Date:         Tue, 21 Nov 2000 18:02:46 -0800
Reply-To:     David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Which Digital Multi-meter?
Comments: To: Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@SYMPATICO.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <3A1AEC8C.180076AA@sympatico.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I have several multimeters.  Mind you I do a lot of electrical work for
automotive applications.

My personal favourite is a clam-shell ANALOG meter from Radio Shack that I
bought 10 years ago when I started college (gosh was it THAT long ago!).
Why do I like analog so much?  Digital multimeters are SLOW and really only
good for measuring stuff that doesn't change very quickly like system
voltage.  If you want to see how much your O2 sensor is fluctuation an
analog meter is much superior.  I also have a pile of digital meters here.
What do I recommend?  Well,  what do you want to do with it?  My favourite
one which is again from Radio Shack has:

- DC                    Necessary
- AC                    Not necessary for automotive
- Ohms          Not important for basic stuff, but comes with every meter
- Continuity    This is a VERY useful feature, get one that goes BEEP when the
reading is under 5 ohms... in English this setting is used to see if there
is a break in the wire or circuit.
- Temperature   Not necessary, but it is "cool" to see how hot your intake air
is.

Basically I would get three meters.  A $10 one for the glove box, it's small
and if you break it - oh well!  A decent analog meter that you keep at home
and a decent digital that you keep at home.


David Marshall

Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3
mailto:info@fastforward.ca      http://www.fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775           FAX: (250) 992 1160

. Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
. Transporter, Unimog and Iltis Sales
. European Lighting for most Audi and Volkswagen models


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Lawrence Johnson
Sent: November 21, 2000 1:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Which Digital Multi-meter?


Christmas is almost here and I'm searching for a present for myself. I'd
like to surprise myself with a Digital Mult-meter suitable for
diagnostic work on our '86 Westfalia and Subaruized '86 Doublecab. Has
anyone a good suggestion for which meter is best at a modest price?
-Larry