[NLRS] dirt cheap DMM's

[John P. Toscano]

My old Heathkit digital multimeter seems to have reached the end of its 
useful life. The banana sockets for the probes have loosened to the 
point that the contacts are intermittent at best, making resistance 
measurements impossible and everything else really dicey. Unfortunately, 
it is a model that came pre-assembled, never in kit form, so repairing 
it myself seems unlikely.

I was looking around for a replacement, and came close to dropping a 
couple of hundred bucks on a DMM that does just about everything except 
measure inductance and turn on the coffee pot for you in the morning, 
but then I happened upon an email thread on the AMSAT mail list talking 
about dirt cheap DMM's at Harbor Freight.

I guess that most of you already have heard of the place, but for some 
reason I had never set foot inside of one, or even gone to their web 
page. I had heard of them superficially but really knew nothing much 
about them.  So, last week, I went to their web page, and found three 
different DMM's listed at a whopping $5 each. I studied the listings 
closely, and two of the models seemed basically indistinguishable from 
one another except for the model number. The third model (item 92020) 
was almost identical, except for a backlit LCD display and slightly 
shorter test leads. I found that the store in the St. Paul area (Signal 
Hills Shopping Center) was an easy drive from my work location, and near 
the neighborhood that I lived in when I first moved to Minnesota in the 
previous millenium (1978). So, last week, I went out there to check them 
out.

The dirt cheap DMM's were:
   1) physically smaller than I expected, about the thickness of a deck
      of playing cards and about the same width, only a little longer
   2) on sale for an even LOWER price of (a penny) under $4
   3) available (at the time) in all 3 models that I had seen on the web,
      and I still couldn't tell 2 of the 3 models apart other than their
      different part numbers.

I probably should have snapped up several of them at $4 each, but I 
exercised restraint (more on that later) and bought only one of the 
backlit models. I feared that (especially at this miniscule price) the 
display might be inferior when operated with the backlight off, but this 
is not the case. Turn on the meter and the display is crystal clear and 
very high in contrast, even in a well-lit room. Press the backlight 
button, and wow, a very bright orange glow lights up the display for 
easy visibility in poor lighting for a short time, easily long enough to 
read the displayed value.  So, there appears to be no downside to 
getting the backlit model for the same tiny price as the other two 
models, unless the slightly shorter test leads bother you (which I 
seriously doubt). Well, the case is a putrid orangeish-red color, which 
clashes nicely with the orange backlit display, but heck, I suppose it 
makes it easier to find in the bottom of the toolbag, and the 
non-backlit model is the same ugly color.

Of course, this is a very basic meter, with NO ability to measure AC 
current, capacitance, or frequency (unlike my retiring Heathkit), and 
maximum resistance measurement is 2 megohms instead of 2 gigohms, but 
what the heck, it was FOUR BUCKS!

I checked the www.harborfreight.com web site today, and it looks like 
they are only listing two of the three models of the really cheap DMM, 
one with backlighting that I bought and only ONE without (instead of two 
different ones that had identical specs). And they show them at $5 with 
the disclaimer that store prices may be different, so the $4 sale might 
or might not still be in effect, I'm not sure.

Also, if you want something a bit better, they do have another model, 
the Cen-Tech P37772, that might suit your needs, for about $25. This one 
is physically much larger (even bigger than my old Heathkit 2372), and 
can measure up to 20 megohms of resistance, lower AC voltages (2v full 
scale instead of 200v full scale on the most sensitive range), AC 
current in addition to DC current, 5 ranges of capacitance like my old 
meter, frequency (but only up to 20 KHz, so not a big deal, I have a 
REAL frequency counter for when I need one!), and temperature (Celsius 
only, -20 to +1000C). The thermistor probe is included.

I admit it, I bought one of those also, which is probably why I didn't 
buy three or four of the $4 ultra-cheapies, only one of those!  :)

Of course, in this litigious society or ours, I must state for the 
record that I have absolutely no relationship with Harbor Freight or any 
of its employees or suppliers, I am simply relating my experience as a 
recent (first-time) customer. Do not take internally, for external use 
only. Objects may appear closer than they are. Void where prohibited. 
Batteries ARE (amazingly enough!) included. Contents may settle during 
shipment. Use only as directed. Do not use while operating a motor 
vehicle or heavy equipment. May be too intense for some viewers. No 
user-serviceable parts inside (it even says so on the outside of the 
case, however the battery and fuse are inside, and there are 
instructions in the user manuals on how to open the case to get to them, 
so go figure...). Subject to change without notice. Colors may, in time, 
fade (would probably be a blessing if it happened, but seems unlikely to 
me). Slippery when wet. Not affiliated with the American Red Cross. List 
was current at time of printing. Not responsible for direct, indirect, 
incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect, error or 
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Enjoy your day.
73 de WØJT