Anything else for multi meter?

[signcrafter]

Fuse Buddy - haven't used yet



Various other leads

In the bottom picture at the bottom what do you use the white wires with different terminals on for? Can you list some examples of what you use your other adapters for? Like when do you use the cig lighter plug or the different alligator clips?

Reading voltage you are okay.

Do NOT try reading AMPS. Hopefully the internal fuse would blow before the meter.

So if you were to probe a cig lighter plug with your meter on amps it would in essence be a dead short right? Since there would be no load on the circuit and when you probe with your meter it would complete the circuit to be a dead short?

 

[hermetic]

"Make sure you get a digital, not that old school analogue ****"

LOL!! I am a pro electrical engineer, and I still use an analogue AVO 8 Mkiv, I have also owned 3 very expensive "professional" digital multimeters, the best of which lasted just over two years before it was judged "beyond economical repair" the analogue meter tells far more than the digital, because you watch how the needle behaves during testing (no such feedback with a digital) and does not suffer from the wandering readings that digitals are plagued with when the chip can't quite make its mind up. For occasional use they are OK, and most people nowadays use nothing else, but you will also note that the claimed accuracy they boast is at a fixed temperature (because they use carbon resistors) whereas the AVO is accurate to plus or minus 2% of full scale deflection over its entire temperature range, because it uses much more stable wirewound resistors. AVO's do break, mine has been repaired and recalibrated twice since it was made in 1974, and I check its accuracy with a few standard resistors, and a stabilised power supply. A digital NEEDS annual recalibration in order to keep any level of accuracy. You CAN check capacitors on a standard analogue, but not on a standard digital. In fact the statement "Make sure you get a digital, not that old school analogue ****" is, itself............****, I would never buy another digital, and in fact I have spent (wasted) more buying digital multimeters that lasted two years or less than I did buying my AVO, which cost nearly £600 new!! Not a criticism of any opinion here, just letting you know that the old school analogue is far better than the digital, but the digital is much much cheaper to manufacture, that is all.

 

[zkling]

So if you were to probe a cig lighter plug with your meter on amps it would in essence be a dead short right? Since there would be no load on the circuit and when you probe with your meter it would complete the circuit to be a dead short?

Did you see my post? Yes, when set on amps the meter acts as a continuous conductive member from lead to lead. Amps flow through, voltage flow across I guess is a way to remember it.

LOL!! I am a pro electrical engineer, and I still use an analogue AVO 8 Mkiv, I have also owned 3 very expensive "professional" digital multimeters, the best ....

You'd probably appreciate my old RCA Voltohmyst

 

[signcrafter]

Did you see my post? Yes, when set on amps the meter acts as a continuous conductive member from lead to lead. Amps flow through, voltage flow across I guess is a way to remember it.



You'd probably appreciate my old RCA Voltohmyst

Yes I did. Just checking to make sure I understood it correctly. Sorry.

 

[zkling]

Yes I did. Just checking to make sure I understood it correctly. Sorry.

No need to apologize, I may not of worded it in the best way.

I meant a plug lol. I have one off of a mobile cb a buddy was throwing away

Ah, gotcha, I was on the fence as to what a plug meant so I thought I should clarify.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

In the bottom picture at the bottom what do you use the white wires with different terminals on for? Can you list some examples of what you use your other adapters for? Like when do you use the cig lighter plug or the different alligator clips?



So if you were to probe a cig lighter plug with your meter on amps it would in essence be a dead short right? Since there would be no load on the circuit and when you probe with your meter it would complete the circuit to be a dead short?

That is what I would think. Hopefully the fuse would go before the meter.

The white wires were included with this:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sun-cp9087

(I do automotive work, computers, radio control vehicles, Arduino, Basic Stamp, and build circuits on a breadboard. If I find test leads/equipment cheap enough, I try to get it because I'll probably end up needing it...)

The small and medium alligator clips are used for clipping on to frames, bolts, or wires. I got tired of the alligator clip not being big enough, or slipping off what I had it on. Small ones are good for clipping on to components on breadboards - miniature adapters are best for that. Miniature clip leads are useful for testing resistors/capacitors without touching them. Large alligator clips are for clipping on to batteries so I don't have to hold the leads on. One meter came with just alligator clip leads. The odd one at the top is a wire piercing adapter that doesn't get used much.

Cigarette lighter plug is for testing them. I also have a meter with min/max that I set for minimum and whenever voltage dropped going down the road, it would beep. I was hoping the voltage drop would be an early warning signal before it stalled.

I think the problem with the analog vs digital is that the digital usually have higher input resistance and don't load the circuit down like the analog do. I have an analog meter and a Craftsman combination analog/digital meter, along with my digitals.

 

[signcrafter]

No need to apologize, I may not of worded it in the best way.

I'm one of those guys that has to fully understand the theory behind why something does what it does, not just it does "this". It takes me a little longer to grasp some things and I like to triple check just to make sure I have it. Thanks for the explanations.

