Any recommendations for a basic test meter?

what ever tom says is really good advice,he is the best when it comes to answering electrical questions
the simpson is a great multipurpose meter
it gets the job done
just pay attention how you hook it up
the only voltage you need on a model A is 6volts,
either its there or its not
 
I tend to prefer digital, mostly because they will make measurements in both the positive and negative directions. In most cases, when you just need to know if there is electricity or how much, you can be lazy with a digital meter and not think about where the red and black wires are relative to the anticipated direction of the voltage or current.

An additional reason to steer clear of the high-dollar stuff is that you can damage the meter with the wrong settings for the measurement you are trying to make. I've used both the Sperry and a cheap digital (about $4) from Harbor Freight. Both are entirely adequate for the A. For those prices you could easily get one for the garage, one for the road tool kit, and see which you prefer.
 
Mitch//pa said:
for 13 bucks i bought one i will throw it under the seat

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-W-Sperry-...014?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b8bf1cfe
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7817507d.jpg


Here are a couple cases I picked up at the second hand store and a garage sale. They were about a dollar each and my favorite is the hard metal case since it offers the most protection and is the easiest to open. The camera case might be best to slip under the seat, and a little beeswax helps the zipper work smoothly.

BTW, the AC and DC you see on my meter I did with a felt tipped pen.
 
Hey thanks for the feedback & suggestions, Guys. I do appreciate your assistance & hope I can pass it along as the years go by!
 
If you want to be really cheap, when you want to buy something at Harbor Freight, they have at times a giveaway meter. I have a couple that I throw under the seat of each A so if I am out somewhere and need to check to see if I have any current where it should be, the thing does do that (most of the time). Just a very cheap way to have a way to pick up problems on the road.
 
bdentremont said:
I tend to prefer digital, mostly because they will make measurements in both the positive and negative directions. In most cases, when you just need to know if there is electricity or how much, you can be lazy with a digital meter and not think about where the red and black wires are relative to the anticipated direction of the voltage or current.

An additional reason to steer clear of the high-dollar stuff is that you can damage the meter with the wrong settings for the measurement you are trying to make. I've used both the Sperry and a cheap digital (about $4) from Harbor Freight. Both are entirely adequate for the A. For those prices you could easily get one for the garage, one for the road tool kit, and see which you prefer.
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Of course while this is true a quality meter will also have several layers of built in protection. While a Fluke DMM will typically be fused as well as protected via hardware of some type a Simpson 260 meter like a 7P is not only fused but also has a circuit breaker resettable via the front of the meter.
 
For those of us who are really frugal (pronounced "cheap") just keep your OSH or Ace $9.95 + tax multimeter in its original cardboard (or clear plastic) container. The multimeter shown in my earlier post still resides in its cardboard box + rubber band after more years than I care to recall.

A dollar saved is a dollar earned... (well, not really; if it were "earned" then Uncle Sam and the great state of California would reduce that to about $0.64. I wish THEY were frugal; they're certainly not cheap!)
 
I have a "free with coupon" digital meter from Harbor Freight that I have used for everything. Works fine and if I forget and burn it out with the wrong setting it would be no big loss.
 
FREE one at Harbor Freight with a coupon works real good for this purpose. I must own ten multi-meters EXCLUDING th pile of free ones from Harbor Freight that I keep around, including one in the Model A tool Box as well as those I give them away for many occasions.

ANALOG is better than digital in my mind, particularly in RESISTANCE/OHM mode when a bunch of numbers in a digital multi-meter can be confusing.
They seem to work well enough for anything I can find on a Model A, where its usually full voltage or not, or an open or dead short, all well within the capabilities of a "Free" multi-meter.

How about it, Tom W?
Shouldn't a guy who "Revives" scrapped car batteries use a free multi-meter, too?
 
How about it, Tom W?
Shouldn't a guy who "Revives" scrapped car batteries use a free multi-meter, too?[/QUOTE]

Yes, any meter is better than no meter. I just think the quality and functions offered in the Sperry are a super value for only $9.99 and a few dollars delivery charge.:)

I have some other meters including one my dad gave me when I was in the 7th grade, but I use the Sperry the most.
 
