[Test-Equipment] Bench meter recommendation?

[davec]

Brian,
Thanks for your reply.

Well, boat anchors probably not. Solid state is probably more my 
focus. And my comment about a "standard" was ill-conceived, agreed. 
Simply to have a meter on the bench that -- as you point out -- 
probably will stay there and not be knocked around, would give me 
something to reference my others to, once it has been ref'd itself. 
But maybe it's best to leave standards and such out of the formula 
for now, and after I've acquired a meter, then I can ask questions 
down that road...

So maybe that gives more useful information?

Thanks again,
Dave

-=-=-=-

>Hi Dave,
>
>It seems to me that you have at least two conflicting requirements -
>one as a bench test set and the other as a cal set.
>
>What defines a bench meter is what you personally intend to use it for.
>So, if you plan to work on Boatanchors, then you need to be able to
>measure rather higher voltages and resistances than if all your work
>will be with solid state. If you work with solid state, then it can help
>to have a simple diode-cum-transistor tester on board, as well. A
>bench set is usually quite portable.
>
>If you want a cal set, then you need to decide to what level of
>accuracy of what variables - traceable to NIST or NATA? And if
>so, where will the cal be done and how often? A cal set benefits
>from not being moved around at all.
>
>What is NATA, I hear you ask. It is the world's oldest standards
>and calibration authority, and it just happens to be in Australia.
>
>I use several HP 3476As and AVO Mk 8s supplemented by el
>cheapo 3.1 digital multimeters. When I need an accurate standard,
>I get a local NATA-registered lab to do it for me. That need has
>arisen only once in the last 20 years - the rest of the time, within
>1% is more than sufficiently accurate for me.
>
>73 de Brian, VK2GCE.