...... He has to learn the colour codes before he can do that. ......

 

'Black beer rots our young guts but vodka goes well' is probably more pc than the older 'Bad Boys R**** Our Young Girls, But Violet Goes Willingly' that I learned back in the 70s.

Edited September 13, 20232 yr by Sturmey

The codes are easy enough, but it's virtually impossible to make out the colours when they're printed on a tiny blue 1/4w resistor. Brown is as dark as black. Grey is invisible and white looks like grey. Zoom in on that photo I posted and see if you can make out any of the colours. Also, many of the resistors have evenly spaced bands all the way along, so you don't know which end to start from. You don't get that problem with 4-band ones.

 

https://www.robotroom.com/Multimeter-Reviews.html

Alas my cheap XL830L is no longer reasonably accurate. This is when connected to a 42V charger. Everything I've measured on the 200V scale over 20V, is at least doubled. I've changed the battery to no avail. Measures <20V fine on the 20V scale. This multimeter was reasonably accurate, but not reasonably robust!

 

 

Try wiping the switch contacts with meths.

Try wiping the switch contacts with meths.

 

Thank you for your suggestion, I cleaned the copper contacts and wheel but it didn't work - my 36V battery measures a very impressive 82.3V. I may try again, scrubbing harder.

 

I'll buy another digital multimeter, because I really should own more than one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT: After another serious scrub with both isopropyl and meths, same high voltage results.

Edited November 22, 20232 yr by guerney

This one looks good £11 delivered in a week, 4000 count & thermocouple:

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005006227356259.html

This one looks good £11 delivered in a week, 4000 count & thermocouple:

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005006227356259.html

 

Thanks, £11.14 with VAT is a good price. Ordered. I was looking at this - sneakily, Amazon's Black Friday deal only applies to Prime members:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TESMEN-Multimeter-measurement-Auto-Ranging-Non-Contact/dp/B0BLZ7GN2X/

 

The reference board's 9.982V measured 13.8V in the 20V range... my multimeter previously known as reasonably accurate is kaput. I'm bound to break another somehow, so it's not worth spending much - as you know, I know practically nothing about electronics, and wouldn't have anything to do with multimeters if I didn't have an ebike.

 

The thermocouple will be useful for making natto.

 

EDIT: Now it's measuring 0V, no matter what

Edited November 22, 20232 yr by guerney

Check the batteries of your old meter just in case they need replacing. Still, the new meter is excellent for the money.

Check the batteries of your old meter just in case they need replacing.

 

Tried a fresh battery, no joy.

 

Still, the new meter is excellent for the money.

 

Ordered this even cheaper one aswell. I need at least two because based on my experience so far, 100% of all the cheap multimeters I've ever owned have always broken quite quickly every time.

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005368277249.html

 

 

EDIT: Now the reference board's 9.982V measures 11.8V in the 20V range. It's a dodo.

Edited November 22, 20232 yr by guerney

for cheap meter recommendations check out YTuber Dave Jones 'eevblog'

for cheap meter recommendations check out YTuber Dave Jones 'eevblog'

 

Thanks for the tip. I was curious about the Fluke 101.

 

 

thats the one i was thinking of but couldnt find.. didnt look that hard tbh..

thats the one i was thinking of but couldnt find.. didnt look that hard tbh..

 

Plus 20%

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996650343.html

 

VAT included:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285234477752

Edited November 22, 20232 yr by guerney

Yikes.. Youtube endorsement and the price basically triples!! stick to the 4.99 specials and just keep replacing them as and when perhaps?,, my meter use is almost only continuity and voltage level checks with the occasional component validation test ,so the cheapo jobs have served me well so far, ebikes and their batteries are however a bit more powerful than the low power devices ive tinkered with before.

Of the two multimeters I ordered, this one was out of stock and the seller insists I cancel the order...

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005368277249.html

 

...why doesn't the seller cancel the order? Will my rating be affected by my cancelling the order? He should cancel the order and refund me.

