Bench DMM: Find the Right Option for Your Electronics Needs

[Planobilly]

Hi,
I have been wishing for a good bench DMM. As I get more into electronics it looks like there is not a lot of equipment in the middle. You buy the stuff that cost a few hundred dollars or then the price seems to go up into the thousands.

So..do I make do with say a under $500 DMM or save my money till I can afford a really pro piece of gear?

Thanks,

Billy

 

[berkeman]

What are your applications? What kind of circuits do you want to check? How many digits do you need and why? There are only a small fraction of times I need the extra accuracy of a benchtop DMM versus my hand-held Fluke.

 

[Averagesupernova]

A person can never have too many meters. You may want to invest in ONE good DVM (such as Fluke) but then you can have a number of more inexpensive meters. And there is ALWAYS a place for an old analog 20,000 ohms per volt meter with a d'arsonoval meter movement.

 

[jim hardy]

And there is ALWAYS a place for an old analog 20,000 ohms per volt meter with a d'arsonoval meter movement.

AMEN !
Shop thrift stores.
Often they show up with the lowest ohms scale resistor burnt out because somebody put it across house power while on RX1 or RX10 scale.
That often makes the resistor explode so it's hard to tell what it was..
No sweat, just observe what is the number of ohms indicated midscale on the meter face and solder in that value.
And, you'll learn your meter.i do 90% of my work with one of these

ten bucks at Walmart.
The cheap test leads are an annoyance. I threw them away and soldered nice long ones into the sockets , from the rear. Belden 8899 wire tipped them with Meuller 60CS copper alligator clips and insulators.

I bought a $200 Fluke true RMS for those RARE occasions one needs high precision. I use it maybe once a year.For that meter pictured
if the RX10 scale resistor were blown up, i'd solder in a 36 ohm .

 

[Planobilly]

Hi guys,
I work on audio equipment, music amps both tube and solid state and want to design and build some guitar amps in the future. I like working on and building machines, playing and recording music, flying airplanes, driving my boat around and fishing, and driving my buddy's tractor at the ranch, feeding the cows, and gas plasma physics. So..I guess I am a bit crazy..lol I don't sleep much, don't like TV, don't drink, and have no interest in any kind of balls...golf ball, foot balls, base balls...lol

The accuracy is in some ways less of an issue at least at this stage of the game. The bench meter is easy to read and see for a old guy like me and it stays where I put it. Some of my hand held meters have back lights which I really find useful.
I have several Dmm. Some older ones and a new Fluke 179. I also have a new Simpson 260 analog which I like for some things. I have a old GwInstek Bench Top which needs replacing.
For a cheap one I was considering this. Cost about $170. If it turns out to not be that good or useful well I want cry over the cost. I could spend four or five hundred at the moment if there was something that would be worth the extra money. I just don't want to spend 500 now wishing a year later I had got something else that cost a couple of thousand.
Electronics is a hobby for me and I am really starting to like it a lot. Truth is I have no real idea where I am going with the electronics adventure.

VC8145 80000 BenchTop MultiMeter AC/DCV/A Resistance Capacitance F Temp RS232
FEATURES
1、Large LCD、High contrast、Wide visual angle LCD display、white backlight；
2、Dual-display：Main display 80000,Vice-display 80000，analog bar 21 sect.，unit、function symbol complete；
3、50 kinds of measuring function，With basically DCV、ACV、DCA、ACA、Ω、CAP、Hz、TEMP、diode and Continuity measuring function etc；
4、Frequency measuring can rearch 80MHz；
5、Standard function generator:18 kinds of frequency,1％─99％ Duty cycle,1800 pcs wave output；
6、Single analyzed:(AC+DC) measuring synchronous，(AC+Hz) measuring synchronous，(DC+dBm) measuring synchronous，(dBm+Hz) measuring synchronous，(Hz+Duty) measuring synchronous，(℃+℉) displaying synchronous；
7、Resistance measuring: 0.01Ω-80MΩ；
8、Capacitance measuring: 10PF-100μF；
9、Temperature measuring: -50C─1372C,-58F─2502F:
10、dBm measuring: 20pcs load Resistance choice；
11、Auto data refurbish hold；
12、positive、negative peak data auto hold；
13、36 hours dynamic record: MAX，MIN，AVG，MAX －MIN；
14、Relative measuring: REL Relative percent: REL%；
15、0.1％－99.9％pulse duty cycle measuring；
16、Set upper limit、lower limit area measuring；
17、photoelectricity insulation RS-232 computer interface；
18、Timing measuring function;
19、AC measuring adopt High accuracy RMS，Widely measuring and AC+DC function，can measuring the accuracy virtual value of AC by any wave.

