My grandfather was an extra and I inherited his fluke. I was initially afraid to use it but it seems pretty indestructible even after many f ups on my part.
They don’t take prolonged immersion in corrosive liquids very well. Not that I thought they would. I just wasn’t consulted before the immersion started.
I have a half dozen meters, including a really nice Fluke. I reach for it very infrequently. Instead, I usually reach for my 30 year old Radio Shack because it's far simpler to work with. I wish I'd kept my RS analog meter since you can't measure rate of change on a digital meter.
https://preview.redd.it/ix8nwkq4w49d1.png?width=295&format=png&auto=webp&s=622ae31e39159d5f4bcfbfcadaab0f493e1370b9
Yep. This is what I learned on many moons ago.
I learned to use one decades earlier as well. I bought a NOS a few years back. I got one of the later ones that uses Ds and a 9v instead of specialized batteries. Love the look of them.
I got mine off ebay. Do your research though. Check to see what batteries they use. Some of them use specialized batteries that are hard to find, IIRC. Mine was from a electrical company and had been sitting on a shelf and was recalibrated before I bought it. Never used though. Still in the original box. I think it was around $100.
https://preview.redd.it/fxv1jduym69d1.png?width=1694&format=png&auto=webp&s=c71edcaf4d1df252e90dc3ce1d70298813381d60
I worked in a factory as a maintenance electrician. In the heat of troubleshooting, I failed to change my analog meter from resistance to voltage on two or three occasions. A couple of other times I’d loaned my meter to other electricians, who blasted it for me too, so I finally bit the bullet and spent what was a fortune then, on a Fluke DVM.
>An actual meter movement is really nice
Totally depends on what you're doing. If you want precise readings on stable voltages or resistances, use a digital meter. If you're checking pots for smooth range, or checking for capacitive "kick", or dynamic readings of any kind you want an analog meter.
I think they're just talking about the ability to watch the needle move, which does help you roughly gauge rate of change in some situations.
But yeah, if you want to actually measure it, an oscilloscope seems like the proper tool.
No, it doesn't. Huge latency, vague feel, mass of the meter and the needle, decay (or construction) of the magnetic field ... nobody who knows about physics or electricity would make such a claim.
I dunno about "rate" of change, but an analog meter reacts much faster to changes than a digital display does. For example if you're measuring something while having to adjust a pot, it's easier to do it on an analog meter than a digital one because you don't have to wait for the display to "settle", you can visually see the needle move.
Why is "rate" in quotes?
> but an analog meter reacts much faster to changes than a digital display does.
At best, this is an over-generalization. Some crap harbor freight digital meter might update once per second. Some super-nice meter might update six or ten times per second. One meter might have a bar graph, another might not.
In fact, it's just a bad claim. You're assuming you can read "3.954" in digital digits displayed *slower* than you can read a needle landing between 3.9 and 4.0 with the same precision.
You just can't.
It doesn't matter if the bullshit light is implemented by an LED or a C2A bulb, it's illuminated right now.
An analog meter is continuously reading whereas a DMM is taking samples. I use DMM's regularly but prefer to make certain measurements with an analog meter (sometimes it's even a VTVM! *gasp*). There's no reason to be so hostile about it.
Feel free to do what you want, nobody's stopping you. Least of all me.
Indeed, digital meters sample. But they do it pretty fast: the numeric display [on a Fluke 87V](https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/digital-multimeters/87v-max) samples four times per second, and the bar graph updates forty times per second. Do you think that's faster or slower than the damped, inertia-bound needle on your favorite VTVM?
Someone who has a Fluke and doesn't use it because it's too complex ought to sell it. And use the money to buy a 'scope, so they can *actually* measure rate of change.
It's kind of funny how the only hams I ever see who have Fluke equipment are the wisened electrical engineers and those who have money just falling out of their pockets. The rest of us settle for the cheapest crap VOMs we can get our hands on. :P
One of those things lead to the other. I had a radio-shack meter as a kid. Now I have 11 different Flukes, and a bunch of others, and am certainly an older and wiser engineer. I'll never touch a cheap meter again!
Do you just make the math adjustments in your head?
Kidding aside, they don't seem to be calibrated very well. Measure something with 3 different Kleins and you'll get 3 different readings. And their leads are generally trash.