Time for an update and a warning on volt meters.
If you have a multimeter, such as the Sperry SP-152A, it runs on 2 AA batteries, and batteries can leak acid. Replace batteries as soon as they get weak, and that's one of the nice features of the Sperry meter. I can remove the 2 batteries and test them on the very meter they came from. The batteries are only needed to measure OHMS, and for the continuity feature on the Sperry.

Well today I went to measure ohms on a Model A coil and found the meter didn't work. I found one of the Eveready batteries has leaked a bit on the negative end. It cleaned up easily with a small stainless brush and hot water. I then dried the contact and applied grease to the 4 battery ends and installed new batteries. Greasing the battery ends is a good idea for clocks, flashlights, smoke detectors, or many other such devices that use batteries.

Here is a link to a cheap but good meter that measures 0-10 volts DC. This is easy to use and can be handy to carry in your car. If you use a 12 volt battery, then you can buy the same thing in 0-15 volts DC. You simply need to add a couple wires and alligator clips to the meter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-DC-10V-A...881580?hash=item3ce79d456c:g:8CMAAOxy2BBSUjHt
 

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Tom Wesenberg said:
Time for an update and a warning on volt meters.
If you have a multimeter, such as the Sperry SP-152A, it runs on 2 AA batteries, and batteries can leak acid. Replace batteries as soon as they get weak, and that's one of the nice features of the Sperry meter. I can remove the 2 batteries and test them on the very meter they came from. The batteries are only needed to measure OHMS, and for the continuity feature on the Sperry.

Well today I went to measure ohms on a Model A coil and found the meter didn't work. I found one of the Eveready batteries has leaked a bit on the negative end. It cleaned up easily with a small stainless brush and hot water. I then dried the contact and applied grease to the 4 battery ends and installed new batteries. Greasing the battery ends is a good idea for clocks, flashlights, smoke detectors, or many other such devices that use batteries.

Here is a link to a cheap but good meter that measures 0-10 volts DC. This is easy to use and can be handy to carry in your car. If you use a 12 volt battery, then you can buy the same thing in 0-15 volts DC. You simply need to add a couple wires and alligator clips to the meter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-DC-10V-A...881580?hash=item3ce79d456c:g:8CMAAOxy2BBSUjHt
Click to expand...

what kind of grease did you use ? I find leakey batters in some of my flashlights.Lost some good ones to.
 
Fred K-OR said:
If you want to be really cheap, when you want to buy something at Harbor Freight, they have at times a giveaway meter. I have a couple that I throw under the seat of each A so if I am out somewhere and need to check to see if I have any current where it should be, the thing does do that (most of the time). Just a very cheap way to have a way to pick up problems on the road.
Click to expand...
I got one of the give away meters from HF. It went from HF to workbench to trash can. Never did work. Sperry is good. BTW A test light will not show continuity unless voltage is present.
 
JOHN CT said:
what kind of grease did you use ? I find leakey batters in some of my flashlights.Lost some good ones to.
Click to expand...

I use the red Mystik JT-6 High Temp grease for everything.

When I get those free H/F LED flashlights, the first thing I do is grease the 6 battery contacts and the 2 battery holder contacts. Then as soon as those junky China batteries get weak I throw them away and install good quality batteries. This will take care of most of the complaints for the free flashlights.
 
Any good cheap analog will suffice... There is no "sample and hold" like all digital meters so you'll see "ALL"... Even it not 100% accurate, still better than a digital...
 
I haven't read the whole thread, but please do not use cheap meters for household voltage tests etc - They can be very dangerous.

I realize these cheapies are just going to be used for automotive use etc, but don't be tempted!
 
Napa Skip: The one on the left looks like what I had at IBM, til I went with a fluke.

For the A I think Harbor Freight free meter (occasionally) and a HF test light would do. The A isn't rocket science. FWIW

Paul in CT
 
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