Show your Multimeter!

[saturation]

Very true, K.  In the early days of 7 segments LED, some of the segments would blow but later, good ones are still alive today.  Only time will tell.  I have some color LCD in game boys or PDAs and colors seem more washed out, but the B&W or grey scale ones still look OK.

The OLED isn't any worse that the 7 segment in sunlight.  That's partly a reason I wrote earlier it would be better indoors in a bench-like DMM, with mains power. 

The OLED screen is beautiful and sharp. 

It could look that way , but how it will look 10 years later ?
Probably my question does not have today an answer ,
but i will wait and find out .
 

.

[hakko]

HI! I just want to show mine tester here:

[Kibi]

This is some of my family of multimeters.



From left to right in chronological order:
1. Fluke 25, I have owned it for 20 years. Got is second hand and dates inside of it say 1984, so it's probably about 27 years old. Just as accurate as ever. It's got different leads though, the originals fell apart a couple of years ago.
2. Fluke 79III, I have owned from new for about 15 years. No problems.
3. Kewtech KT116, had it about 3 years. Pretty good meter, I carry it about in my laptop bag. It goes wherever I go - a bit like a camera.
4. BK Precision 879B LCR meter. Dave twisted my arm with his review. Bought it a few months ago.
5. Fluke 287. I have owned it several hours now.

I have also got one of those wallet meters. I think it's at work now.
Also got a nasty meter that lives in the "winter motoring" crate. It's pretty inaccurate, but it'll get you out of trouble if required.

[D. Head]

It's showtime.
my multimeters

• my very first one, unknown brand
• my second meter: Metex M-3610, more than 15 years old, I still use it al lot
• Voltcraft M-4640M (produced by Metex), with Watt-meter and calculation of power cost, RS232 interface
• Dynatek D9600, uncommon brand but good quality
• Fluke 87-V
• Voltcraft analog meter
• Fluke 179
• Voltcraft VC820(relabeled Uni-T), optical RS232
• Fluke 233 (remote display)
• Fluke 289/FVF (=meter+software)

No multimeters without wires and clamps. The second photo shows a very small part of it.

In the 3rd photo the Metex.
It has 1 big display, and 3 small ones.
If u mesure DCV, it gives u the actal value on the big display, than on the bottom-left the value a second ago, middle: two soconds ago and right: 3 seconds ago.

[Bored@Work]

• Voltcraft analog meter

That is a re-badged Hung Chang. Did Voltcraft keep the *cough* optimistic *cough* specs of the meter, especially the multiple kV measurement rating?

[D. Head]

• Voltcraft analog meter

That is a re-badged Hung Chang. Did Voltcraft keep the *cough* optimistic *cough* specs of the meter, especially the multiple kV measurement rating?

I never heard about Hung Chang, but I just found a picture on the Internet and the modelnumber is the same (5050E).
the specs looks the same

[Flavour Flave]

My first and hopefully not my last.

[D. Head]

All,

I have a question about my Voltcraft M-4660M (= Metex M-4660M), maybe there is someone able to explain this to me.

This meter has de capability of power-masuerement (Wattmeter) plus calculation of price of used power. You can enter a price per kWh, set a specific duration of mesurement (e.g. 24 hours) and it calculates the total cost.

I have a Power-adapter for the meter witch is connected to COM+V/Ohm+20A.
For the 20A-bus it has the text "Max 30sec EACH 15min".
If I would like to mesuere some heater (or wathever) from about 18A for 24 hours, how can I do that without damaging the shunt.
It look likes this is impossible, the meter can only handle 18A for 30 seconds.

This issue is bothering me for quite some time.
Thank you.

[Kiriakos-GR]

This issue is bothering me for quite some time.
Thank you.

Have a look here.. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=660.0

[alm]

The 30s limit is because the shunt will overheat at 20A continuous, it relies on thermal inertia to keep the temperature down.

Measuring real (as opposed to apparent) power requires both the current and the voltage to be sampled at the same time, and each sample to be multiplied (instantaneous product). I think this DMM can perform this operation (just like the Kill-A-Watt type devices), but only if the current is fed via the 10A jack. This makes it hard to use external shunts or current clamps. They would need a current output instead of the more common voltage output, and the current should be in range of the meter.

