheaper the better of course. i was looking at a few greenlees(fluke is too much). if anyone can find one off grainger.com id appreciate it.

thanks, brian
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 10:05 AM
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Why the need for 10 meg ohm impedance? What are you trying to test or check?

Anyway for a digital meter, how about $3?

There is a Harbor Freight in Charlotte according to the web page. They have this on sale for $3:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=90899

this one for $10:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=30756

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=92020

This one is $13 and will measure up 20 meg ohms:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=90939

I have one of these cheap HF meters I keep upstairs, when I need to make a quick check of something I don't want to have to run to the basement and get my Fluke out of the toolbox. For everything I have needed it for, it has been fine.


Radio Shack also has a range of multimeters from $20-90.

Dennis
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 01:11 PM
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you can get one at home depot for like $20 that reads all the way to infinite impediance.

Its red with a clamp top, and a round black dial.....can't remember brand off the top of my head...

John
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by jwa4378,Aug 19 2005, 04:11 PM
you can get one at home depot for like $20 that reads all the way to infinite impediance.
Just because it reads "Inf" or whatever doesn't mean it can actually reading infinite resistance (if there was such a thing). It simply means the meter has encountered a resistance higher than its measuring capability. Years ago I picked up a semi-cheapy metere from Radio Shack (of all places)... the thing is surprisingly good with a lot of features. Measures up to 2 Gigaohms.

You generally don't pay for range, you pay for accuracy.
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 05:46 PM
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yup, i have a meter i picked up on closeout from the Shack 10+ years ago for like $25. it ticks along just fine and seems pretty reasonably accurate for the money. i think it's max resistance reading is 30 Mohm.
it's so old though that it doesn't even auto-range... works just fine for me. makes me think about what i'm measuring.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 01:34 PM
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Just because it reads "Inf" or whatever doesn't mean it can actually reading infinite resistance (if there was such a thing). It simply means the meter has encountered a resistance higher than its measuring capability. Years ago I picked up a semi-cheapy metere from Radio Shack (of all places)... the thing is surprisingly good with a lot of features. Measures up to 2 Gigaohms.
I assume its infinite resistance.....it is an ohm sign (Omega) with an infinity sign over it. It is just one of like 6-8 different measuring modes.

John
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 04:55 PM
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Like MacGyver said it: How much accuracy do you need?

Personally, I have a $450 meter. Another guy i work with bought one on eBay for $5. He doesn't need the accuracy nor would he understand the difference in his job. Mine involves finding noise related issues and tuning analog circuits quite often. What's your need?
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Old Aug 22, 2005 | 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by MacGyver,Aug 19 2005, 04:07 PM
You generally don't pay for range, you pay for accuracy.


My $3 HF meter may not be nearly as accurate as the Fluke in the toolbox, but it is well worth $3 not to have to always go get the Fluke to see if "this AA battery is good" or "is the circuit breaker to this wall outlet off?" or "is this a +12v power lead or ground?".

Dennis
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Old Aug 23, 2005 | 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by bridow,Aug 19 2005, 01:03 AM
im pretty clueless about them, but i need a digital multi-meter with 10 mega-ohm impedance. can someone recommend me one? the cheaper the better of course. i was looking at a few greenlees(fluke is too much). if anyone can find one off grainger.com id appreciate it.

thanks, brian
Y'all missed it. He doesn't need to measure 10 mega ohms, he needs a meter with an input impedance of 10 megs or more.

Fortunately, most digitals will fit that bill, but maybe not the $3 one. I'd say check the specs in the manual but it might not have one, or if it does I don't know if I'd trust the book to be accurate. Likely to have been printed for last year's $2 meter and they didn't feel like reprinting them.
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Old Aug 23, 2005 | 10:09 PM
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I think I got you all beat (except for the $450 jobbie). I have an AC-powered multimeter that's digital. The kicker is, it uses nixie tubes for the display.
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