[Elecraft] Help me buy a DMM

[Dan KB6NU]

The other guys  have gone into all the technical aspects of whether  
you should buy a $4.99 Harbor Freight special or a $300+ Fluke, so I  
won't do that. Instead, let me offer this analogy. If we were talking  
antenna tuners here, the $5 HF special would be akin to an MFJ while  
the Fluke would be something like a Palstar. Both will tune an  
antenna, but if money were no object, you'd undoubtedly would choose  
the Palstar.

73!

Dan KB6NU
----------------------------------------------------------
CW Geek and MI Affiliated Club Coordinator
Get my Tech and General Class study guides at www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual
LET'S GET MORE KIDS INTO HAM RADIO!



On Sep 23, 2007, at 3:54 PM, DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote:
> CQ DMM gurus....
>
> I have had some personal correspondence with some of the usual
> suspects here, but the advice I have received so far is too vague for
> me to feel comfortable in making a purchase.
>
> I see DMMs from Harbor freight for $4.99, $9.99, $29.99, $50, etc.  I
> don't see a whole of specs on these so it is very hard for me to
> figure out why they are such different prices.
>
> RS has stuff like $30 and $50 but again not much info.
>
> I checked out Sears (why not) and there is Sears model for $30 but
> they sell a Fluke for HUNDREDS!  And again, I cannot discern why based
> on the published specs (all rather skimpy).
>
> I've been using a 30 year old RS VOM for basic continuity checks and
> voltage checks (AC mains, batteries), but those in the know say NO NO
> NO....get a DMM.  I'm told to get one in accordance with my budget,
> but there has to be more to it than that!
>
> What sort of specs am I to be looking for?  I have been told about
> "response time" but nothing I've read talks about that (no specs).
>
> Would someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction?  If
> $4.99 is is good enough, I'll be happy.  My main reason for this tool
> is to build (I mean assemble) the K3.
>
> What's YOUR favorite?
>
> Thanks!
> de Doug KR2Q
>
> PS here are the various search results
>
> http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do? 
> keyword=multimeter&Submit=Go
>
> http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=digital% 
> 20multimeter&origkw=digital%20multimeter&sr=1
>
> http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_12605?keyword=%22digital 
> +multimeter%22&gobutton.x=0&gobutton.y=0&gobutton=find
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