MOTM

If you don't already own one, save up $35 and trot down to Radio Shack or other equivalent and
get a basic DVM. Upcoming kits will *require* you to measure voltages while setting trimmers, and
measuring resistors that few human eyes can ascertain colors on.

No reason to get a Fluke for $200, just get one with a nice LCD display.

Paul S.

> No reason to get a Fluke for $200, just get one with a nice LCD display.

My $0.02 worth: spend some extra $$$ and get one with a frequency counter in
it. It's *really* handy for calibrating VCOs and filters, and for tuning 'em
when you use 'em. I have a Wavetek that has served me well; I think I spent
a hair under $100 for it.

--Adam

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, Adam Schabtach wrote:
> 
>> No reason to get a Fluke for $200, just get one with a nice LCD
>> display.
> 
> My $0.02 worth: spend some extra $$$ and get one with a frequency
> counter in it. It's *really* handy for calibrating VCOs and filters,
> and for tuning 'em when you use 'em. I have a Wavetek that has
> served me well; I think I spent a hair under $100 for it.

My personal experience with digital multimeters: about 12 years ago I 
bought a "cheap" (about $80 catalog brand) multi-meter that had lots 
and lots of features.  It went to an early grave in the first couple 
weeks I owned it while measuring about 200 volts AC.  (It was rated 
for 750!  Anyway, bad internal design - a thru-hole component near one 
of the input terminals pierced the wire insulation of the 9V battery 
clip, resulting in release of magic smoke.)

So, I returned it in partial exchange for a Fluke model 79 that was 
about twice the price and had less features.  The Fluke 79 still works 
today.  (Even survived a few incidents of extreme operator error!) 
Unbelievably clean internal design too - there are no battery clip 
leads to get jabbed by thru-hole components as the battery snaps 
directly onto the PCB.

I remember at the time I was torn between the 79 and whatever the next 
model down was (and, of course, the high end models that I couldn't 
afford!) but ended up going with the 79 because it had a faster 
display update.  A few months back I upgraded to the Fluke 187.  Total 
overkill but its got lots of neat features like dual readout (see Hz 
and volts at the same time), higher precision, an IR link for data 
logging with a PC - yeah, like I said, overkill :)


No personal experience, but people tell me the Waveteks are a really 
nice too.  And Paul seems to like a certain Radio Shack model ;)  You 
might think twice, though, before buying some unknown catalog brand 
just because it has lots of features for a relatively cheap price.


Seth

> So, I returned it in partial exchange for a Fluke model 79 that was
> about twice the price and had less features.  The Fluke 79 still works
> today.  (Even survived a few incidents of extreme operator error!)

I've had a Fluke 11 for about 5 (?) years now. I bought it after 
blowing out a few radio shack "card" meters. Flukes just work. They 
also have the added bonus of turning themselves off ;) A feature I 
personally can't live with out...

--mikes

I agree. I'm trying to figure out how I lived without mine.
The frequency counter is essential.
And the banana yellow is darling.

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, Mike Estee <mikest@a...> wrote:
> Flukes just work....

> >> No reason to get a Fluke for $200, just get one with a nice LCD
> >> display.
> >
> > My $0.02 worth: spend some extra $$$ and get one with a frequency
> > counter in it. It's *really* handy for calibrating VCOs and filters,
> > and for tuning 'em when you use 'em. I have a Wavetek that has
> > served me well; I think I spent a hair under $100 for it.
>
> My personal experience with digital multimeters: about 12 years ago I
> bought a "cheap" (about $80 catalog brand) multi-meter that had lots
> and lots of features.  It went to an early grave in the first couple
> weeks I owned it while measuring about 200 volts AC.

So you could start off cheap and when the cheap one dies maybe get a Fluke.
You can see the "good," the "better," and of course the "best" at a Sears
store - they sell Fluke.  I bought a Craftsman 82139 Auto-Ranging Multimeter
for something like $30, maybe a bit more, I don't exactly remember.  It is
cheap but it also measures capacitance and frequency (and temperature if you
care to spend more $$ on a probe).  I needed the frequency counter to
calibrate my VCOs.  My old Beckman 3010 multimeter is still going strong,
too, although it was fried by static electricity in the winter of 1981 and I
had to send it to the manufacturer for repair.  I paid $100 for that one in
1980.

-Richard Brewster

Extech has some nice multimeters with better frequency resolution than
Fluke.  If you ever measuring bass frequencies you'll want something
with better than 0.1 Hz resolution.

John Loffink
jloffink@... 

The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com/

The Wavemakers Modular and Integrated Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com/