SPECIFICATIONS
Basic functionRange

Accuracy

DCV

80mV/800mV/8V/80V/800V/1000V

±(0.05%+5)

ACV

80mV/800mV/8V/80V/750V

±(0.5%+10)

DCA

80mA/800mA/8A/20A

±(0.1%+5)

ACA

80mA/800mA/8A/20A

±(0.5%+5)

Resistance

800Ω/8kΩ/80kΩ/800kΩ/8MΩ/80MΩ

±(0.05%+3)

Frequency

999.99Hz/9.99kHz/99.99kHz/999.99kHz/8MHz

10Mhz/100.0Mhz/1000.0 Mhz (plus adapter）

±(0.05%+5)

+-（0.1%+5）

Capacitance

10nF/100nF/1uF/10uF/100uF

±(2.0%+3)

Temperature

-50C~1372C / -58F~2502F

±(1.5%+2)

Quadrate Wave

3V / 0.5Hz~5kHz / 1%~99%

±0.02%


Feature

VC8145

Diode
√

AC+DC measuring
√

Continuity test
√

Overloading protection
√

Input Impedance
10MΩ

Sampling frequency
4times/sec. Analog bar40 times/sec.

AC frequency response
40Hz-50kHz

Operation way
Auto range

Max display
80000

Computer interface
photoelectricity insulation RS-232

Power
AC220V/110V 50Hz/60Hz


General Color

cream-colored

N.W.

1.5kg

dimension

245×220×98mm

Accessories

Test leads, power cable, manual,, TP01 temperature probe, RS232, CD

STANDARD ACCESSORIES

1) A pair of test leads;
2)TP01 temperature probe;
3) English Manual;
4) Power cord;
5) Software CD;
6) RS232 cable

Cheers,

Billy

 

[jim hardy]

Maybe @dlgoff will post a picture of his delightul old Triplett analog

 

[jim hardy]

do you frequent this site?
http://www.govliquidation.com/
You're adjacent Homestead AFB
a friend used to buy electronics there by the pallet

 

[Planobilly]

I have a Triplett 2104 but don't care for it too much.I like the Fluke and a worn out old Radio Shack meter I like a lot. The only meter leads that came with the meter I like was with the Simpson...soft and don't tangle up. I bought some really good leads I really like but don't remember the brand. I do remember I did not like the price...lol

I guess tools of any kind are sort of personal. I have a few Snap ON end wrenches, not a full set, cost too much, that I like but I would not give you fifty dollars a barrel for their screw drivers. Old Xcelite nut drivers I have had for a zillion years are still like new and are great.

 

[Planobilly]

Never been to the site Jim but I will take a look. Homestead air base is only a few blocks from my house. God only knows what one might find there. Could be some really cool stuff to mess with. Actually never crossed my mind that they would be selling stuff. Great idea actually.

 

[dlgoff]

Maybe @dlgoff will post a picture of his delightul old Triplett analog

The old Triplett 630-A IS delightful. Here's a pic where it's surrounded by a Simpson 260 and an equally delightful Heathkit V-6 Vacuum Tube Voltmeter^*.

* VTVM donated to my museum from a delightful Engineer friend.

 

[dlgoff]

A person can never have too many meters.

Well ... maybe not. I just posted this photo in my Beauty of old electrical and measuring things etc. thread.

 

[Planobilly]

Wonderful meters. The kind of stuff that I would display on the coffee table...well, if the wife would let me!

Billy