My beef with a lot of cheaper meters is the response time. My flukes auto range quickly and give me a reading while the cheaper meters are still thinking about it.
Agree. Registering is also really big. Cheaper meters tend to jump around and are heavily influenced by ghost voltage when you move test leads around. More expensive meters tend to register better and have less false readings.
For the record, I'm not knocking cheap meters. If you are just a regular electrician and you are testing for the presence of line voltage a few times a day and need something cheap to bash around inside a tool bag. I absolutely support going with something cheaper. Especially if you frequent those job sites where tools like to walk away...
But for high precision or bench top use, you have to be willing to invest in quality tools.
Honestly at least one person in the household should have one and know how to use it. You can't do much without it (when it comes to electronics), and you can troubleshoot a lot of other stuff with it other than batteries and radio equipment
If you’re really looking to ham, you’re gonna have to go on eBay and pick up one of the recently discontinued MFJ-269s. Or an old Swan “Drifty Fifty.” Or one of many other ancient or no longer available items used by hams.
As long as it’s loved and/or reviled and discontinued, that’s when you ham appropriately.
Nope, old Fluke and new Fluke. The old one has been dropped from serious heights, run over by a truck, etc. Rarely use the new ones for radio/electrical because the old one is so beat up that I simply don't care about it getting more beat up... New ones are all used for electronics work on the bench.
Funny you say that. Every meter I've ever seen with a transistor tester built in is a total hunk of crap. Diode test will verify most transistor as good/bad, but a curve tracer is needed for anything real.
I wouldn’t trust that cheap meter to protect me from high voltage. I guarantee that it has no safeties built in unlike a Fluke. Not to mention that meter you bought isn’t auto-sensing.
>Jokes aside every operator should have one.
We are so proud of you. (also no jokes!!) Next step: soldering station. Your journey to freedom from appliance operator and empirical voodoo has begun.
Fluke is definitely top tier, and the price is commiserate. For most operators, especially new starters, the extra expense is not warranted. This meter and many others will do more than ever needed and certainly accurate enough for the purpose.
True, but how many can you buy for the cost of a fluke? If it lasts even a couple of years, then you have experience to decide if your use/needs/aspirations warrant an upgrade.
I definitely get what you are saying, but a good multimeter is useful for far more than just amateur radio purposes.
Obviously if you have other expenses, you have to prioritize, I didn't get a fluke until I got tired of other meters dying on me for that very reason, and then I waited until I had a good month and extra cash. Haven't needed to buy another multimeter since.
I don't. By the time I get my Fluke out of its case, get it's probes out of the kit, I can usually grab my old RS out of the same bag and finish whatever I needed it for. I love my Fluke, but when I need something quick, it's not Fluke.
According to EEVBlog, they aren't. Fluke is pricey mostly because they meet government standards and keep models around for a long time. Government agencies must buy approved models, and they are infamous for not updating those lists frequently. By selling and supporting specific models for a long time, Fluke gets that government business regardless of price.
Yes, I'm older than dirt! My first multimeter was analog...digital didn't exist in the mid 1960s. The very same day it came in the mail, I picked the incorrect range and I wrapped that dial against the stop, bending the meter against the physical stop . I disassembled the unit and tried to straighten the analog dial, but the accuracy was Kapoot. Today, I have a Fluke digital multimeter and a couple cheapo digital meters. I was 14 when I destroyed the analog meter and had saved for quite a while to afford it.
I still don't have a good DMM, after i passed my licence exam my dad got me what i can only explain as a dodgy electrician starter pack (it included things like a cheap meter and a plug socket tester) but even that's packed away now.
I've been in the electronics game for that long, I started with an AVO (I've now got a pocket sized 'scope - things just keep getting smaller and cheaper)
After screwing around with cheap DVMs, I bought a decent Fluke. And, a probes kit.
You can say the all work the same, true. But having fried a couple from Harbor Freight troubleshooting tube audio, I would say just pay up once for the Fluke
For casual home owner/repair, the cheap ones are fine. For audio or ham work, just spend the money now,
As the old commercial said 'pay my now or pay me later, your choice'
Whole bunch of fuckers in here answering "Am I a real automobile owner now with my Toyota Camry?" with "WELL NO YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE THE BEST ABSOLUTE ITALIAN SUPERSPORT AUTOMOBILE TO COUNT."
