Recent content by Old Engineer

Here is the PERFECT meter for what you are describing: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Voltage-Continuity-Tester-ET250/301107517 Made by Klein Tools, not a cheap Harbor Freight. Highest safety rating you can get on a meter. Measures AC, DC, and continuity. Also has a button to test...

I support the use of NCVT's to look for hot wires, but not to trust that a wire is not hot. Since many people have mentioned Romex, and a few have mentioned outside wires, please note that the two don't mix when using a NCVT. What this video to see how NCVT's will not work if your Romex is wet.

You would expect the $140 Klein to be in the same class as your $275 Amprobe? If the Klein cost $300, I could understand that that statement. But, when do you expect a product that costs half of what you are comparing with to match up?

If you are just changing the dial setting from Amps to milliamperes, and not switching the test lead to the mA jack, then YES you are doing it wrong. When you measure current through the Amp jack, the meter measures a voltage drop across a 0.1 ohm resistor inside the meter. When you measure...

I was originally about to post a similar response. But, I think what the OP was saying was "what if there was some sort of internal failure in the socket". In that case, the wires in the box were live, but nothing was making it out of the socket. If that was happening, plugging is a outlet...

I support that no NCVT is 100%. Especially in the example you give above. If you had NM exposed to the elements (tornado causing debris in rain), that wet NM could prevent the unit from detecting. This is shown in the video below. With that said, I would suggest the Klein NCVT-3. It is...

This is the problem when a thread gets 4 or 5 pages long. I felt the OP's issue was solved a long time ago. I was addressing another question about reading current with a meter without a mA jack, and only a 10 Amp one. I agree that if you were trying to read 50 or 70 mA with a 10 A jack, you...

This video explains why the resolution makes such a BIG difference in accuracy. I would never use a meter with only a 10 Amp jack for measuring mA, if I wanted any kind of accuracy. I own the Klein meters. If the trim pots are bothering you, look at the USA models. I own one of those, and...

You can not detect DC with a Non-Contact tester, like you use for AC. For the unit to pick up voltage without contact, the source must be a varying AC wave. I have seen people post links to DC testers that they claim are "non contact". But, if you read the description they actually have a very...

A few weeks ago, I subscribed to a new YouTube channel that is all about Multimeters. Just yesterday, a couple of videos were posted that address many of the questions on this thread. The guy is no nonsense, and just gets to the point. I really liked what I saw, which is why I subscribed...

The Fluke 88-5 and 88V are the same model. When Fluke "upgrades" their meters, they go up in the last number. Some sites list that last number as a Roman Numeral, and some as just a number. For example, when the Fluke 88 first launched, it was just a Fluke 88. The next generation was a...

I respect your safety concern, and I completely get it. Since you are constantly working high, I'm happy to hear that this is a big part of your work habit. Yes, I've been using meters for 40 years, but I'm a bench type electronics engineer. I'm almost never up high. Just when I'm doing home...

I have been using meters for 40 years, and still have the first digital one I bought in 1976. I can't say I "constantly" drop them, but it has happened a few times. The last time I did was when I was working in a tight space in a drop ceiling. It happened to be a new Klein that I had just...

Here is a video that shows the Fluke and Milwaukee are not as tough as they look.........