1. What benefit would I get using a bench multimeter. So far I only need to see roughly what the voltage is, eg 12 ish Volts or about 3v3. My handheld MM does that
2. Dedicated waveform generator, I've only ever used the pwm generator. What can I use the other features for?
3. SA, I've used one in the 90s a few times, what can I do with them that would help the kind of projects I play with. I can only see myself analysing the 2.4ghz spectrum.
4. RF signal generator and VNA. I have no idea about how to use these or what I could even use them for.
5. Any other test equipment I missed?
1. Unless you are interested in metrology, or in need of some very high accuracy and precision, you probably won't need one. Another reason might be when you need to measure fast, for example on an industrial assembly line, where one would want to make automated measurement (for testing) at fast as possible, so to keep the production running.
For digital circuits and small modules you plan to build with, I can not come with any pertinent example where only a bench multimeter would be capable to do the measurement. A DMM would be enough.
2. A waveform generator with sinus/ramp or other waveform is nice to have particularly for analog projects. For digital, not much. However an AWG (Arbitrary Waveform Generator) might come in handy if you want to generate a certain train of pulses, or some other waveforms. Same as above, nice to have, but not a must have.
3. SA - Same, unless you have project where you tinker with RF, you won't need one.
4. RF generator and VNA - for hams, tuning antennas, other analog and RF projects, sometimes also used for measuring small inductances/capacitances, find resonant frequency, etc. No need for one when using with casual digital modules at home, unless you start developing your own 2.4GHz boards, with PCB antennas and such.
5. Other instrument?
- DMM is a must have.
- Solder Station + hot air tool (not exactly test equipment, but you'll need one eventually)
- LA (Logic Analyzer), rather rarely used - only if you need to log digital signals, or to capture longer communication than what would fit on the oscilloscope screen/memory, might be nice to have, not mandatory
- Computer, of course
![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
It is better to buy only when you need, not for "just in case", or else you will end up with empty pockets and shelves full of instruments never used.
![Smiley :)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif)
Of course, there is the reverse aspect, where one would find a use for whatever tool is at hand.
For example, I bought my AWG when I got interested in SDR (Software Defined Radio), because I was in need to experiment with 2 synchronous signals at the same time. Of course, any sound card would have been enough for learning the principles, but I wanted a new toy. By the time the AWG arrived, all my questions were already answered, so no need for an AWG, but I kept it on the bench.
Later, I've start using it for various other projects then the one I bought it for. Sometimes I even used it as a voltage reference/power supply (for very small currents only) because it can also generate DC. Then I've used the counter/frequency meter from it, and so on. If you have a tool at hand, eventually you'll find all kind of ways to use that tool for, sometimes in ways the tool was not meant for.
To sum it up, the instruments to have would be (in this order):
- DMM
- Oscilloscope
- Solder Station
- Power Supply
- then (optional) AWG, LA, SA, VNA, etc.
Another aspect, the more instruments one has, the less projects.
![Scared :scared:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/scared.gif)
No idea what is the root cause, but it usually happens to everybody.