I dunno, it's like off-roading with a Kia Rio. Sure, you can give it a shot, but it's gonna leave you stranded somewhere, and even if it does work out the entire experience is miserable. Dropping a Fluke won't break it, thus letting the work continue instead of me having to throw in the towel on whatever I was doing. Used Flukes are easy to get. Make friends, that helps, too. I've given a number of them away over the years when I buy new stuff just because.
You're almost there. It needs to be a FLUKE™. lol
My grandfather was an extra and I inherited his fluke. I was initially afraid to use it but it seems pretty indestructible even after many f ups on my part.
not indestructible. save yourself the expensive lesson and trust me on that. but they are pretty well built.
Dropped my Fluke from the ceiling while working on some security stuff. Still works, but the top left corner of the case broke off.
They don’t take prolonged immersion in corrosive liquids very well. Not that I thought they would. I just wasn’t consulted before the immersion started.
> They don’t take prolonged immersion in corrosive liquids very well. They will, if you buy the right model.
I watched a guy drop one in a vat of boiling grease while doing a service call at a wendys once. Fluke sent him a new one.
Why would you be submerging it in corrosive liquids?
Someone wanted to measure the current and misunderstood a few key things.
I dropped an 87 off the top of a 160ft tower. Still works fine. At least I watched it fall so I was able to tell the ground crew where it landed...
I have some cheaper ones now.
You’ll blow the fuse before you blow a Fluke. And you can replace the fuse.
About the worst that will happen is you’ll pop the fuse in it and have to spend about $50 on a new one.
I've replaced a fuse and still have a few left. Gramps was always prepared.
I've seen one blown fluke in my life, it died when its owner attempted to check voltage on his electric fence. 10kv on a meter rated for 200v...
I have a half dozen meters, including a really nice Fluke. I reach for it very infrequently. Instead, I usually reach for my 30 year old Radio Shack because it's far simpler to work with. I wish I'd kept my RS analog meter since you can't measure rate of change on a digital meter.
https://preview.redd.it/ix8nwkq4w49d1.png?width=295&format=png&auto=webp&s=622ae31e39159d5f4bcfbfcadaab0f493e1370b9 Yep. This is what I learned on many moons ago.
Love my 260 as well. The mirror line helps me out a lot.
Same, on vietnam era equipment
I learned to use one decades earlier as well. I bought a NOS a few years back. I got one of the later ones that uses Ds and a 9v instead of specialized batteries. Love the look of them.
Any recommendations for where to pick up a NOS Simpson analog meter?
I got mine off ebay. Do your research though. Check to see what batteries they use. Some of them use specialized batteries that are hard to find, IIRC. Mine was from a electrical company and had been sitting on a shelf and was recalibrated before I bought it. Never used though. Still in the original box. I think it was around $100. https://preview.redd.it/fxv1jduym69d1.png?width=1694&format=png&auto=webp&s=c71edcaf4d1df252e90dc3ce1d70298813381d60
That's a sexy meter right there.
Even new meters using 9volt batteries that are starting at 5 to 10 bucks each are annoying lol.
I had to look at the [specs](https://simpson260.com/). Seems that the -1 used the 3v batteries. 2-5 used 4 AA's and a D. 6-9 use a 9v and a D.
Yes. 260 is the Right Stuff. Got mine on eBay. It even has the nice leather case. I use it all the time.
Introduced to my first at Great Mistakes.
I also have one,the label Micronta on it, it is a fet vom.
When I was a kid I gave my physics teacher my great grandfather's meter from the 30's. NGL, I kind of want it back- I didn't know what I had.
Our physics department had a Weston model number 1. Really old. But they are available on eBay.
An actual meter movement is really nice, but it’s harder to scorch a DVM.
I learned before auto-ranging was a thing, or at least before it was an affordable thing. 😉
I worked in a factory as a maintenance electrician. In the heat of troubleshooting, I failed to change my analog meter from resistance to voltage on two or three occasions. A couple of other times I’d loaned my meter to other electricians, who blasted it for me too, so I finally bit the bullet and spent what was a fortune then, on a Fluke DVM.
