Best multimeter

[Jframpey]

Well, got what I paid for... I bought a Chinese $30 multi meter and a $45 clamp meter several years ago.the clamp meter worked 3 times! But I haven’t needed one til now. I dropped the multimeter yesterday - oops - 18 inches!!! It’s DRT (dead right there).

I’ve looked thru some past topics and find Fluke is everyone’s choice. I looked on amazon - and found a Fluke 117 multimeter and 323 clamp meter bundled. $235.

One question - the clamp meter only says it measures AC amps... I would like to be able to measure DC also... is it even possible to measure DC current using a clamp meter?

Should I get this set of meters? I’ll use it primarily for electrician type stuff and 12 volt RV.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

+ - 5 LSD

Better the Least Significant Digit be in the thousandths of a volt column than the hundredths.

I know of DOZENS of different digital 3-1/2 meters that were so laughably inaccurate (three tenths of a volt in error plus or minus)

And one DROK 3-3/4 digit meter that hunted yes HUNTED +4 -3 TENTHS of a volt when connected to a nine volt alkaline battery sitting on my bench.

Just bought a round digital 2-3/4 digit volt meter for a friend. He chose it because of the colored arc of lights which may or may not help him get a rough idea of charger voltage at a distance. Error = .2 volt low. Yes. two-TENTHS.

The 5.0 digit panels meters I checked were qualified by lab calibration. If you doubt the continuity of accuracy in this line, the URL was given. If you test one and find error, please notify along with giving modality of your qualification -- the more testing and verification, the better.

[SaltiDawg]

Deleted by SaltiDawg as not adding value.

[SaltiDawg]

mike-s wrote:

SaltiDawg wrote:
Are there circumstances in an RV where it really matters if the measured voltage is 110 V vs 113 V?

An error of equivalent magnitude (e.g. 12.8 vs 12.5 V, ~2% accuracy) can be the difference between a full battery and one with only a 50% charge.

As a retired Submariner, I understand that need from my experience with Lead-Acid Submarine Batteries. Thank you.
Do you actually use a multi-meter for measuring battery voltage?

[Jim]

Jframpey wrote:
Wow, lots of info to digest... I do use a meter for more than RV chores, as a diy’er I get into many things electric. I also manage my Dad's small RV Park. Hence the need for the clamp-on amp meter. I also have PV panels on my house... hence DC... and I’ve started tinkering with the world of arduino - might need resistance, capacitance for that.

But, that Bluetooth feature would sure be nice...

I have 2 different clamp on ammeters, one big one, one smaller one. They are both multifunction. For different jobs with different specs. Huge wires vs. not so huge for the amp readings. But I found that neither of them were suitable to also function as a day to day DVM. I tried, just didn't like them for that. Cumbersome. So I'll just keep two different style devices.

But that $50 DVM with Blue Tooth (BT) is worth every penny. I was just using it today! Inside the RV, I'm installing a 3 night light LED strip inside the bathroom so I don't have to turn on the very bright overhead light fixture at 3AM. So I was looking for 12V at the switch but there's no nearby ground. So I had the hallway power panel off and was using a ground there. The BT was the only way I could read voltage around the corner and have a ground.


The app on my smart phone makes it easy. I've already had a need for the BT feature several times since I bought the meter.

[mike-s]

SaltiDawg wrote:
Are there circumstances in an RV where it really matters if the measured voltage is 110 V vs 113 V?

An error of equivalent magnitude (e.g. 12.8 vs 12.5 V, ~2% accuracy) can be the difference between a full battery and one with only a 50% charge.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I love the "variable precision" label of this meter!

But, I have purchased sixteen of these meters (yellow digits are by far more legible in bright light). Deviance from arrived median voltage point for 16 units (averaged) .007 + and .003 -

Measured against 30 ppm 5.000 vdc reference voltage

and .01% full-scale Manganin laboratory 100mv shunt.

Interpretation: Tolerance in VDC is tighter than Fluke 77 DMM, and any other meter I own including 5 digit DMM (which is more accurate than the Fluke to 30vdc).

This meter falls within the tolerances of the Manganin lab shunt, which itself agrees with the NIST 7 resistor decade, ultra precisison (3 ppm) reference resistance block of mine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottom line. For 5 dollars and change, you can get a NON-powered digital panel meter on eBay that can qualify any voltmeter DMM you own.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yellow-5-Digit-DC-0-4-3000-33-000V-Precision-Digital-Volt-meter-Voltage-Pan...

