Multimeters

[shortfuse]

I know I have seen this post before on which multimeter s to buy but I can not seem to find it.
I recently bought greenlee meter at home depot and seem to have problems with it reading correctly or consistently I think i should say.
I think I am ready to buy a good meter I used to use a fluke back when I was working for Mercedes and Porsche but they have changed a lot since then but I know they are good meters and not sure which model would be best suited for amp work.  But then again I just read the post by Fresh Start on analog meters back from 2009 which made me stop and re-think the whole process.
Suggestions, comments good and bad appreciated.  Or a link to a post I believe I read before or maybe I was just dreaming I read it because I read this forum before i go to bed each night 

[sluckey]

As a professional, hobbyist, and homeowner...

If I could only have one meter it would be a Fluke 87 DVM.
If I could have 2 meters, I'd add a Triplett 630 or Simpson 260 analog VOM.
If I could have 3 meters, I'd add a HP or Triplett VTVM. or RCA Senior VoltOhmist VTVM, or some good high impedance FET meter such as Sencore.

An if I was clumsy, I'd get an old AN/PSM-6, fondly referred to as piss 'um 6, very rugged!

[PRR]

> bought greenlee meter at home depot

?? Home Depot doesn't list any Greenlee meters.

What is the exact meter you have?

Is it digital or needle?

> seem to have problems with it reading correctly or consistently

What exactly happens?

> one meter it would be a Fluke 87 DVM.

I like my Fluke too.... but good-enough results should be possible with almost any DMM, any heathly VTVM, or any higher-sensitivity VOM. And a fancy-brand meter is sizable money, money which could go to speaker-swaps and other actual-sound investments.

As eyes age, it IS nice to have a large scale:

[sluckey]

Talk about visual aids! My piss 'um 6 was smaller than that.    

[shortfuse]

I dont know why I typed greenlee maybe because I just got back from HD before I posted and just bought 2 new greenlee knock outs for the job site.
The meter I have is a Klein Tools MM1000 Digital.  I bought it because it said it reads caps.  But again after reading yours and Steve's posts on the analog ones from 2009 I guess i really don't need a meter that reads caps.
The problem I have is it reads correctly at times and sometimes it is off.
Example I have been messing with my GA-5 build I did several months ago (Steve I still can seem to get the Bias right on it but that is another post later) and one minute it is reading fine then all of a sudden it reads almost in half.  I have been messing with cathode resistors and Rec Tubes and comparing voltages.  The other night it all of a sudden was reading half because I tested the a/c cord line in and it read 67 volts.  Took out 2 of my other Harbor Freight meters I use for general purpose stuff around the farm and they both read 120v.  20 minutes later try it again and it is fine.  This is the meter I 1st used to check out my Twin that lead me astray.
I am hooked on the amp building and figured I should by myself a good one

[sluckey]

That Klein is plenty good enough for amp work. Put a fresh battery in it and see if it settles down.

[Jack_Hester]

I've got a couple Fluke 8062's that I bought surplus.  Both work well, though I mostly use only one.  On occasion, I need to watch a second voltage change, as I vary another.  Depending on the accuracy that I'm looking for, I may use the VTVM or the other 8062.  I see that eBay has an abundance of these and the 8060's.  I would take either.  Display refresh are slow on these meters, as compared to more modern meters.  They are old technology, by today's standards, but have great accuracy.  I believe that both of mine are from the 70's. 

Jack

[shortfuse]

Sluckey I did try putting fresh batteries in the other night I should have mentioned that.  HD is pretty good about returns I think I am going to try exchanging there.  I will end up getting a fluke again soon because a good friend of mine owns a large electrical supply house in New England and I can get the Fluke at cost so the price wont be as bad.  My old 90's fluke was great until my daughter dropped it over the side of the boat a few years ago but that meter was geared towards automotive use.
Thanks for the replies I am going to look at some of the meters mentioned.

As far as analog meters besides the 2 mentioned by Sluckey what should I look for and stay away from?

[Fresh_Start]

Believe it or not, my DMM is a Craftsman and it seems to be working just fine.  IRRC the key specs are AC and DC voltage, like 600VAC and 1,000 VDC I think.

The Sencore FET meter sluckey recommended to me works great!  There are places where I really like watching the voltage needle moving.  I looked for a decent Triplett 630 or Simpson 260 for while and was unsuccessful at finding a decent deal.

Cheers,

Chip

[stingray_65]

Believe it or not, my DMM is a Craftsman and it seems to be working just fine.  IRRC the key specs are AC and DC voltage, like 600VAC and 1,000 VDC I think.

