Show your Multimeter!

[shakalnokturn]

That isn't Excavatoree's staircase though, let's hope his collection doesn't escalate too fast... May have to nickname as "Escalatoree" 

If we can't stick to a single DMM or list them all and are showing only one manufacturer at a time, here's my biggest number for one manufacturer (even if there are a couple of AOIP they're from the same factory). Still photo is missing a couple DMM's then there's the clamp meters... Then there's the Fluke, GMC, Brymen handhelds and a few bench meters...

[Neomys Sapiens]

That isn't Excavatoree's staircase though, let's hope his collection doesn't escalate too fast... May have to nickname as "Escalatoree" 

If we can't stick to a single DMM or list them all and are showing only one manufacturer at a time, here's my biggest number for one manufacturer (even if there are a couple of AOIP they're from the same factory). Still photo is missing a couple DMM's then there's the clamp meters... Then there's the Fluke, GMC, Brymen handhelds and a few bench meters...

WHAT? Not one of those fancy ASYC or Mx3282 thingies? Thought so. 

[shakalnokturn]

WHAT? Not one of those fancy ASYC or Mx3282 thingies? Thought so. 

I've owned a couple, one of the clamshell models, I didn't like the design that much and a later one with the sexy shape that I would have kept if it had had more counts.
The only real graphical DMM I've got my hands on so far is the Fluke 867B.

[armandine2]

https://www.aldi.co.uk/ferrex-digital-multimeter/p/806955502637600

Got a couple of these the other day - may be the second one may afford a young nephew some education, alongside say a breadboard and a few components (Ben Eater's clock module?).

[Excavatoree]

Two more added to the collection after over 10 years of sitting in the "Junkyard" without LCDs.  I finally found some on the famous auction site that weren't too expensive.  I think they are Fluke Chinese factory seconds, or maybe they are pulls, but they are good enough for these cosmetically challenged meters.

I posted a link to the auction in the Buy/Sell/Wanted section.

[med6753]

My 3 amigos. The 8060A just joined 2 weeks ago.

[joeqsmith]

Sabtronics 2015A

[Excavatoree]

Someone else has a Sabtronics!  I thought I'd never see another one.

[joeqsmith]

Note the Caddock divider and custom designed fuse.   

[David Hess]

I replaced the 1/16th amp fuse in my DM501 with a pair of 28 volt grain-of-wheat lamps in series as shown below.

[harrimansat]

UNI12E MTM


https://youtu.be/ucijdkyhU5w

[McCarthy]

Why is this wonderful thread dead?!


I'm actually searching for a vintage meter but I can't find out the brand or model number. My dad use to own it and I always wanted the same. Here's what I remember:

- Made between 1984 and 1992
- Digital
- Very likely all yellow case, or at least the sides in yellow
- Likely from Fluke or Voltcraft, but not sure
- Grey rubber buttons
- I think there was no dial selector, only buttons

Here a rough drawing:

[shakalnokturn]

Why is this wonderful thread dead?!


I'm actually searching for a vintage meter but I can't find out the brand or model number. My dad use to own it and I always wanted the same. Here's what I remember:

- Made between 1984 and 1992
- Digital
- Very likely all yellow case, or at least the sides in yellow
- Likely from Fluke or Voltcraft, but not sure
- Grey rubber buttons
- I think there was no dial selector, only buttons

Here a rough drawing:

I can't think of that many hand held without dial.
Cold it be the the Metex M80 ? I think these were also rebranded as Monacor, not sure about Voltcraft.

[McCarthy]

Why is this wonderful thread dead?!


I'm actually searching for a vintage meter but I can't find out the brand or model number. My dad use to own it and I always wanted the same. Here's what I remember:

- Made between 1984 and 1992
- Digital
- Very likely all yellow case, or at least the sides in yellow
- Likely from Fluke or Voltcraft, but not sure
- Grey rubber buttons
- I think there was no dial selector, only buttons

Here a rough drawing:

I can't think of that many hand held without dial.
Cold it be the the Metex M80 ? I think these were also rebranded as Monacor, not sure about Voltcraft.

HOLY SHIT. That's the meter! Thank you so much.

I searched Google images for hours every other year with all kinds of keywords but never saw this one.

I just searched for Voltcraft M80 and found the correct one. Time to keep an eye on eBay Germany!

[David Hess]

I resurrected my old Beckman Circuitmate DM25L with a new set of probes from Probemaster.

I miss manual ranging multimeters.  I would like to find a modern high resolution one.

[soldar]

I have a couple Italian ICE 680R about 50 years old.
They use old 3V 2R10 battery which is difficult or impossible to find today.

[bitwelder]

I have a couple Italian ICE 680R about 50 years old.
They use old 3V 2R10 battery which is difficult or impossible to find today.