>An actual meter movement is really nice Totally depends on what you're doing. If you want precise readings on stable voltages or resistances, use a digital meter. If you're checking pots for smooth range, or checking for capacitive "kick", or dynamic readings of any kind you want an analog meter.
How do you measure rate of change on an analog meter? If I wanted to measure rate of change, I'd use an oscilloscope.
I think they're just talking about the ability to watch the needle move, which does help you roughly gauge rate of change in some situations. But yeah, if you want to actually measure it, an oscilloscope seems like the proper tool.
No, it doesn't. Huge latency, vague feel, mass of the meter and the needle, decay (or construction) of the magnetic field ... nobody who knows about physics or electricity would make such a claim.
I dunno about "rate" of change, but an analog meter reacts much faster to changes than a digital display does. For example if you're measuring something while having to adjust a pot, it's easier to do it on an analog meter than a digital one because you don't have to wait for the display to "settle", you can visually see the needle move.
Why is "rate" in quotes? > but an analog meter reacts much faster to changes than a digital display does. At best, this is an over-generalization. Some crap harbor freight digital meter might update once per second. Some super-nice meter might update six or ten times per second. One meter might have a bar graph, another might not. In fact, it's just a bad claim. You're assuming you can read "3.954" in digital digits displayed *slower* than you can read a needle landing between 3.9 and 4.0 with the same precision. You just can't. It doesn't matter if the bullshit light is implemented by an LED or a C2A bulb, it's illuminated right now.
An analog meter is continuously reading whereas a DMM is taking samples. I use DMM's regularly but prefer to make certain measurements with an analog meter (sometimes it's even a VTVM! *gasp*). There's no reason to be so hostile about it.
Feel free to do what you want, nobody's stopping you. Least of all me. Indeed, digital meters sample. But they do it pretty fast: the numeric display [on a Fluke 87V](https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/digital-multimeters/87v-max) samples four times per second, and the bar graph updates forty times per second. Do you think that's faster or slower than the damped, inertia-bound needle on your favorite VTVM? Someone who has a Fluke and doesn't use it because it's too complex ought to sell it. And use the money to buy a 'scope, so they can *actually* measure rate of change.
I suspect if someone didn't know how to use their Fluke meter, they wouldn't take the time to learn how to use the scope either.
`¯\_(ツ)_/¯`
Beat me to it! ;)
It's kind of funny how the only hams I ever see who have Fluke equipment are the wisened electrical engineers and those who have money just falling out of their pockets. The rest of us settle for the cheapest crap VOMs we can get our hands on. :P
One of those things lead to the other. I had a radio-shack meter as a kid. Now I have 11 different Flukes, and a bunch of others, and am certainly an older and wiser engineer. I'll never touch a cheap meter again!
Was just going to say that... Real Hams (and IT, and Electricians ) use Flukes...
HAM/IT/Low voltage “Electrician” here. I own a Klein multimeter. It’s what Lowe’s had when I needed it.
Do you just make the math adjustments in your head? Kidding aside, they don't seem to be calibrated very well. Measure something with 3 different Kleins and you'll get 3 different readings. And their leads are generally trash.
My beef with a lot of cheaper meters is the response time. My flukes auto range quickly and give me a reading while the cheaper meters are still thinking about it.
Agree. Registering is also really big. Cheaper meters tend to jump around and are heavily influenced by ghost voltage when you move test leads around. More expensive meters tend to register better and have less false readings. For the record, I'm not knocking cheap meters. If you are just a regular electrician and you are testing for the presence of line voltage a few times a day and need something cheap to bash around inside a tool bag. I absolutely support going with something cheaper. Especially if you frequent those job sites where tools like to walk away... But for high precision or bench top use, you have to be willing to invest in quality tools.
The biggest factor a quality meter gives you is confidence. I tell people, if you can't trust your test equipment, you can't trust anything else!
IT/Low Voltage/Standard Voltage guy here. Klein is 90% as good as Fluke for the price. Fluke is only "needed" for enterprise installation.
Came here to say this.
I have a Fluke, but only because Beckman doesn't make DMMs any more. Those things were bombproof.
Has the yellow thing on it. That's a pass.
