Multimeter for a beginner?

Not sure about the price range in your definition of "cheap," but this US Amazon link for a Fluke multimeter would make a great basic starter meter if you do not already have something.

Fluke 101 Multimeter

There are many cheaper and many much more expensive meters available, but Fluke meters are one of the best brands.  I have a Fluke meter that I have had since the early 80's and still use it almost daily.

Sorry, by cheap I mean around CA$25. I'll look at your link, thanks.

@yurkshirelad

Building your own multimeter might be a good beginner electronic project.
https://www.jaycar.com.au/digital-multimeter-kit/p/KG9250
Ideally you want a high impedance input when reading voltages in some circuits.
When it comes to dynamic circuits where the voltages change rapidly an oscilloscope would be required to "see" what was going on and be able to read the changing voltage values.

I'm not that brave! 😀 

@yurkshirelad

Well if you want to learn electronics understanding how an electric meter works is a good start.

Electronics comes down to electric pressure (measured in volts), amount of electricity flowing per unit of time (measured in amps) and resistance to that flow (measured in ohms).  We can "see" how much electricity is flowing by the strength of its magnetic field or heat generated in the conducting medium.

If you can't understand how an electric meter works than you don't understand electronics.

You can start with a simple analog meter and then later learn how a digital meter works.

I don't disagree at all. It's something I can try, perhaps once I've lit an LED. I'm coming into this with zero confidence in working with electrical components. I'll get there one day. 😀 

@yurkshirelad

It's something I can try, perhaps once I've lit an LED.

Fair enough.

That kit doesn't look too bad, though I'd need to get a soldering iron. It would be a fun project for sure. I seem to recall seeing a kit for building some form of oscilloscope.

Why do some multimeters need a battery - for the display?

@yurkshirelad

Mainly for the ohmmeter section to read the ohms of a resistive load.  On a digital meter it is also needed for the display.  On an analog meter it is just for the ohmmeter.  If you could latch on to a Simpson 260 you would have a top of the line analog meter.  EBay - Simpson 260  This one has the mirror in the dial that makes it a little easier to get accurate reading.  I really can't remark on the cost of this one, as I have never purchased on.  The one I have was given to me as a gift many years ago!  But there appears to be prices all over the place.

Here is a link on Amazon for a brand new one:  Amazon -Simpson 260  Expensive but still produced in the USA and not in China.  I used these also in the USAF back in the mid 60s, so you can't buy a better analog meter.  IMHO

Posted by: @codecage

There are many cheaper and many much more expensive meters available, but Fluke meters are one of the best brands.  I have a Fluke meter that I have had since the early 80's and still use it almost daily.

I certainly can't argue with that, when I was employed as an electronics technician back in the 80's Fluke was always the standard equipment, along with Weller soldering irons and Techtronics scopes.  Those Flukes could take a serious beating and they would never let you down.

Posted by: @yurkshirelad

Sorry, by cheap I mean around CA$25. I'll look at your link, thanks.

As you'll soon witness in my next video in a few days I have a couple of inexpensive Mastercraft (Canadian Tire) multimeters that are surprisingly accurate, at least on the DC voltage side. In the video, I use one of them on a precision voltage reference and it was out by 0.001 volts. I bought them because they were on sale (as everything at Canadian Tire is) and because they are blue to match my workshop!

😆

The nice thing these days is that there probably aren't any really bad ones, now that everything has been reduced to a few common chips that most manufacturers build around, cheap doesn't mean low-quality anymore. Amazon lists a bunch of low-priced ones.

Having said that I am thinking the that workshop needs a good bench DMM and am seriously eyeing the Siglent Technologies SDM3045X. But I think it's out of your price range!

😎

Bill

@yurkshirelad

That kit doesn't look too bad, though I'd need to get a soldering iron. It would be a fun project for sure. I seem to recall seeing a kit for building some form of oscilloscope.

Thinking about it again I changed my mind about a multimeter as a beginner project,  it is too complex. Also in my view soldering up kits without understanding is pointless if your goal is to learn electronics. I only use kits if they are much cheaper than buying a finished product.

This is the multimeter I use.
https://www.jaycar.com.au/low-cost-digital-multimeter-dmm/p/QM1500

Of course I am only a self taught hobbyist not an electronics technician who has to trouble shoot complex electronic circuits 🙂

I'll look at Canadian Tire's site for multimeters. I may have to place an order for something else for pickup this weekend, so I'll see what they have that's blue and in my price range. 😀 

I checked their website and they have three 4 Mastercraft multimeters; $18, $24 (kit), $35 and $80. The $35 is auto-ranging so I ordered it. It's apparently 50% off.

Posted by: @robotbuilder

@yurkshirelad

Building your own multimeter might be a good beginner electronic project.

I was thinking about trying the DIY O-scope kit they sell on Amazon as a way to learn about them. Have any experience with that?

--->Sean

Posted by: @sean451

Posted by: @robotbuilder

@yurkshirelad

Building your own multimeter might be a good beginner electronic project.

I was thinking about trying the DIY O-scope kit they sell on Amazon as a way to learn about them. Have any experience with that?

--->Sean

If you have a Raspbeerry PI check this out: http://abyz.me.uk/rpi/pigpio/piscope.html