Multimeter recommendations

[Saccadelic]

Can anyone recommend an ideal multimeter for amp building & repair.

[bepone]

ideal? then U1272A Keysight

/ but it cost cca 400-500 Eur

[Reeltarded]

I use a Fluke 77BN. Do not be afraid of buying a used/surplus/refurbished unit if there is a fair return policy. If you buy new.. it's going to cost you.

Even much lesser meters work fine. Make sure it can handle 600-800 volts. I have a couple of radio shack cheapy meters that I use when I need three points tested at the same time.

[sluckey]

Can anyone recommend an ideal multimeter for amp building & repair.

Here's an ideal multimeter...

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Industries ... 005HQZBNI/

[Phil_S]

A used Fluke is a good recommendation. If you feel adventurous and are willing to take a bit of a risk, older model bench meters and hand held come up for sale on eBay all the time and, provided you get a good one, these can be a bargain and are generally very good for tube amp work. There are other good brands in the used market.

As for decent, but lower cost range, I've got a soft spot for the Triplett 9045. Mine broke some time ago (my fault) and I've missed it. I"m working with a used Fluke 25B that I found on eBay for under $50. Remember, I'm an amateur and don't spend long days at the work bench.

I think it depends on who you are and what you are doing. If you are a pro, using it to make a living, you should be willing to invest in a good one. Otherwise, you are likely to find you will want to replace that lesser one that you thought you could get by with. If you are an amateur, you'll probably get by with something less expensive.

[neskor]

Second hand Fluke 87 V

[Colossal]

Second hand Fluke 87 V

+1

Wish I had two more of them.

[romberg]

I really like my BK precision 388-HD. I got it as a gift almost 40 years ago and it is still working just fine. I imagine it will still be working long after I'm gone.

Recently, I decided I could really use an additional DMM and was all mentally prepared to jump in and get a fluke (they seem very popular). But I could not find a
fluke meter (at any price) that had as many measurement options as my 40 year old B&K. So, I ended up getting a new B&K Precision 388B. It has a few more bells and whistles than the older model and for a bit more cash you can get auto -ranging. Setting the range switch does not bother me so I saved a bit with the manual range selecting ones.

I find that the most often used modes are voltage, resistance and capacitance. The ability to measure capacitance was the major deciding factor for me. Sure you can get another stand alone meter to measure it. But it is a lot nicer to have it built right into your main meter. For some reason fluke does not include this feature (or I somehow missed the models that have it).

For many measurements the low cost meters will work just fine. And I also have a few of these. But I'm reluctant to use them for high (100+) voltage. And I trust my B&Ks more for accurate resistance measurements.

Mike

[Reeltarded]

Can anyone recommend an ideal multimeter for amp building & repair.

Here's an ideal multimeter...

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Industries ... 005HQZBNI/

C60BD947-F714-493A-93C4-CD0793632ECF.jpeg

And also I second the capacitance feature. Will be cheaper on two pieces though. Cap meters are cheeep compared to MMs.

[johnnyreece]

My folks got me a Craftsman auto-ranging meter when I was an early teen, and it's still kicking. As many others have said, it really depends how much you'll be doing. Looks like you have plenty of options to choose from!

[pompeiisneaks]

Can anyone recommend an ideal multimeter for amp building & repair.

Here's an ideal multimeter...

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Industries ... 005HQZBNI/

LOL nice

~Phil

[pompeiisneaks]

I will add that 'ideal' depends on a TON of variables... what is your budget? What kind of work do you do outside of tube amps if at all? How often do you use it? etc.

Here's a few based on different budgets:

Cheapest I've heard of for minimum quality at a low price:

for around 50$ US new: https://smile.amazon.com/Autoranging-Mu ... s9dHJ1ZQ==

The Aneng an8008 is rated as the best super cheap option. If you don't have enough for that one, any crappy one below that price point will 'work' but won't be as fast or accurate, and won't do much for long.

For middle priced I'd go for the fluke 115/116/117 series, I prefer 117, but the 115 still does ac and dc volts, continuity, resistance, capacitance and diode modes. I just prefer the 117 for a little more:

https://smile.amazon.com/Autoranging-Mu ... s9dHJ1ZQ==

or 117:

https://smile.amazon.com/Fluke-117-Elec ... 770&sr=8-3

for the "go for it price is no option" either a fluke 87 V or a bench of the many kinds like fluke, rigol, siglent, etc that get up in the 400-600$ range...

There, that's a few general options for you. From my perspective.

~Phil

[brewdude]

I bought a fluke 117 last year to replace an old fluke (8060 A). It’s not terribly expensive, yet not particularly inexpensive.

It’s been good enough for my needs.

[imjonwain]

Fluke alternatives: Good + Safe meters where you get more features for your dollar vs fluke (around $100 or less)
Greenlee <Lifetime warranty and some models are the same as the highly regarded Brymen meters
Amprobe < A bit more industrial but I really like mine

www.tequipment.net usually has really good deals on both with various coupons and discounts going on.


If you just need a simple , cheap, and safe meter check out the Fluke 101. It's a non US model fluke makes in China for emerging (lower income) markets. You can get them brand new in the box shipped from Korea for around $50. No current measurement, but who cares? You usually just measure voltage across a shunt in guitar amps anyway. I find myself using this meter for all my quick and dirty tasks.

You really don't need a high end meter for guitar amp work in my opinion although it can be nice to have.

[TUBEDUDE]

I've had a Fluke 187 for the last 18 years. It measures everything I've needed except inductance. Whatever you get, make sure it will handle high voltages safely, you'll be measuring those often.