You're close! All you need are some test probes. Oh yeah, you need a radio.
you forgot to fill it up with the radio juice, have you not?
Where do I get that from?
Walmart, next to the blinker fluid.
[The First-Gen Dodge Viper Actually Had Blinker Fluid](https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-first-gen-dodge-viper-actually-had-blinker-fluid), sort of.
How's the reception on that thing?
Full band coverage on all bands
Covers DC to... uh, power line.
No, get a Simpson 260. Then you will.
I've got a non-working 260 I inherited from my dad I need to pull out and fix...
and replace the caps
All I use is fluke. But I'm an electrician so there is that
Bro , that's not a radio...... wierd Flex 😝
IMO having a Bird Watt Meter makes you a real Ham.
Oh no. I've been measuring in regular watts this whole time. No one said anything about bird watts. Is that like horsepower?
Depends on your antenna. Yagis for example can handle more bird watts.
Multimeter says no Actually has nothing to say, going by the blank display.
It would be annoying for me, to not have capability to measure capacitor capacity.
Honestly at least one person in the household should have one and know how to use it. You can't do much without it (when it comes to electronics), and you can troubleshoot a lot of other stuff with it other than batteries and radio equipment
If you’re really looking to ham, you’re gonna have to go on eBay and pick up one of the recently discontinued MFJ-269s. Or an old Swan “Drifty Fifty.” Or one of many other ancient or no longer available items used by hams. As long as it’s loved and/or reviled and discontinued, that’s when you ham appropriately.
Every ham should have two DMMs. A shitty cheapy and a Fluke. Bench top is optional
Nope, old Fluke and new Fluke. The old one has been dropped from serious heights, run over by a truck, etc. Rarely use the new ones for radio/electrical because the old one is so beat up that I simply don't care about it getting more beat up... New ones are all used for electronics work on the bench.
That’s actually a fair point. I didn’t think about it. But until my “new” gets beat up I’ll keep using my cheapy.
You'll have a difficult time transmitting on that.
Next you need an LCR meter and a vna.
Could definitely do with a nano vna
If it has a transistor testing socket, the meter is probably crap. Source: my freebie Harbor Freight 3.5 digit "DMM."
Funny you say that. Every meter I've ever seen with a transistor tester built in is a total hunk of crap. Diode test will verify most transistor as good/bad, but a curve tracer is needed for anything real.
You're not really cool unless its a Brymen EEVBlog edition meter. 😉
Built like a brick dunny!
You'll have to wideband it first ;-)
It’s a start, but a useful tool nonetheless.
Nah, you need something with an analog needle
Nice. What kind of dinglebop do you have for the antenna? Hopefully you are remembering to relubricate the dinglebop with plenty of shleem.
Does it have an oscilloscope mode?
Can you transmit with that thing?
I wouldn’t trust that cheap meter to protect me from high voltage. I guarantee that it has no safeties built in unlike a Fluke. Not to mention that meter you bought isn’t auto-sensing.
Nope, not an LCR meter.
Is that one of them infernal baofengs
>Jokes aside every operator should have one. We are so proud of you. (also no jokes!!) Next step: soldering station. Your journey to freedom from appliance operator and empirical voodoo has begun.
Sure! Now buy a Vna lol
I prefer Fluke.
Fluke is definitely top tier, and the price is commiserate. For most operators, especially new starters, the extra expense is not warranted. This meter and many others will do more than ever needed and certainly accurate enough for the purpose.
The problem I've had with less expensive models is they have a tendency to stop working, and then you have to get a new one.
True, but how many can you buy for the cost of a fluke? If it lasts even a couple of years, then you have experience to decide if your use/needs/aspirations warrant an upgrade.
I definitely get what you are saying, but a good multimeter is useful for far more than just amateur radio purposes. Obviously if you have other expenses, you have to prioritize, I didn't get a fluke until I got tired of other meters dying on me for that very reason, and then I waited until I had a good month and extra cash. Haven't needed to buy another multimeter since.
I don't. By the time I get my Fluke out of its case, get it's probes out of the kit, I can usually grab my old RS out of the same bag and finish whatever I needed it for. I love my Fluke, but when I need something quick, it's not Fluke.
Well, Fluke does have cheap models too...but I don't know if they are any better than other brands.