That is what I would think. Hopefully the fuse would go before the meter.

The white wires were included with this:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sun-cp9087

(I do automotive work, computers, radio control vehicles, Arduino, Basic Stamp, and build circuits on a breadboard. If I find test leads/equipment cheap enough, I try to get it because I'll probably end up needing it...)

The small and medium alligator clips are used for clipping on to frames, bolts, or wires. I got tired of the alligator clip not being big enough, or slipping off what I had it on. Small ones are good for clipping on to components on breadboards - miniature adapters are best for that. Miniature clip leads are useful for testing resistors/capacitors without touching them. Large alligator clips are for clipping on to batteries so I don't have to hold the leads on. One meter came with just alligator clip leads. The odd one at the top is a wire piercing adapter that doesn't get used much.

Cigarette lighter plug is for testing them. I also have a meter with min/max that I set for minimum and whenever voltage dropped going down the road, it would beep. I was hoping the voltage drop would be an early warning signal before it stalled.

I think the problem with the analog vs digital is that the digital usually have higher input resistance and don't load the circuit down like the analog do. I have an analog meter and a Craftsman combination analog/digital meter, along with my digitals.

What exactly is that tester? Do you use it a lot and how do you test all the different things it says it does?

So when you make these leads can you just use normal primary power wire and some banana jacks and clips? I think the nicer meter leads use silicone wire or something?

When you plug your meter into the lighter plug with the adapter it's just monitoring battery voltage correct? Would this work for monitoring battery voltage while cranking for starting issues? Right now if I think the vehicle is having a starting issue one of the first things I do is hook my meter up to the battery terminals to watch the voltage while cranking. Would hooking it up to the lighter plug work for this or is it better to use the battery terminals? Be nice if I can just plug it in and crank for a quick test of voltage and not even have to open the hood. But not sure how accurate that would be?

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Right now if I think the vehicle is having a starting issue one of the first things I do is hook my meter up to the battery terminals to watch the voltage while cranking. Would hooking it up to the lighter plug work for this or is it better to use the battery terminals? Be nice if I can just plug it in and crank for a quick test of voltage and not even have to open the hood.

This is exactly why I wanted to make a cig adapter.

 

[signcrafter]

This is exactly why I wanted to make a cig adapter.

Do you know if this would be as accurate as hooking up to the battery terminals? If so I will be making an adapter very shortly! Be nice to quickly test from the drivers seat while cranking.

Another thing, are there any electronic stuff inside a cell phone charger that would alter the readings? In other words can I just take an old cell phone charger and cut the cord and put some banana jacks on it to get a reading?

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Yeah the cig port will show voltage drop. It's a direct 12v source. Just as probing a fuel pump harness should give the same (12v). As far as the cell phone charger, It may have a resistor in it. The one I have is just a fused plug I can unscrew.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

It tests older ignition modules. It doesn't get used very much. The continuity test and diode test can be done with a DMM. Also, some sensors.

http://www.actron.com/media/usermanuals/0002-000-208804 PW_CP9080_Sensor Tester Plus_MNL_Eng.pdf

Radio Shack used to sell spools of test lead wire, which I used to buy. It is better to use the more flexible test lead wire. I needed the leads right then, and used what I had.

The lighter plug should show full battery voltage - some newer ones my need the key turned on to accessory. Black and Decker used to make a light duty jump starter that plugged in the lighter outlets in two vehicles.

The cell phone plug should have something to drop the voltage to about 5V to charge the phone. So, it probably wouldn't show battery voltage. The lighter plugs are available at Walmart in the automotive section and at Radio Shack.

I have a meter from Radio Shack that I can plug in to a computer and graph voltages with, also...

Miniature grippers that slide over the end of the leads (from Radio Shack):



In action:



Wire piercing ends that slip on (from Radio Shack):



The small kit of slip on adapters from Radio Shack:



Extra long lead to connect directly to the battery:

 

[signcrafter]

I like that really long ground lead.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

My kit thus far. Adding a cig plug soon.

 

[ndoran]

[QUOT E=Dusty61;3661226]take the old set of leads (the ones you dont really like) and cut the ends off, then put a regular battery terminal on one and a GM side mount on the other. presto cheap parasitic draw test set

Good idea! I was gunna put speaker connectors on them for amp tuning but I like your idea better. Too bad I couldn't make a quick connect end and make multiple custom attachments.[/QUOTE]

I do not understand how you plan to tune an amplifier by installing speaker connections to your DMM.

I repair audio amplifiers mixers and other pro audio and theatre lighting gear as a side business: unless you have a good understanding of electronics theory especially audio amplifier circuits you do not want to be measuring anything beyond the supply voltage and current. You can turn an amplifier into a paperweight in a fraction of a second and repairs are frequently cost prohibitive.