The Sencore FET meter sluckey recommended to me works great!  There are places where I really like watching the voltage needle moving.  I looked for a decent Triplett 630 or Simpson 260 for while and was unsuccessful at finding a decent deal.

Cheers,

Chip

I bought a CenTeck p3772 from Harbor Freight just for the cap meter. turns out to be a pretty decent meter for me except that it does not have an auto off. lists for $25, sales for $18.

I really like auto off, batteries can get expensive.

Love both my Flukes.

I have an old Simpson 260 series 7PM, for parts if some one wants to repair theirs, battery compartment was full of green goop and after I cleaned it there was little left of the contacts. Handle had been replaced with a hank of twine, but it worked before it was put away so many years ago. I think the back case is cracked too, but the meter is crystal clear and in great shape,

[PRR]

> all of a sudden it reads almost in half. 

Sounds sick. At that price/features, they make them 99% right; you got the 1%.

Take it back. Home Depot is very good about returns (at least at my place). The return clerk is not paid to fuss or argue, just get you settled. You want the receipt or the same credit-card you used to buy it, so they can verify this is not a bogus return. They may ask if it is unwanted or is defective, so they know to re-stock or sick-bin it. Say it's sick and you want another of the same thing.

[eleventeen]

GREAT picture, PRR, LMAO!!  

"When changing ranges KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE KNOB!"

Flukes are simply excellent; I have a #77 which I have had for at least 10 years and it has been super.

That said, I would be a little hesitant buying a used one; more than one or two versions old because they seem to fetch fairly high dollars on ebay even used and even though they are tough to break, by the time one is broken, it may not be fixable without other metering lying around and you are buying the meter because you don't have other metering so...

I would say DO NOT buy a Fluke meter older than the 8060/8062 series (which were superb meters) Do NOT buy any of the "lab bench top" type with the row of push buttons. If those are broken, you're sunk.

I would have little hesitation buying a semi-disposable import meter for amp work if it had good voltage ranges. Especially if you could buy 2 or three of them for the price of a Fluke. Make sure you get test leads with any used meter or allow for their purchase if they are not included. I really like clip-leads which will clamp on to a wire or component lead. Alligator clips are a little on the clumsy side, generally just a little too big.

[shortfuse]

> all of a sudden it reads almost in half. 

Sounds sick. At that price/features, they make them 99% right; you got the 1%.

PRR thats just how thing roll for me.  Now if I could only make that 1% work in the lottery.

[six el six]

I've found having bench meters placed directly in front of the amps I'm working on is comfortable for me. Picture of bench attached.

[scarlett amps]

I've found having bench meters placed directly in front of the amps I'm working on is comfortable for me. Picture of bench attached.

Hey i love those fluke 37s.

[Ed_Chambley]

I have a Fluke 87, a couple of sperry's and a pocket size greenlee.  I stopped in Harbor Freight the a month or so ago and they had a special on some old Chinese meter for $20.00.  I don't know the number of manufacturer of it, but it is the biggest one they have.  It reads pretty much everything and even has a temperature probe on it as well.  I did not trust it to begin with so every measurement I made with it, I compared it with my Fluke and Sperry.  Every reading has been on the nose, and I mean everything.  Still cannot believe it, but it is true.  The display is perfect for those of us who have short arm syndrome.  I have recommended it to other friends and none of us can believe how good the thing is.  The only complaint is it does not have auto off, so battery is gone if left on, but I can buy a lot of batteries for the difference in price between the price of a fluke and this thing.  I went back and bought 2 more just so I could have different type of probes.

I am not saying it is as good as my Fluke, but it reads the same and that is what I am interested it.  Oh yes, it is not yellow.

[FYL]

Most Chinese-made DMMs use more or less the same chipsets and are more or less copied from US, Japanese, Taiwanese or European models. They are basically as good as top-notch models when it comes to initial precision but what about safety, longevity and reliability?

[Ed_Chambley]

Yes, they probably are not very safe, reliable or probably will not last very long.  My biggest problem is I do not like the fact it is made in China.  Lots of the new amps are coming from there.  The handwired voxes and they innards look pretty good.

I hat to say it, but they are getting better quality.  Remember when we refered to Japanese products as junk, but I would not call a Kobota junk.  At 20 bucks it is waaaay more than I expected that is all I am saying.  So if someone on a limited budget needs a MM, this is the best one I have seen for the money.

[FYL]

The handwired voxes and they innards look pretty good.

I thought that the hand-wired Voxen were assembled in Vietnam.