Volt Meter

[nobbie48]

If you're trying to measure milliamps with a hand held meter you need electro shock therapy

... you know what though... unless you know EXACTLY what you're doing, don't measure current with a multimeter ... just DON'T. For the house holder and all AC current: get a clamp meter. Unless you know what you're doing, EXACTLY what you're doing, you shouldn't be in the middle of a series circuit... even at household currents that may be a dangerous place. (... and if you don't know what that last sentence means... it applies to you).

... so if you're a house holder you want a clamp MULTI meter... for around the house.
DC clamp meters have REALLY come down in price... for around the shop

They can now also measure current on multi conductors

 

[gpfan]

Basically does line have power on/off
But since many of our breaker are either not listed or incorrectly listed, being able to trace is a good idea.

As asked above, not looking for cheap looking for inexpensive, but I'm not an electrician so don't need that level of quality, this is something I use once to a few times a year.

Shame ... I used to have a tone generator (for tracing conductors) that I long ago lent to a co-worker. Never saw it again. Worst part is, I don't think he knew how to use it or what it was; was like a mule with a spinning wheel.

You shall get a kick out of this; I don't really remember buying this, but it was in the late noughties or early teens when I lived on a lake. Never did open the box. Forgot about it and found it about a year ago in a box in the garage. Decided to throw it in a linen closet un-opened. When I snuff it, it shall be just yet another Easter Egg my brother shall find:



In the same closet was this "on the go" metre (a 117):



This is a fridge magnet on my inside beer fridge:



I have about four of those. They are my fave.

Another couple of 117s are somewhere in the garage. I have given away a couple to friends who have made the mistake of asking me about electrical devices/electronics. I gave my best friend one of those 179 kits for his birthday (probably why I bought myself one). He used to teach ME things! He got drunk one night and sat in his basement drinking beer as he re-wound by hand an RZ stator assembly. Worked perfectly.

Back when I had a job, I spent 38 years trouble-shooting, repairing, replacing, and upgrading electrical and electronic devices. Hence all of the metres. I was the guy my co-workers called when they had a problem (honestly, that was my job description).

So now, the important part. We know WHY you want a metre, we just don't know what you consider expensive/inexpensive. I have purchased mine from Sayal, Electrosonic (they no longer do counter sales), Westburne Electric, and quite a few catalogue sales from the U.S. (New Jersey and I forget the other one).

I suggest you get a 117. Remember, always test the tester. Those leads may look good, but they F u ck up rather easily. So does the socket on the metre.

 

[GreyGhost]

Shame ... I used to have a tone generator (for tracing conductors) that I long ago lent to a co-worker. Never saw it again. Worst part is, I don't think he knew how to use it or what it was; was like a mule with a spinning wheel.

You shall get a kick out of this; I don't really remember buying this, but it was in the late noughties or early teens when I lived on a lake. Never did open the box. Forgot about it and found it about a year ago in a box in the garage. Decided to throw it in a linen closet un-opened. When I snuff it, it shall be just yet another Easter Egg my brother shall find:

View attachment 68521

In the same closet was this "on the go" metre (a 117):

View attachment 68522

This is a fridge magnet on my inside beer fridge:

View attachment 68523

I have about four of those. They are my fave.

Another couple of 117s are somewhere in the garage. I have given away a couple to friends who have made the mistake of asking me about electrical devices/electronics. I gave my best friend one of those 179 kits for his birthday (probably why I bought myself one). He used to teach ME things! He got drunk one night and sat in his basement drinking beer as he re-wound by hand an RZ stator assembly. Worked perfectly.

Back when I had a job, I spent 38 years trouble-shooting, repairing, replacing, and upgrading electrical and electronic devices. Hence all of the metres. I was the guy my co-workers called when they had a problem (honestly, that was my job description).

So now, the important part. We know WHY you want a metre, we just don't know what you consider expensive/inexpensive. I have purchased mine from Sayal, Electrosonic (they no longer do counter sales), Westburne Electric, and quite a few catalogue sales from the U.S. (New Jersey and I forget the other one).

I suggest you get a 117. Remember, always test the tester. Those leads may look good, but they F u ck up rather easily. So does the socket on the metre.

A bnib 179 kit as an Easter egg? That's a nice brother. Do you have anything that is decent at logging? I am in a long-term fight with hydro one regarding overvoltage at my house. It's painful. A long-term log from a quality meter may help move things forward.

 

[backmarkerducati]

In a classic case of where the expletive is my volt meter... I had to make a trip to the tool box and go old school....

 

[Jayell]

Radio Shack, FTW!

It's been in my box for over thirty years, doesn't get much use, other than checking voltage on motorbike batteries. Works on AAs and has real fuses!

 

[timtune]

Anyone who was following along on my "charging rate" thread has seen just how handy one of these was. Very simple tests allowed me to see where my loss was.