Re: dva
well lets see, I own 1 of the above serria meters,3 stevens CD-77's 4 or 5 different digital radio shack meters and 2 CDI DVA adapters.
took to many flukes swimming to buy one for me
.
for routine checks a decent radio shack DMM and the CDI DVA adapter can be had for about 100 dollars, is not polarity sensitive and is auto ranging for voltage scales.
drawback is it usually cant detect intermittant issues.
the serria meter and the CD-77 meters can detect intermittants,and if you know what your looking at open coil primaries, but the draw back is they ARE polarity sensitive and MUST be placed on the correct scale.
meter I use the most? one I bought new from radio shack in 1990 with a CDI DVA adapter.
good thing I remember where the scales are cause I have mostly worn off the symbols.
the fluke is a fine quality instrument but at 260 dollars or so and knowing the environment I work in I prefer a slightly cheaper meter.
wanna see a grown tech cry? watch him as he attempts to resusitate his recently drowned fluke
.
but for the begginer a decent radio shack DMM that can read frequency and a decent DVA adapter will do most anything you wish for a package price of less than 150 dollars.
frequency will be used mostly for checking tach signals on various engines that use a pulsed output from the ECU or EMM for a tach signal.
I also have a radio shack thermosensor that adapts to my DMM as well as a temp probe and some offer an inductive tachometer option.
but radio shack will sell you all you need in a meter for under 30 dollars,couple that with the DVA adapter and your set for checking current under 10 amp,voltage DC less than about 1k, resistance from about 0 ohms to the Mohms range. in this industry further accuracy simply isnt warrented.
