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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
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    Newcastle
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    Default Decent Digital Multimeter for Home and Automotive Use.

    Howdy people,

    I am looking at Multimeters and I have no idea of decent brands other than Fluke, my dad and brother in law both use them and I made the stupid mistake of buying a Jaycar meter. I was told that they were decent but the one I bought was garbage, it is over a volt off at 12VDC, continuity test takes about a second before the beep sounds and Jaycar don't stock the weird size fuse mine seems to use.

    So, is there anything with- Auto ranging, 10A current, Capacitance, Resistance, Peak Hold, temp input, beeper.
    Would be nice- Backlit screen, duty cycle, Dwell time and Fluke quality leads/probes.

    I would like to keep the price under$200 or if it meets all the Would be nice specs I could go to $300.

    Cheers.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    4,464

    Default

    We bought six Tenma 72-7780 for work. So far to good. Have mine at home at the moment to do some current measurements on the DC with an inductive pick-up.

    IMG_0698.jpg

    72-7780 - TENMA - 600V AC/DC True RMS Digital Multimeter with NCV | element14 Australia

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Lower Blue Mountains
    Posts
    132

    Default

    Check out EV Blog electronics site he sells a good model that fits your description


    Acoustic & Electric Bass Guitars
    Neptune’s Guitars - Master Luthiers

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    I have two Proteks that I bought more than a decade ago and used them for a few years as data loggers connected to a laptop but more recently I have used them only as stand alone meters.
    Given they are a 1990's designed meter they are a very good meter and slightly newer models are still available (e.g. http://www.altronics.com.au/p/q1098-...al-multimeter/ ) although the PC interface RS232 is now pretty clunky.
    We used dozens os these at work in the student labs where they got a hammering and they stood up to the task well.
    There are much newer Proteks available but they don't seem as good as the older ones.

    Basic Usb data logging meters are a lot cheaper but they may not necessarily be as good a quality meter.
    Data logging meters are available that interact with mobile phones like this one from Jaycar are up near the $300 mark
    https://www.jaycar.com.au/ip67-true-...e-app/p/QM1576
    Redfish make a nice one US$149
    iDVM 510 — Redfish Instruments with similar specs to the Tenma but unfortunately no shipping outside the US.

    A Fluke with the similar specs as the Tenma Lappa refers to will set you back $200+ and unless you are something like a field technician that needs to work in a rugged environment, the Tenma should easy do what you want.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    498

    Default

    Cheers guys, that Tenma is crazy cheap for what it does, I was planning on spending more but if the quality seems okay I guess it could be worth a shot. I prefer my $20 Pocket Schneider DMM over my ~$80 Jaycar heap o rubbish. I no longer buy anything over $50 from Jaycar as I have found that the quality of their stuff is no better than a popular auction site so I won't buy another meter from there.

    I quite like the look of the Protek but if I get data logging it would be at worst an IR interface, RS232 is a bit old hat. I guess it is far cheaper than a Fluke with data logging capabilities.

    I Don't have an apple or Android phone so I don't think the Redfish is much use to me, the accuracy seems oddly low for a meter of that price too.

    I spotted some Hioki meters but I had never heard of them so I asked my old man and he said that they have a good reputation and he liked the gear he'd come across. The fact that they are made in Japan makes the price a bit easier to take, the only other company I could spot that made semi affordable stuff in the home country was Gossen but they were very basic for the price.

    DT4256 -Hioki General Use Electrical Multimeter. Australian Distributor













    DT4256 - General Electrical Use DMM








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    The DT4256 is a digital multimeter design

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    1,813

    Default

    The Tenma unit pictured looks exactly like my Uni-T, I wonder if they're the same unit inside. I've been very happy with mine for the price.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Sutherland Shire, Sydney
    Age
    71
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    1,301

    Default

    Hioki brand multimeters were very common in industry 20 to 30 years ago, probably just as reliable now.

    Alan...

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
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    769

    Default

    Having acquired a collection of multimeters, I've tended to find the most important features are rarely mentioned, which is update speed and autoranging speed (which are related). On some meters it can take a second or three for the meter to step through the ranges, which gets annoying if you're doing a succession of measurements. The second neat feature is a warning beep if your red lead is plugged into the amps socket when you select volts, preventing you from accidentally placing a dead short across a voltage. A latching continuity setting with an audible buzzer is also good. I've also found min/max detection handy.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Newcastle
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    Default

    I have only just got around to ordering a meter, I was going to go with the Hioki 4256 but I have opted for the best in their range, the 4282. It doesn't do a million things but it's a brand people have never heard of so it is probably less likely to be stolen than a Fluke and this one has a decent capacitance test range so I can check the caps I buy to make crossovers. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Fluke 77III I now use, I threw the Jaycar POS in the recycling tub. Having a screen that lights up red for continuity will be handy while working on noisy things, hopefully it's a bit quicker reacting than the old Fluke.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    I bought a Tenma a couple of months back because I was too lazy to constantly move my meters back and forth from my shed to my electronics are inside the house. It has been really good, apart from the shortish length of time it stays on automatically. I wish that time could be doubled.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Darkest NSW
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    3,198

    Default

    Christ - this thread just reminded me that I am still using, on a daily basis, two items originally purchased as a spotty first year Elec. Eng. student at Uni some 35 years ago. An original Fluke 75 multimeter, and a Hewlett-Packard 32S RPN Scientific calculator......

    Fluke make great gear (I recently purchased a non-contact IR thermometer of theirs), but I'm sure there are plenty of perfectly functional alternative multimeters around these days at a fraction of the price. Having said that, if you like to throw your gear around, drop it on hard surfaces, etc. - get the Fluke.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Brush View Post
    Christ - this thread just reminded me that I am still using, on a daily basis, two items originally purchased as a spotty first year Elec. Eng. student at Uni some 35 years ago. An original Fluke 75 multimeter, and a Hewlett-Packard 32S RPN Scientific calculator.......
    I still have my original HP41CV calculator, but these days I use the HP41CX App - just like the real thing including a little click sound when you press the buttons.

  14. #13
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    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
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    Default

    Probably not quite the quality the OP was after, but this is my new favourite toolbox meter:
    UNI-T DIGITAL UT210E 100Amp 600V AC DC CLAMP METER Multimeter True RMS VFC diode | eBay

    Has a 2A AC/DC mode for its clamp meter, so good for testing for parasitic currents in vehicles, as well as leakage currents in mains circuits. Best part is that there's instructions on EEVBlog about how to change the display and settings behaviour (i.e. default to DC volts).

    I wouldn't really trust its CAT ratings, so wouldn't routinely use it on high energy mains, but as a toolbox meter it's nice and small, and I find myself often reaching for it, rather than bust out the much bigger Fluke.

  15. #14
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    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RustyArc View Post
    Has a 2A AC/DC mode for its clamp meter, so good for testing for parasitic currents in vehicles, as well as leakage currents in mains circuits. Best part is that there's instructions on EEVBlog about how to change the display and settings behaviour (i.e. default to DC volts).
    Given the price, the 2A AC/DC read ability is pretty tempting.
    Whats the manual like?

    What I would really like is a mini detachable or remote clamp but not have to pay fluke prices to get one.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    Default

    I had a Fluke 75 also which wore the selector dial contacts so it no longer worked every time. Couldn’t be fixed. Bought it in 1983 and cost me over a weeks wages. Great meter!

    Regarding measuring parasitic current draw; most manufacturers are recommending a max of 0.05A after everything shuts down, so we have found most inductive clamp meters aren’t accurate enough or lack the resolution, so we use the Amps function on the multimeter.

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