D.V.A. & Multimeter Question

sshawn09

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
9
Why is it that it is recommended to buy a D.V.A. (peak hold) adaptor for the multimeters, when the multimeter might already have peak hold?

I recently obtained a Fluke 88V and its got the MIN/MAX and peak. I noticed that alot of websites sell the 88V kit that includes a DVA adaptor. Why is this?

Thanks,
Shawn
 

JustJason

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Aug 27, 2007
Messages
5,321
Re: D.V.A. & Multimeter Question

min/max and DVA are not the same thing.

Are you in boat school right now or something?

What a dva does essentially is slows down and stabilizes the voltage for the DMM to read. Permanent magnet electrical generating devices (such as a flywheel and capacitor charging coil) throw out a rather erratic voltage that a multimeter can not read. It's not a stable voltage. If your try your meter without a DVA you'll get some kind of reading, but not that actual PEAK voltage that your looking for.
So it's not that it's recomended that you get a DVA... you absolutely need one if your going to work on outboards.
 

sshawn09

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
9
Re: D.V.A. & Multimeter Question

Thanks for the reply. So even the peak or avg feature of the fluke wont cut it either?

I'm not a marine student, just a hobbiest that was sick of his harbor freight multimeter, and admired all the features of the fluke 88. Also I have an old evinrude that is sick in bed with the flu.​
 

JustJason

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Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
5,321
Re: D.V.A. & Multimeter Question

Nope, it won't do it. I own an old fluke 8 and the same fluk 88V. You need a dva with both meters. The only meters i know of with a built in dva are the ES530 and Stevens instruments. makes a strictly only dva.
 
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