analog multimeter

• Meters

Also get one of their cheap $4.00 to $7.95 analogue meters.

You need a digital meter if you are going to check battery voltages. Even a good expensive analogue meter is not good enough to read tenths of a volt that is needed for this.

If you run across a problem with a noisy generator with the digital meter then put the little analogue meter on it to verify what is going on.

Unless you want to spend the money on a good fluke meter as someone suggested.

Regards
Gary

I'm far from an expert, but I'll take a digital any day.

Here is how I see it. An analog is much more accurate than a digital provided they are of the same tolerances. You can interpolate easily with a analog. However, there is no way I would typically go back to my analog over my digital for a few reason....
1- Batteries last forever in the digital (over 3 years at present)
2 - much tougher and harder to break when dropped
3- usually much smaller and easier to carry
4- give me the reading I want very quickly with the precision way above what I need (so does the analog)
5- often have a continuity buzzer so I don't need to read the display all the time.
6- Most shut off when not used for a time.
7-This is 2004
8- Noise... I have never had problems with noise.

Anyone want to buy some old Simpson 260's or 261's? I seldome use mine.

Check the website and see what Radio Shack has for under $30.00

• Radio Shack Multimeter

What do you want for them? They are always handy to have around.

Thanks
Gary

I just need to know the effects you've found. Some have talked about it but none have yet to hear of a factual example.

Thanks.

I've had cheap DVM's read as high as 20 - 30 volts when placed across a 6 volt battery under charge. (An analog meter will read 7.2 volts at the same spot.) This is especially so on equipment such as old tractors where no design consideration is given to RFI surpression.

Want proof: Find someone with an oscilloscope and have 'em slap it across the battery while the engine is running. It'll show a virtual electrical storm going on when the motor is running. Or simply tune an AM radio between stations then bring it within 15 ft or so of a running tractor - you can hear the generator hash and ignition popping.

Now recognize not all DVM's have this problem - it's generally a case of you get what you pay for. I have a cheapie ($15) Radio Shack pocket DVM that is worthless for this kind of work. However I also have Fluke 77 and 87 meters ($125 and $225) which do fine on the tractors.

You brought up a memory trip. I was working on a FM transmitter tower AC unit and was reading voltage anywhere from 50v too 750vac and my meters are going wild. I have three with me, anolog and two digitals.

I'm thinking bad transformer and drive 45miles to meet with a utility company rep. He's shaking his head looking at me and says thats impossible as a tranformer either works or doesn't work. But I got him convienced that with three different meters "he's just got to see this"

We drive 45 miles back out to the site, and as Murphy would have it, the meters didn't budge and inch and stayed rock solid 240vac while he's there.

He takes off and about 5 minutes latter my meters are going bananas again but this time I had turned up the radio at the transmitter and behold the DJ was talking, he quit talking and my meters would read normal.

That 50KW transmitter really made them read screwy!

T_Bone

After some head scratching we determined the DVM's internal logic was being messed by the signal from the ground speed sensor (radar transmitter) located under the cab and several feet from the DVM. Sticking a big coffee can over the sensor while I worked eliminated the problem. ...Bob M

• AES

Suggest watching Ebay for a used analog VOM. Often find good old Simpson, Triplett, etc. VOM's bidding in the $15 - $30 range.

How is that you'd ruin your $70 digital multimeter. If you drop it from 6 feet you might damage it, but there isn't anything on your tractor that would do any damage to it.

best wishes
TO