I have disqualified too many meters to take ANY of them for granted. Several with >+.6vdc to >.4vdc error. This is too great an error to manage batteries with.

A few meters were Harbor Freight cheapies and the not so cheapies. Some meters were from HALTED Electronics in Sta Rosa, CA. None of the Radio Shack DMMs passed. Even the Fluke is not dead on with .002 vdc error too low.

Personally I demand a max of .015 + - error DC for managing batteries.

To each their own. I consider adults wise enough to decide for themselves what kind of test equipment they need and to suffer the consequences in silence when they are wrong.

If the 5.0 digit meter shown above is of no interest then so be it. It is meant for someone else 🙂

[SaltiDawg]

I am not a RVer, however I have an extensive background having multi-meters in an industrial setting. Ruggedness was an important issue, accuracy not so much.

Are there circumstances in an RV where it really matters if the measured voltage is 110 V vs 113 V? 100 Meg Ohm vs Infinite? 74 vs 78 Amps?

Clearly there are uses where such accuracy would not be acceptable. How about on an RV?

Also, ruggedness might become less important if cost is "Free" or "very, very low cost?"

Just asking, not arguing a case.

[Jframpey]

Wow, lots of info to digest... I do use a meter for more than RV chores, as a diy’er I get into many things electric. I also manage my Dad's small RV Park. Hence the need for the clamp-on amp meter. I also have PV panels on my house... hence DC... and I’ve started tinkering with the world of arduino - might need resistance, capacitance for that.

But, that Bluetooth feature would sure be nice...

[Gjac]

tenbear wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
out of curiosity, what normal reading related to RV maintenance really requires a precise reading? ego, rocket science? or dueling meters, "My meter is bigger than yours?" I'm trying to find that 480 volt source in my TT and can't locate it.
bumpy

Well said!

I have installed meters to tell me what the battery voltage and converter voltage is, and what the current from/to the battery is.

Why do I need an expensive multimeter? If I drop it on the floor, which I haven't, there goes $5.

I have dropped one on the floor, left one outside in the rain, and ruined another with gas while checking my fuel pump on my generator. They were all free HF meters, I would have been very upset if I paid $250 for a fluke meter and ruined it. Talked to one guy who backed up over his when he was working on his tail lights and another that left his on a stump at a campsite. For the average non electrician Rver these meters are good enough. If you want more accuracy there is a pot inside than can be adjusted to a known good meter like a Fluke, they will hold that accuracy until the battery gets low and they will read higher.

[tenbear]

Bumpyroad wrote:
out of curiosity, what normal reading related to RV maintenance really requires a precise reading? ego, rocket science? or dueling meters, "My meter is bigger than yours?" I'm trying to find that 480 volt source in my TT and can't locate it.
bumpy

Well said!

I have installed meters to tell me what the battery voltage and converter voltage is, and what the current from/to the battery is.

Why do I need an expensive multimeter? If I drop it on the floor, which I haven't, there goes $5.

[Dave_H_M]

What Bumpy said. :h Three figures for a multi meter to work on a camper with. :R

i will continue to use my free HF one.

[Bumpyroad]

out of curiosity, what normal reading related to RV maintenance really requires a precise reading? ego, rocket science? or dueling meters, "My meter is bigger than yours?" I'm trying to find that 480 volt source in my TT and can't locate it.
bumpy

[Lynnmor]

mike-s wrote:

tenbear wrote:
I have a Sears clamp-on AC DC ammeter and it works perfectly.

If you think that, you're wrong. Even an HP3458A isn't perfect.

It might suit your needs, but it isn't "perfect."

I have a Sears as well, but working on these perfect RV's one should have a meter that costs nearly as much as the RV. 🙂

As in horseshoes, often close is good enough. I keep a "free" Harbor Freight meter in each vehicle as well as in toolboxes. As said before, having a cheap meter with you is better than an expensive one at home.

[mike-s]

tenbear wrote:
I have a Sears clamp-on AC DC ammeter and it works perfectly.

If you think that, you're wrong. Even an HP3458A isn't perfect.

It might suit your needs, but it isn't "perfect."

[grizzzman]

Boon Docker wrote:

theoldwizard1 wrote:
I bought a Uni-T UT210E. Uni-T make several different models. Far from the best, but not the cheapest either !



Review

That is the one I have, excellent and accurate meter.

I also have one. I checked it against my spendie snapon low amps probe. They were within.1 of each other. And the NVC feature is nice.