Once the internal dc bias conditions are correct which you can't check without opening the amplifier and these are not intended to be user adjustments you need an oscilloscope, good scope probes and a frequency generator to make sure the amp is working correctly. Each of my scope probes cost more than a good DMM.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

For setting gains. Not installing speaker connections, making an adapter to plug into the speaker input instead of using probes so I can get a round about as to what level gains should be at. Oscilloscopes are not always available to me, especially when at home, so using a multimeter gets me in the ballpark. Voltage=sq rt of rms x ohms. 1000w rms x 1 ohm =1k. Sq rt of 1k is 31.62v. Turn off equalizers or set all to 0, lpf and hpf off. Plug meter into amp and remove speaker leads. Play 50hz sine wave through radio and turn gain until 31.62v. Nobody has ever heard of this method?

 

[richfinn]

I have a cheap map reading compass tied to my meter leads for quickly checking charging current and relays.

Load pro leads are great for volt dropping circuits

I like to use a low amp probe for fuel pumps etc

I have the parasitic drain test chart for volt dropping fuses laminated for quick reference
You can find it on the www.vestest.com site under articles

I also use a high amp probe for battery analysis

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

This is what I was hoping to use to test in the cig port

 

[ndoran]

For setting gains. Not installing speaker connections, making an adapter to plug into the speaker input instead of using probes so I can get a round about as to what level gains should be at. Oscilloscopes are not always available to me, especially when at home, so using a multimeter gets me in the ballpark. Voltage=sq rt of rms x ohms. 1000w rms x 1 ohm =1k. Sq rt of 1k is 31.62v. Turn off equalizers or set all to 0, lpf and hpf off. Plug meter into amp and remove speaker leads. Play 50hz sine wave through radio and turn gain until 31.62v. Nobody has ever heard of this method?

Hi SuzukiGS750EZ, this is way off topic for this thread but I want to understand what you are doing because many people read these threads and they may not be aware of the potential consequences of performing the test I believe you described on an amplifier without a thorough understanding of the amplifier design.

If I understood your post correctly you are applying a 50Hz sine wave at the input of the amplifier and adjusting the voltage gain of the amplifier stages to produce 31.62Vrms across a 1 ohm output load to achieve an output power of 1000W. If I have understood your post correctly I would not advise anyone to follow the test method you describe unless they have a detailed understanding of the amplifier design they are testing. I am sure you know the information I will post below but others may not and I do not want people to perform a test and damage an amplifier possibly beyond economic repair.

I use resistive load testing for power amplifiers, as do many designers and manufacturers as it provides a very acceptable approach to perform comparison testing. Any amplifier that can demonstrate good stability and distortion characteristics when loaded with a 4 ohm or 8 ohm resistive load load will normally perform very well with a real loudspeaker. Decreasing the resistive load value becomes problematic at 2 ohms and should be avoided and loads of 1 ohm risk damage to the amplifier. At resistive loads of 2 ohms any amplifier using Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) will see a dramatic increase in large signal non-linearity resulting in a large increase in total harmonic distortion. A meter cannot differentiate between distortion and signal. The overall efficiency of the amplifier will drop due to losses in the emitter resistors and cables, PCB tracks. The output current can also exceed the maximum current handling capacity of the output protect relay (any amplifier capable of providing these levels of power should have output protection circuits). The use of a 1 ohm output resistance is more demanding on the output devices and heatsinks which can trip the output thermal protection circuit or result in failure of the output transistors. Repeated testing with this load is operating the transistors in the lower area of the thermal cyclic curve reducing the predicted reliability of the amplifier.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Yes, check your amplifier specs before you wire in series or parallel and know your speaker specs as well! A 4 ohm dvc speaker in parallel then becomes a 2 ohm load, add two of them and it becomes 1 ohm. And I'm sure many of you know, the lower the resistance the easier electricity flows. So if your amp can only handle 4 ohm @ 600 watts and you're giving it more than that, good luck! Clipping will also ensue if you don't set gains properly and you won't be happy!

 

[PRH44]

I acquired several leads from a German engineer many years ago . The banana clip Y configuration of the leads are very useful. I can connect to multiple points at one time just buy plugging in another lead. I can make jumpers quick and in many configuration. I have leads ranging from 6' to 2' in black, red, yellow, blue with multiple long clamps, fine tip points, clips etc.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[wolf_from_wv]

Analog vs DMM circuit loading:
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_8/3.html

 

[240Z_Master]

I have the snap-on Lead set MTTL800 and I love it, has everything I need

Do you happen to know if this set works on a Fluke?

 

[FigureItOut]

What do you guys think about soldering a cig plug to the extra leads u have for plugging in and checking for power? Right now I have some spade terminals on there but I think I'll make an adapter for those later on. All I can think of with the cig lighter plug would be a yes or no on power. Is there anything else I could check with it?

A cigarette lighter adaptor is super handy for under dash or any interior work as a quick and easy to find ground that won't pull out if it gets tugged on accidentally, like an alligator clip will. I use this Power Probe one. It has female banana jacks for your leads. I'd made several of these before buying the PP version, for $14 the ready made one is well worth it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk