Tektronix DMM 252

[FlyingHacker]

Hi,

Is the Tek DMM 252 a decent second (or fourth or tenth) meter for electronics work? Anyone used one? I have a chance to get one fairly cheaply, but didn't know if it had any major drawbacks.

For example, I have an old Radio Shack meter that takes about 3-4 seconds to auto range.  That makes it so I hardly ever use it except in a complex setup requiring a bunch of meters.

Thanks.

[helius]

It is decent. The range of Tek DMMs was primarily made in Taiwan by APPA. I think that model was a rebranding of APPA 105. 4000 count, basic DC accuracy 0.1%. It was also rebranded for others, such as the Jensen JTM-103. Quality is fine. It would be a good deal for <$50 with OEM probes.
http://www.otdl.com/PDF%20Catalogue/appa100.pdf
http://www.davmar.org/Spec/TekDMM254.pdf

(Notice both DMM252 and APPA 105 have 0.1% accuracy for DCV ranges except 400 mV)

[retiredcaps]

I have one, but right now, I don't have time to do a quick write up.  I will try do one later tonight.

The Tektronix is made by APPA. See

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/iso-tech-(appa)-idm105-dmm/

[FlyingHacker]

Thanks guys. I can get one for $25USD without any probes. I have some cheap probes I would use with it.

Do you think that is a reasonable deal, or am I better off getting a new $25 meter instead? I would think most $25 new meters would be total trash. I already have a bunch of other good meters (Fluke 87V, Fluke and Keithley bench meters, numerous analogs, VTVMs, etc.) But you can never have too many meters.

I see the 252 is not TrueRMS. Probably not a major issue since I have other meters for measuring AC stuff.

[retiredcaps]

I bought mine as "not working" for about $6 USD + $10 USD shipping/handling.  However, there was nothing wrong with the meter except one fuse was blown.

Pros
====

- quick latched continuity, not quite as fast as the 87V, but much better than average
- autoranging faster than your Radio Shack reported 3 to 4 seconds, about 1-2 seconds on average in DCV mode
- uses 2 AAA batteries
- in diode mode with open leads , it shows the internal battery voltage
- uses same fuses as original Fluke 87 (the fuses alone are about $5 to $6 each)
- solid quality case, no creaky (unfortunately, mine did not come with a rubber holster)
- has min/max functionality

Cons
====

- LCD display unreadable when batteries are low.  My nimh AAA are 2.506V DC  (as per diode mode) and the display is only legible when look from directly below.  At all other angles, the lcd appears very faded.  With fresh alkaline 1.5 AAA cells, the LCD display is dark and crisp at more viewing angles.
- hold function is the useless "hold" function where you have to press the button to freeze the reading on the lcd
- blue printing on meter for secondary functions are hard to see

Is it worth $25 USD?  That is your decision.  I tend to buy non working meters in that same price range or less for learning/educational purposes.  Sometimes the fix is easy and sometimes the meter is unrepairable (dead main proprietary IC) or beyond economical repair.

[FlyingHacker]

Thanks for the info. I too have bought a lot of broken meters for repair, and fixed all but one (bad gang switch). Not sure on this one. If the seller gets back to me at the right time I will buy it. Otherwise I will pass because I already have a lot of meters.