The normal solution would be to use an external current shunt rated for 20+A and measure the voltage across this shunt (which is exactly what the current measurement feature does). A current clamp would be another solution if you desperately want to spend money, the current is very high or if disconnecting the device under test is a big deal. This will not work with the power measurement feature, however, so all you can do is calculate apparent power by multiplying RMS voltage with RMS current. Plus you would need two logging multimeters.

If the heater is resistive, this may not be a big deal, since it will have a power factor (difference between real and apparent power) close to 1, so the error will be small.

A Kill-A-Watt type device (check the max. current rating and duty cycle) may be a better, cheaper and more convenient solution.

[D. Head]

Thank You alm for your answer.

I think this DMM can perform this operation (just like the Kill-A-Watt type devices), but only if the current is fed via the 10A jack.

This is the whole clue (I had this idea olso before).
The adapter they sold can only be used in the 20A-connector...

Long story short (if I understand you correctly), they sell a DMM wich is not cappable to do what the specs/manual suggest (mesure 20A for many days).
I still don't understand why they sell it like this.

One last question: if I would like to have a decent Watt-meter, is a Gossen Metrawatt Energy capable for this?
(not that I do a lot of watt-masurements, but I'm just wondering).

[alm]

The Gossen will do it, with an optional external current clamp. The internal shunt of the Gossen Metrahit Energy is about 60 mOhm. At 20A, it would have to dissipate 24W. That's a lot for an enclosed case. A lower resistance shunt would decrease the resolution.

External shunts don't have this problem, since they can dissipate more heat, and can be low resistance since they don't have to measure down to 600mA. Clamp meters barely have any dissipation, which makes them extremely useful in the 100-1000A range.

If the heater control alternates between switching it fully on and off, you may be able to measure the on (within 30s) and off power, and then log the time spent on and off separately. Then multiply on power with on time.

[zaoka]

Triplett 630
Simpson 260-8
Sencore TF46
Fluke 77IV
MUL3333 (never buy this one)

Also I have HIOKI 3801, HIOKI 3804-50 and Agilent U1272A.

[Kiriakos-GR]

The adapter they sold can only be used in the 20A-connector...

Long story short (if I understand you correctly), they sell a DMM witch is not capable to do what the specs/manual suggest (measure 20A for many days).
I still don't understand why they sell it like this.

There is no super fast HRC fuses  above the 15A mark, so far I have not see any.
And so it looks normal so far, the DMM to be set to serve at 15A and lower. 

[robrenz]

Fluke 8846A:  New! Just built and calibrated at Everett WA. a week ago
Fluke 87:  had it since they first came out.  It is still in spec according to the 8846
Circuit Specialists : Dont laugh,  this thing agrees with the Fluke 87 on every range I use. and it was free for buying above a certain amount of product. You can buy it outright for less than $30.00

[chrome]

Bought a Tektronix DMM4040 recently, couldn't find any (decent) videos online of it so I made one myself.
(The DMM4040 is the same as the Fluke 8845A except the resistance goes down to 10.00000 Ohm (as does the Fluke 8846a)).

[Tooms]

Hi

this is some of my meters



Tooms

[Magicmushroom666]

Whats that plugged into the fluke 179? is it just an adapter?

[Tooms]

Whats that plugged into the fluke 179? is it just an adapter?

Hi

That is just an ghost volt adaptor

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/accessories/batteries,-chargers-and-adapters/sv225.htm?PID=56696


Tooms

[Excavatoree]

Twin 789's -  I'm impressed.

[Tooms]

Twin 789's -  I'm impressed.

yes i like them as they can source 0-24ma also and if i remember right i got one of them from ebay for 100£, so i think that is cheap

[Tooms]

If you guys like fluke porno then most of the rest of the gear can bee see here

http://www.flukecommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19549#post19549

 

[M. András]

If you guys like fluke porno then most of the rest of the gear can bee see here

http://www.flukecommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19549#post19549

 

dear god i would be happy with some of those, but most of those people own so much not just in value, thats amazing

[Dieselrunner88]

If you guys like fluke porno then most of the rest of the gear can bee see here

http://www.flukecommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19549#post19549

 

That was good for me was it good for you?   

[Dieselrunner88]

My small collection I also have a Matco ADMM50 that is at my dad's house.