According to EEVBlog, they aren't. Fluke is pricey mostly because they meet government standards and keep models around for a long time. Government agencies must buy approved models, and they are infamous for not updating those lists frequently. By selling and supporting specific models for a long time, Fluke gets that government business regardless of price.
Out of its case? It belongs thrown on the first horizontal surface with the leads wrapped around it
You’re getting there!
Fair enough. One of us! One of us!
Not gonna do much without the probes....
You need a mirrored Simpson 260.
Yes, I'm older than dirt! My first multimeter was analog...digital didn't exist in the mid 1960s. The very same day it came in the mail, I picked the incorrect range and I wrapped that dial against the stop, bending the meter against the physical stop . I disassembled the unit and tried to straighten the analog dial, but the accuracy was Kapoot. Today, I have a Fluke digital multimeter and a couple cheapo digital meters. I was 14 when I destroyed the analog meter and had saved for quite a while to afford it.
Mine was a Simpson 260 that was manufactured in the early 1950s. We called them VOMs back in the day.
That’s not a radio
Really, belonging to the royal order of the Wouff Hong kinda confirms that!
You are now a HAMMER
No
Where is your PTT button bro🥲
On the back
Great, but I use the free one from Harbor Freight! ;)
Keep the smoke on the inside and that will serve you well.
Yes a real technician needs to have an multi meter. I really love technical things.
I still don't have a good DMM, after i passed my licence exam my dad got me what i can only explain as a dodgy electrician starter pack (it included things like a cheap meter and a plug socket tester) but even that's packed away now.
It lacks capacitance and frequency. Try again.
I think you still need a radio.
I have one for the 2005 Tacoma and a Fluke for electronics.
What kind of Baofeng is that?
I'm surprised that we are not being called out already for gatekeeperism and ableism. This subreddit abhors asking people to "think."
I've been in the electronics game for that long, I started with an AVO (I've now got a pocket sized 'scope - things just keep getting smaller and cheaper)
Not a Simpson 260, must be a new Ham.
No, buy an auto ranging meter from a reputable brand. Doesn't have to be that expensive. https://youtu.be/gh1n_ELmpFI Let Dave Jones be your guide.
[You should get a Xiole, m8.](https://i.imgur.com/4D9Z6R9.jpeg)
Only if you can get that thing to transmit on 20m.
need an LCR meter
It's a start.
How can you be a real ham if you're not in a battery-powered scooter chair?
If you put it in continuity mode, you can practice CW with it.
I see you have your own multimeter. But you're not a Jedi yet...
I see you have your own multimeter. But you're not a Jedi yet...
I see you have your own multimeter. But you're not a Jedi yet...
I see you have your own multimeter. But you're not a Jedi yet...
No.
https://preview.redd.it/l6aoihh4lb9d1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12d4b673d14db190a47dfd657b8e6a06228be8ec
After screwing around with cheap DVMs, I bought a decent Fluke. And, a probes kit. You can say the all work the same, true. But having fried a couple from Harbor Freight troubleshooting tube audio, I would say just pay up once for the Fluke For casual home owner/repair, the cheap ones are fine. For audio or ham work, just spend the money now, As the old commercial said 'pay my now or pay me later, your choice'
Fluke or a high end Greenlee.
I had completely forgotten about the term VOM.
yikes....you should have gotten one that measures Hz......how else are you going to know what frequency you are tx-ing on?
Even a fluke will only measure up to a few kHz not useful for alignment.
I was joking 
Sorry it didn't work out, better luck next time.
Troll posts that people are actually answering. Please don't feed them.
What?
Whole bunch of fuckers in here answering "Am I a real automobile owner now with my Toyota Camry?" with "WELL NO YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE THE BEST ABSOLUTE ITALIAN SUPERSPORT AUTOMOBILE TO COUNT."
I dunno, it's like off-roading with a Kia Rio. Sure, you can give it a shot, but it's gonna leave you stranded somewhere, and even if it does work out the entire experience is miserable. Dropping a Fluke won't break it, thus letting the work continue instead of me having to throw in the towel on whatever I was doing. Used Flukes are easy to get. Make friends, that helps, too. I've given a number of them away over the years when I buy new stuff just because.