which dmm do you use?

What DM do you guys use.. My favorite meter is my FLUKE 117 True RMS meter. Fast Does everything I want it to do and small which is nice when Im doing installs on boats. Let me know what you guys use.

Digitech QM-1526, and Noble NB 4000P-2 & UNI-T UT20B in the car.

For this work a cheapie about $30 or less, peak hold continuity and at least 10 amps current capacity is all you need.

I use a cheap Craftsman meter ($25) that does frequency (for remote start tach). I have found it will do everything I need it to do except read short door lock pulses in some vehicles. For these rare cases where I need a faster meter I have a Fluke 189 (total overkill) and a Fluke 85 (total overkill). As Howie mentioned, cheap meters are sufficient for an automobile environment as absolute accuracy is not important (really a 10% accuracy would be good enough when installing things in vehicles!)Kevin Pierson

One day Kevin and I might disagree on something but that's the point, you don't need super accuracy, even mux wiring, there's a 10% error allowance, e.g. using a 220 ohm instead of 200 ohm resistance. Another point for testing 90% of the time I use a good old Snap-On incandescent bulb tester. Lock trigger, door trigger and generalised testing, more convenient, and much faster. And no I've never pulled a DTC! I have a friend who works as a diagnostic auto electrician who uses a Power Probe with no problems. I wouldn't dare!

I have the blu-point power probe that I use frequently but I NEVER just send a signal down a wire. I always use it as an input test first then depending on how it reads, I verify it by sending the pulse. I've seen too many people just pick a wire and send a ground pulse down it to see if it does what they want... bad idea.Kenny

Owner / Technician

KKD Garage LLC

Albany, NY 12205

Kenny, that's why I'm scared!

As with most tools, you just have to be smart when using them... and use them correctly.Kenny

Owner / Technician

KKD Garage LLC

Albany, NY 12205

Kenny's last word, going through various threads on this site I doubt very much whether most of the "junior members" have any idea of how to use them correctly. Also, Lucas, don't be over-awed by Oldspark and KP's equipment, they are both electronic engineers by training/profession.

Don't be overawed? How dare you! I got my Digitech QM-1526 for $10.50. Their normal RRP was ~$26. I thought that was pretty awesome - backlit LCD, sample & hold, audible continuity, 1000C temp probe, and transistor tester (which in all my years I have never used despite my electronic builds!). Yeah - it was so awesome a bought a handful and have given a few to others. The NB 4000P-2 was my most recent and most expensive DMM acquisition at $35. But it was a compact self-cased unit that included capacitance. It lacks an Amp range, but the mini UT20B has that, else I use a shunt and measure its voltage. (I carry the 2 DMMs in my car for redundancy. I rarely measure currents in cars.) I do also have a $100 smallish single channel CRO and intend one day to replace that with a ~$70 PC kit (USB sampler into tablet or laptop etc). My only real use to date for that was to sample the output from reluctor circuits. LOL - recently to check the frequency of tradition "flasher can" voltage regulators as used for car fuel & temp gauges (~2Hz), I used my first analog DMM ($13 in 1976).    Thou I have long wanted true-RMS AC & DC current ammeters and voltmeters, that has changed to a (true RMS) power meter, but probably more to show how wrong people are when they measure RMS voltage and current expecting that to be an (rms) Wattage reading, rather than my own need for measuring equipment, UPS, inverter or battery loads.    BTW - my dream was always a Fluke - I think the 77 series (with analog bargraph?). Despite my years of high income, I never bought one. I rarely use a DMM for car fault finding, but it is common -cum- essential for confirming that the correct wire has been selected when interfacing etc. Even then in most cases, I could use a spare 3W bulb as a test light.