i use a Extech EX420 auto range works well for me if i were to rate it, id give a 8.5
also bought a bunch of harbor freight red dmm's i was suckered in by the transistor socket. POS
your lucky if you can get a single reading off those sockets and the dmm is all over the place. i once took a reading inside a 240v panel and damn thing blew up in my hand ! i will never do that again -3 out of 10
i once had a Fluke with one single switch, on/off. that was it, full auto range. so easy even a retard could use it. i loved it, lost it in a fire.
Tektronix bench DMM for most everything, a BK Precision LCR meter for caps and inductors. I built my own hfe tester using the schematic from RG Keen's Fuzz Face transistor selection hfe essay.
vc97 from ebay. I think it's some sort of a fluke clone. good quality, $30 delivered, can't beat it.
I actually bought my current one from Home Depot and I love it. No transistor HFe readings, but it does continuity testing, capacitance and frequency measurement.
Radio Shack True RMS Digital Multimeter, with capacitance, continuity, temperature, frequency, and transistor hFE. Bought it in the late 90s and, other than having to replace the fuses within a year of purchase, has worked fine. :)
Mastercraft (Canadian Tire, sorry all my non Canadian friends) deluxe DMM, autoranging with resistance, capacitance, hfe, and a pile of other features I never use. Usually retails for $80, picked it up for $24 on sale, threw out all my other DMMs after using it for an hour.
Quote from: GermanCdn on January 16, 2013, 04:49:29 PM
Mastercraft (Canadian Tire, sorry all my non Canadian friends) deluxe DMM, autoranging with resistance, capacitance, hfe, and a pile of other features I never use. Usually retails for $80, picked it up for $24 on sale, threw out all my other DMMs after using it for an hour.
I think I have the same or a similar.
Jacob
At the moment I'm using an Elro M970 (???? never heard of it before I bought it...) which I got because it was dirt cheap, about 10 euros ($13). I'm in the market for a 'real' DMM though, that does Hfe and Capacitance so any recommendations which don't cost a fortune would be much appreciated.....
Paul
I use a Fluke 89. I don't have it in front of me, but I believe it is the V version. It is basically the same as the Fluke 189.
I love the meter. The only downside is that it can't accurately measure caps below 1n, although most DMMs really aren't designed for that. I need to get an LCR meter soon.
I'm using the free one that I got when I bought my soldering station from Circuit Specialists. It's pretty good, does HFE readings, capacitance, all the nice stuff. The leads aren't the best though, a little finicky. I plan to purchase some new ones and see if that amkes a difference at some point.
Fluke 8050A, got very lucky, $30 on ebay a few years ago. Plus a few cheapies for convenience and when needing multiple similtaneous readings or measurements not covered by the Fluke.
Cheapest multimeter I could get that still lets me replace the battery.
I have a few of the <$5.00 Harbor Freight DMMs that do HFE, and a bigger one that does capacitance. I still sometimes compare readings with an auto-ranging Radio Shack meter, but they're in place so I have a meter despite carrying the one I was using across the room and leaving it.
I use a Fluke. Don't remember model but it is auto range sensing and it was top notch 15 years ago. Still going strong.
I sometimes will need to use the cheap one they have behind the surplus counter and I don't even know how to use it. I am spoiled by my fluke.
I use an AVO M 2004 which was made in W Germany...great meter I have had it since around the 80's no big frills just an honest down to earth DMM which does the business :)
vc97 from ebay as recommended on these very boards. Auto ranging , capacitance etc
extech from Lowes
lovin my vc97, bought on Hab's recommendation
I use a cheap Radio Shack one if it's closer