INNOVA 3300 Hands-free Digital Multimeter (10 MegOhm):Amazon:Automotive
need a multimeter to check batteries and my coils. Would this work?
need a multimeter to check batteries and my coils. Would this work?
is this a good multimeter?
- Thread starter im_coryy
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Looks like it should work just fine. If you're checking a coils resistance just touch the leads together to find the internal resistance and subtract that from any subsequent resistance reading.
Sorry- but at 8 bucks you will not accurate readings. I have a couple harbor freight specials (7$) and a good fluke- light years apart. Spend some $ and you will be glade you did. I'm sure others will verify this option.
For batteries and finding the short/open in your mechanical mod it will be great.
For coils not so much. First any meter under $100 will not be real accurate at under an ohm. Second you have to account for the resistance in the leads of the meter. Third you need three hands to hold the coil and both leeds for the meter.
It will make your life a whole lot easier if you get the meter built to take an atomizer and do the resistance.
If you are off by .2 ohms your .5 ohm coil becomes .3 and your battery burns.
For coils not so much. First any meter under $100 will not be real accurate at under an ohm. Second you have to account for the resistance in the leads of the meter. Third you need three hands to hold the coil and both leeds for the meter.
It will make your life a whole lot easier if you get the meter built to take an atomizer and do the resistance.
If you are off by .2 ohms your .5 ohm coil becomes .3 and your battery burns.
I bought a $25 DMM from Home Depot. It works pretty good and gives the same readings that my mods give. Wal-mart sells a $20 DMM that looks ok.
Two small tips that I had to figure out on my own... DCV ("V" with a straight line over it) set to 20 to test batteries and Ohms set to 200 to test coils!
Two small tips that I had to figure out on my own... DCV ("V" with a straight line over it) set to 20 to test batteries and Ohms set to 200 to test coils!
No generic multimeter is really the right tool for measuring the resistance of sub-ohm coils. Ask any electronics tech or engineer and they'll tell you really should have a specialized meter for that. Luckily enough, specialized low-ohm meters for atties are available for under $20.
No cheap generic multimeter will do the job there, but a good meter is accurate on anything that doesn't blow it up. Most people don't have $500 Flukes lying around to use for coils, though
Just remember the old adage: "If it works, it's a Fluke".
It's funny but it's true.
I bought that $20 digital meter from Wal-Mart and am really disappointed with it. Takes 30+ seconds to get a stable ohm reading and if u move it starts all over. Works ok for batteries but I'm gonna get an ohm reader specifically for atomizers instead
I use a fluke 115 but if your only going to test resistance most of the time and sometimes test voltage you can do with the ones like that. Just keep in mind that on some VV and VW mods they use PWM Pulse Width Modulation to control the voltage. For that you need a True RMS meter like the fluke or the more expensive ones at Radio Shack and Home Depot. Accuracy cost money how accurate do yu want to be. FYI I have used Simpson analog and Fluke meters for a very long time and swear by them. You would not want a Simpson. They are big and expensive and have an analog display.
All multimeters that you may possibly buy have a minimum ohms range of 400 ohms, on which you are trying to measure the first 1 or 2 ohms. It is worse than using an oven thermometer to determine whether you have a fever. They will be specified as having a certain error in the least significant position, the digit you are most interested in, and that error may be as small as 2 (making a 0.2 ohm coil appear to be 0.4) or as large as 8 (making a 0.2 ohm coil appear to be 1.0 ohms). Generally the error doesn't get as high as the spec says, but it might do.
Always read the specification for your meter and, if you are trusting your face to it, get a specialised meter or calibrate your multimeter against known resistances.
Always read the specification for your meter and, if you are trusting your face to it, get a specialised meter or calibrate your multimeter against known resistances.
agreed.for sub 1 ohm builds you'd want some thing a little more accurate.
for regular coil builds,2-3 ohms,and voltage checks it it should do fine.
Jameco Electronics - Electronic Components Distributor
should be able to find what you need above.
regards
mike
- Status
Similar threads
