Ohm meter or Digital Multi Meter???

[MrsMojoRisin]

I apologize in advance if this question has been posed recently:

I am about to begin building my coils for a Kanger Mini 2 and I believe an Enigma rda. I am wondering which meter is best to measure my builds on? I believe these require two different fittings, that is mainly why I am asking, but I was also wondering pros/cons for each device ( if there is any). Any help would be appreciated, I would rather invest in something decent now than just having to buy another in a year or so. Thanks.

 

[minitater]

I like a multimeter because I work on cars, wiring and other electronic stuff. However for my rebuilding I use my MVP.
Its not only a decent ohm meter, but doubles as a battery too!

 

[Susan~S]

And ohm reader would be the easiest to use.

 

[MrsMojoRisin]

And ohm reader would be the easiest to use.

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That is a great point Susan! Any brand in particular you would recommend?

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

And ohm reader would be the easiest to use.

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I find that the ohm meters pictured are very temperamental. You can buy 2 of the same model and both will give different readings for the same coil. I find the multimeter is the way to go. Just remember that when you use an multimeter, you have to furst measure the resistance of the meter itself by placing the neg and pos leads from the meter together for a while. That gives you the meter's resistance. Then you can go ahead and measure the resistance of the coil. Subtract the meter's resistance from that and that will give you the coil's resistance.

Of you could use a MPV, although I have heard those are not that accurate. But I would not know.

 

[VHRB2014]

You really need both if you want to know exactly whats going on when things go south.

For building coils the little e-cig dedicated ohm meter (like Susan posted) is best, its small and simple and will make the work of building short proof accurate coils real easy.

But, for tracking down a short, dirty connection, or a open circuit, such as a bad intermittent switch, you`ll want a dedicated DMM with a continuity tester and ohm meter. W/ alligator clips also.

They are two different tools that make the hobby so much more fun, because you don`t have to guess at things.

R

 

[AttyPops]

But the DMM can do all the jobs by itself. However, it helps to be "techie" so you geek on the multi-meter.

It measures ohms, sure. But it can A) check voltage of your batteries, 2) check various points too because it has "probes" instead of an atty connector. This is handy for mechs.

The "bad" part is that it doesn't have an atty connector. You don't need one to use it, but if you want you can have someone make one for use with it, or make one yourself....you "just" solder two wires on a connector. Connectors can be ripped off dead batteries or purchased from sites like MadVapes.

It really depends on if you have other uses for it, and if you geek on stuff like that. You can get one for less that $50.00 that will do the job. Tests car stuff, house wiring, whatever else too.

To each their own.

 

[ProjektMayhem]

I'd say go with a black box ohm reader. I was using a Smok Omnitester which was okay for a while but it just broke on me the other night. Started reading crazy resistances. But I've been using that and my new black box ohm reader and it's very accurate. The box mine came in says accurate to +/- 0.02%.

 

[Neolithium]

I have a multi meter, but only because I use it for checking my battery voltage as well as other electrical work so it suits multiple purposes, if you're ONLY building coils, the black ohm readers would be easiest, you can build on the thing and then just turn it on to get a reading - I'd find it very convenient for that sole purpose.

 

[six]

I own one of those ohm checker thing-a-ma-bobs... I really like it... Yeah. It doesn't know what it's talking about to any reasonable degree of accuracy... but I use it anyway.

What I really like to use it for is a platform to build on. I screw the atty I'm rebuilding to it so it's nice and level and fairly stable and I don't feel like I need a third hand or instruction from a master juggler to get my coil legs in place... Mine *is* good enough not only to use as a build platform, but also to at least tell me if I have a short or not when I put everything all together. I find that really useful too because honestly, my coils are pretty consistent. I have a really good idea of what my ohms are without metering... I rarely see more than a couple of hundredths of an ohm difference between my coils, so I don't feel any need to rely on whatever numbers that thing displayes when an atty is on it.

However, if I'm building a dual coil, I check my ohms every single time with a DMM. Every single time, I check and double check so I know for sure I won't have any surprises when I fire those coils up the first time.

I happen to think that every single person who uses electricity for any reason should own a DMM and at least know the basics of how it operates and what it can do for them troubleshooting electrical problems. They really don't require a lot of specialized knowledge that isn't found in the instruction booklet that comes with them... I consider it to be a basic tool - and I mean really basic like a hammer, a screw driver, or a kitchen knife. Everyone should have one.

My advice, therefore: Get both. A reasonably accurate DMM can be found at hardware and automotive stores everywhere for not a whole lot of money. Ohm checker thing-a-ma-bobs seem prolific on ebay, amazon, and lots of online vape gear vendors for a few dollars.

 

[MrsMojoRisin]

Thank you six, your response was very helpful. I had basically decided to just go with both and your response just sealed the deal, so to speak. Also, I can run to Home Depot tomorrow, grab a DMM and start building straight away, while waiting for the ohm meter I am ordering online.

 

[Fictitious Character]

I use the little ohm meters like Susan posted and then I have this here for when I really want to double check my stuff. Not suggesting you go out and buy a fluke but since I already had one it does come in pretty damn handy for my purposes.Also there are some good Multi Meters out there that are reasonably priced. Will give you some peace of mind.

 

[edyle]

I apologize in advance if this question has been posed recently:

I am about to begin building my coils for a Kanger Mini 2 and I believe an Enigma RDA. I am wondering which meter is best to measure my builds on? I believe these require two different fittings, that is mainly why I am asking, but I was also wondering pros/cons for each device ( if there is any). Any help would be appreciated, I would rather invest in something decent now than just having to buy another in a year or so. Thanks.

What around here is called an 'ohm meter' is a 510 interface box with an ohm meter built in.

I certainly don't have one and will never spend money on one.

My vamo's and zmax can check ohms fine enough for my purposes and I have 2 multimeters.

If somebody is too poor to afford a regulated mod (all the popular regulated mods include build in ohmmeter to check your ohms), the cheapest way to vape is with a mech and a dripper, so for them, especially if they are subohming, it makes some sense to buy a ecig specific ohmmeter if it's cheap enough.

 

[TheOdessa]

I personally use an old MVP to test the ohm resistance on my coils. I also use it when building the deck as the battery is big and sturdy. I'd imagine an ohm reader would be easier to build on given the larger surface area and lower profile. I've read good things about Eleaf's ohm reader

You can let the number of them sold speak for itself

Eleaf Test 510 Portable Ohm Meter Reader Atomizer 2 in 1 for Vape RDA Resistance | eBay