The ICE Supertester line had another very similar model, the 680G. The main difference IIRC was the 'range doubler' button on the 680R.

BTW, regarding the product name, "tester" is a common term used in Italy for multimeter.

[Calambres]

They use old 3V 2R10 battery which is difficult or impossible to find today.

Hi, old friend. It is not that difficult. I recently bought one from the fleabay for a friend's ICE 680-R. Also look here in our country:

https://www.reguerobaterias.es/p90035361_pila-2r10-3-voltios-para-multimetros-ice.html

or, even better, this CR123 to 2R10 adapter:

https://www.reguerobaterias.es/p90041957_adaptador-pila-2r10-mas-litio-cr123-energivm.html

Or, if you have access to a 3D printer:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4803116

By the way, I also happen to have an ICE 680-R from nearly the same vintage as yours (circa 1978). Pretty good analog multimeter indeed!

BTW, regarding the product name, "tester" is a common term used in Italy for multimeter.

Same here in Spain

[LMedu]

Hi. I modified mine with this: https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005005187823837.html   and I use CR123 batteries.

[rsjsouza]

I used the same CR123 holder on mine and soldered wires to its terminals and to the board. It relieves the mechanical stress on the phenolic PCB, which on mine was becoming very warped

[soldar]

They use old 3V 2R10 battery which is difficult or impossible to find today.

Hi, old friend. It is not that difficult. I recently bought one from the fleabay for a friend's ICE 680-R. Also look here in our country:

https://www.reguerobaterias.es/p90035361_pila-2r10-3-voltios-para-multimetros-ice.html

or, even better, this CR123 to 2R10 adapter:

https://www.reguerobaterias.es/p90041957_adaptador-pila-2r10-mas-litio-cr123-energivm.html

Or, if you have access to a 3D printer:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4803116

By the way, I also happen to have an ICE 680-R from nearly the same vintage as yours (circa 1978). Pretty good analog multimeter indeed!

Oh, hi there.

I have those two meters stashed away in a drawer and with no intention of using them really. I keep them with an old slide rule, a 1970's Casio calculator and other things which i keep not because I need them or want them but because I am a sentimental old fart. And in the same drawer I found I have a brand new "heavy duty" battery for the ICE 680R, still in its blister packaging and so old it is probably totally dead by now. Probably about 20 years old.

I remember I had a problem with the ICE 680R in that the needle would not return to zero and it turned out the plastic front cover has some kind of antistatic treatment and I think I had cleaned the front with solvent and that had removed the antistatic treatment. I took it to the official repair place and they explained the issue and reapplied the antistatic treatment to the front and it worked well again. I seem to remember they did not charge me for that.

Those meters are strictly for the memories, not for actual use. I have other digital cheap meters for working around places and on the workbench I have a humongous digital meter which is most convenient to use because it just sits there on the shelf.  I need to build some wooden stands for small multimeters because they are a pain to read when I am holding probes in difficult places.

I have a very small digital meter which I find a bit confusing to use because it is auto-ranging to the max. It has two leads and no selection dial. You just connect the two leads somewhere and it will tell you if there is AC or DC voltage or resistance or .... It just decides what to measure. I am used to telling the meter what I want to measure.

Most of my electronic instruments are from about 1980. The CRT in my oscilloscope is so long the front sticks way out from the shelf.

As part of my collection of old memorabilia of no practical use I still keep a Clarivox CRT TV, circa 1980, which I assembled myself and it still works but I never use it. I have all the schematics and I connected a TDT decoder just for fun.

Yes, I am a nostalgic old fart.

[Calambres]

Those meters are strictly for the memories, not for actual use...

Well, not really. I used to use it when aligning the IF in radios. DMMs are not up to the task. Now I've got a VTVM and the ICE 680-R is almost never seeing the light out of its drawer but there are things for which a good analog multimeter is still essential. The subtle movements of an analog needle are not easily obtainable with a DMM.

Of course my ICE 680-R rests in its drawer without a battery inside. No need either for its completely outdated ohm metering capabilities nor for a hideous battery, waiting there to leak and destroy the whole instrument... and I also have two or three of those 2R10 batteries in their original blisters from the heyday:



06/95 no less! 

[SiliconWizard]

I still have a Metrix MX43 in my collection. Despite its unassuming appearance, for a DMM that's over 30 years old and which had its last calibration a long time ago now, it's still working and still within specs. This thing just won't die.

[Calambres]

ASMOF, I've got a couple of even older METRIX model 460:




... and even a much older Neuberger Voltmeter from the '30s or early '40s. A true relic!

[Edison]

... and even a much older Neuberger Voltmeter from the '30s or early '40s. A true relic!

I restored the V/A meter, the glass and the old/new measuring cord are still missing in the photos.

Edit: 🤔Somehow the photos were being shuffled when saving