Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

[Texasmark]

This is not financially motivated on my part. Listen up (if you choose d ). I'm retired and don't work for anyone, already have mine so what you do about this is your business. d

I have a pretty good sized shop to take care of my farm toys....and the boat. Most of the equipment I bought to equip it was either from Tractor Supply Co (usually when on sale), or from Harbor Freight. HF's stuff isn't what you'd use if you were a jobber and had to depend on your equipment daily, but for a farm shop it's perfect.

I usually buy their (HF's) $4.95 DVM's which are elcheapo, but usually get the job done. Buy 'em by the 5 count and when one craps out I trash it and pick up another...........but I have been hankering for a better unit....but not too much to go out and pay $150 or so for a nice one.

The other day I received a HF catalog where they were "giving away" some of their stuff that apparently wasn't moving very fast.

So I had a great idea for Christmas. I'd shop for tools and get them home, then all who want to buy me something for Christmas can dig in the box, pull out what they want, pay my wife for it (cause they were going to spend their money on me anyway d , wrap it, and give it to me for Christmas......whadda deal!

That way no one wastes their money buying just to be buying and I get things I have been wanting........don't know why I didn't think of this before.

Moving right along. The reason for this heads up is that they had (what looked to be) a pretty spiffy DVM in there for $19.95 and it looked like some Flukes we used to use at work which were mighty fine instruments.

I bought one and received it yesterday and it's awesome (can't believe what I got for the price) and huge....takes up the whole palm of your hand, great big viewing area that tilts up if your meter is lying on the bench and you want to see the meter easier. Even comes with a Type K thermocouple for measuring temps (to within 1 degree C).

So all you folks wondering about your engine temp can tape this sucker to your block and find out in a hurry....if you had one.

The part number is 37772. If you need the catalog number I could probably find it and give it to you. Sometimes they require that to get the price.

Worth checking out.

My Christmas present to you.

Oh yeah, tomorrow my wife and I are celebrating our 45th Wedding Anniversary...................ain't been easy I assure you, but so far so good.

Mark

 

[JUSTINTIME]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

how accurate is it compared to your fluke?

just asking because all meters read different
i might get it just to read ohms or volts

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Looks like a deal Mark. I'm gonna order one for the heck of it at that price. The part number brings it right up at $19.99. Tomorrow is also my Anniversary. 25 years strong....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

me,too.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

They have the Infrared Digital point and shoot thermometers. Just finally got one on sale for 39.95. Taping a thermocouple to your boat is a waste of time. Take the Dig and shoot your manifolds, block, wherever, write down whatever parameters ya want, and then just check your motor once in awhile. You will know exactly when something getting hotter than normal.
PS. I have had zero problems with Harbor Freight (store near me) stuff. Just have to treat it like it is. If I was going to be using a Impact wrench daily, Ingersoll Rand..otherwise, 20 dollar HF good'nuff

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Congrats mark, on the Anniversary I mean, I didn't know you are retired, I thought you are like in your 30's .......

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Justintime, have no idea, but considering today's technology probably right there. Nothing I measure is "for sale to a customer" so if I'm off a tad it's not that big of a deal like it was when I worked. I haven't measured anything other than zeroing it and measuring house power voltage so I don't know yet. I just thought it was neat all the stuff it measures besides the normal DVM things........and for the price. The leads are high quality also, something that you usually have to get into the higher $$$ meters to get.

Rick, glad you found it. Happy 25th for you. My how time flies. I still remember the first date I asked her for in high school and it was a Thursday. She said that she doesn't take date requests for the weekend after Wednesday of that week....missed that one, but I was early the next week and got it. Took about 5 dates before I had nerve enough to kiss her. :%

Tas, I know you will be impressed with it. The brackets in the yellow back cover are for lead storage when you aren't using it. I thought it was for a support bracket that wasn't included but in their literature I saw the leads stored there. But with the display tilting like it does, you don't need a bracket to prop it up. Just lay it on the bench and tilt the display up.

Well Scatty, as it turns out I ordered that too, from the same catalog and took it out of the box to test it when it arrived. Works great; shot the propane infrared space heater (element) at 430F and the Propane tank in the yard at 36F for a couple of shots. Like the laser pointer. We used them at work but they were waaaayyy more expensive. Will enjoy it too. Many times I have wanted to ID the temp of a component (at home) and couldn't as I didn't have the instrument for it.

Well thanks Dee for the compliment. You're only as old as you feel and even though I don't have the vivid taste for excitement that you do, I feel fine; better than I ever felt in my life.......welllllll a couple of aches and pains here and there. d

Mark

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Those Digital Thermometers are a hoot. I put new Manifolds on my big boat, and now I will be able to see when something gets a little warm and out of range real quick. Great for oil temps on my motorcycles. Found the oven was off 70 degrees, shop heater at 425, milk at 42, ice cream at 15, TV at 71, dogs head laying next to me at 78...what else can I find. 8)

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

... what else can I find.

Those things are too much fun. If you need to justify it to someone they do work really well for finding where insulation or weatherstripping is bad. Just remember that shiny metal has a different emissivity so you have to adjust your readings on things like that.

As for accuracy of cheap DVMs, most are designed around ICL7106 or the like which have a basic accuracy of +- 1 count or 2, so they're actually not really bad at all. Not that a Fluke isn't a great thing; it's just that the cheapos are not that bad either.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

the Flukes are a very very nice piece of equipment. they dont swim any better than the cheapo's. I personally get my stuff from radio shack. I just look at the specs to insure it will do what I need it to do.
the 2 meters I have now(DVM's) will do almost anything the flukes will do and more than most all posters on this forum have a clue how to use and they are less than 50 dollars.
they will accept the rapair DVA adapter as well as some others.
when buying a mulimeter ya have to start with why do you need it and what do you expect it to do?
the one thing it wont do is make up for lack of circuit knowledge.
scaaty.
ya need to get a life, however I found most the same things you did. buy a temp gun and play more
I even checked my cats sleeping temps /
aint technology great

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Glad I'm not the only one looking for things to shoot at. Tis fun.Most of this stuff is made in China and their progress reminds me of Japan after the war. At first their stuff was cheap junk. Then it was just cheap. Then it was cheap and accurate/high quality................then it wasn't cheap any more.

I see China following the same path. One of these days their stuff will be expensive too. Will surely miss all these super buys we have access to today that have triggered us to buy then when before the price was just too high to consider buying them.

Paul, I don't think you can tweak these things for emissivity with this being an elcheapo unit. Like I pulled an ice cube out of the freezer and immediately shot it and it read 41F, not 32. So I shot the paper tub on a carton of ice cream in the same freezer and it read 7F. I believe the latter, obviously the former has an emissivity problem.

Mark

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

Your post on the screen is 76 degrees 8)

Glad I'm not the only one looking for things to shoot at. Tis fun.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

The DC forum will run you screen to about 220*. :%

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Do you ever use a DVM and are considering a new one?

The DC forum will run you screen to about 220*. :%

Went to the basement last night...whew, like always its HOT down there!