 

This one arrived this morning. Two AAA batteries not included, but I like the two pairs of leads supplied: a pair with probes, and another pair with decent easy to grip crocodile clips. The last set of crocodile clips I bought were mega slippy, hard to get a grip. I also like the zippy case. With the bundled thermocouple, air temperature in my home measures exactly 23 ºC.

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005006227356259.html

 

...tested with the reference board, it appears that this is another cheap but reasonably accurate multimeter. Your voltage may vary. Thank you [mention=35625]AntonyC[/mention] for posting a link to this multimeter.

 

 

 

I'm still in the market for another multimeter, and having found the Aneng Favourable Shop on Aliexpress, I'm wondering what "Favourable" means in this context, being a result of Chinese translation - are their products factory seconds or returned/refurbished items from the official Aneng store or what? Or are relations generally favourable between their store and the pricier Aneng Official Store? Are they referring to the weather?

 

Their £3 discount for every £15 spent is interesting - if I order a cheap tester screwdriver aswell, I get a few pence off this multimeter (video review here):

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/4000957681855.html

 

 

 

...and if I order this clamping multimeter with a higher than 10A DC current rating (the cheaper ones don't test DC current), I get a further £3 off. The Aneng AN8008/AN8009 will only measure up to 10A, the Neoteck 20A.

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005767929987.html

 

Edited November 26, 20232 yr by guerney

The BF aliexpress deal with also £3 off for every £15 spent is another nice added bonus. I bought an item that was on offer at £75 and usually retails from £128 - £175 , with that £3 offer I got another £12 off the £75 offer.

It isn't often I bother with BF but the item I bought I have had my eye on for a few months.

I can't think of a real need for a clamp meter at home and they aren't very accurate, HTH.

I can't think of a real need for a clamp meter at home

 

Edited November 27, 20232 yr by lenny

I can't think of a real need for a clamp meter at home and they aren't very accurate, HTH.

 

The clamp contains hall sensors for measurement, so I wondered how accurate it could possibly be. As for it's probes, unless I get an uprated BMS to power some high power device or other, my ebike battery is incapable of producing more than 20A. Three multimeters is one too many.

Edited November 27, 20232 yr by guerney

The clamp contains hall sensors for measurement, so I wondered how accurate it could possibly be.

 

It depends on the hall sensor used. For e.g. Tektronix A622 current probe (as is suited for oscilloscope) uses hall sensor, in UK it might cost around £1000. There are hall sensor modules based on ACS712 that are not costly, reasonably accurate. And halls are often used in EV controllers where high voltage is involved (it provides isolation as compared to shunt)

It depends on the hall sensor used. For e.g. Tektronix A622 current probe (as is suited for oscilloscope) uses hall sensor, in UK it might cost around £1000.

 

Only £495 here, but used:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134699922936

 

 

There are hall sensor modules based on ACS712 that are not costly, reasonably accurate.

 

Inexpensive in terms of money, more expensive in terms of time pogramming the processing of signals, I imagine.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201514993867

 

Weren't you working on a VESC controller project? How is that progressing? Have you given away too much equity in return for vulture capitalist funding yet?

 

 

The BF aliexpress deal with also £3 off for every £15 spent is another nice added bonus. I bought an item that was on offer at £75 and usually retails from £128 - £175 , with that £3 offer I got another £12 off the £75 offer.

It isn't often I bother with BF but the item I bought I have had my eye on for a few months.

 

Much better than Amazon's Black Friday offerings. AliExpress's Cyber Monday will be over soon enough.

 

Thank you [mention=40339]thelarkbox[/mention] for your recommendation - I've ordered the Aneng "AAN8008/AN8009".

 

I also ordered this easy to read watch... it's because of the old eyes you know, £3 off. = £3.17+VAT. My Casio Databank and calculator+databank watches will have to be retired, the alphanumerics on their displays are too damned tiny and unreadable now, more than 30 years on.

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005554376409.html

 

Edited November 27, 20232 yr by guerney