Ohm reader
- Thread starter Nimmo1971
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Fluke makes great instruments. However they cost quite a bit. Why do you want a really good one?
A cheap model from Radio Shack, Amazon, Harbor freight, etc. will do fine to check voltages and continuity. Get a reader for attys that you can screw them on to read them.
A really good ohm reader is overkill for most vaping needs.
A cheap model from Radio Shack, Amazon, Harbor freight, etc. will do fine to check voltages and continuity. Get a reader for attys that you can screw them on to read them.
A really good ohm reader is overkill for most vaping needs.
YES, but once you have and know how to use a multi-meter, there are so many other things that you can do with it, even with your e-cig gear and batteries.
You can get a decent one pretty inexpensively.
When it comes to a GOOD multimeter you cant beat Fluke! But the price is unreal... However if you are planning on making mods or using for PCB design for new mod chips/boards then i would bite the bullet and get a Fluke meter.
Im an industrial refrigeration/hvac tech by trade and flukes are great but there are plenty of other meters that work great and do it all... i use fieldpiece, uei, fluke, etc, a great all around meter that is inexexpensive and does it all is a UEI Phoenix 2. I love mine for around the house stuff and vaping.
Off subject slightly... I have an old fluke.. but it's 20 years old... where do you go to get those things calibrated?
http://en-us.fluke.com/support/calibration/
BTW, my stepdad used to build and install very large generators which run things like military bases, universities, large factories, hospitals, etc... and the only brand he uses is Fluke. I trust him when he says they're the best. That being said, the average person (or even the above average tinkerer) really doesn't need to spend that much on a Fluke. There are plenty of other great brands that will do the job perfectly fine.
One budget option to stay away from if you need resistance reading is the low end Craftsman units. I have one that I picked up just to have something around and I have found that resistance readings range + or - 3 ohms reading the same object after just lifting the leads and touching them again. However the voltage measurements prove to be superb. Measurements match up exactly to the Fluke from 0-50V DC and 0-240V AC.
I use a really cheap eleaf ohm and voltage reader. Im a total gear nut so Id love to get a better one but I have no idea how to even use it.
If you are just looking to get a reading of an atty then the screw ons are perfect. and yes question the reading. there is some inherent resistance on the connecter usually +/- 0.1 Generally not a big deal unless you are trying to push the envelope with your batteries. At subohms that .1 can make a difference.
Please take some time and learn how to use a digital multimeter... it will come in real handy for troubleshooting if something isn't working properly.
Readings off of an atty are simple... the center pin in the 510 connector that you screw into your mod is the positive (+) connection. That will connect directly to one of your contacts inside that your coil attaches to... most cases it's in the center. Your negative (-) connection is the whole body and the 1-2 contacts inside that also connect to the coil.
To read with a multimeter... touch the red positive (+) probe to the positive (+) connection and the black negative (-) probe to the body or negative coil connection.
I have a Fluke for about $40 at work and it is not really good at low resistance measurements. It is too much dependent of a way you touch with probes the thing you want to measure - always somewhat different results. At home I use a tiny multimeter for under $10 - perfect to check lines, batteries, etc.
If I wanted to go into subohming I'd rather buy a specialized ohm meter - the one with good contacts (read: 510 thread).
If I wanted to go into subohming I'd rather buy a specialized ohm meter - the one with good contacts (read: 510 thread).
My cheapo Eleaf ohm/volt meter reads exactly the same as my DMM. I think it was $9 on Ebay.
you can get attachable micro probes that slip over the test leads
at Radio Shack for lrss than 5 bucks.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...ce=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032235
you can test coils before you install them with these.
do to the revolution in micro electronics highly accurate VOM's are to be had in the 20 dollar range.
now days flukes are desired for there ruggedness and dependability in the field.
they are repairable and can be calibrated.gooble calibrate VOM,there are many companies that provide this service.
made to last a lifetime.
so you can go either way.if you get 3-5 years out of a low cost VOM,buying another isn't going to break you.
regards
mike
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If it was $40 it isn't a Fluke unless maybe if you bought it used or something. Fluke's range from about $150-2000 (yes $2000 with 3 "0's").
OP, if you are just looking to test resistance of your atomizers and maybe battery voltage you are way better off just getting one made for vaping with the male and female 510 connecters. They will ensure a good connection and they serve as a build platform so your hands are free to adjust your coils and screws as needed. I don't have a good one to suggest to you, but I'm sure someone else can suggest one. I have the Smok Omnitester and I don't really like it. The design and build quality are good and I like that you just charge it via micro USB, but it only reads tenths place and it is pretty finicky if the atomizer is screwed in to tightly or to loosely. I'll be watching this thread for suggestions because I would definitely like to upgrade before long.
I also bought one of the Smok Omnitesters... not sure who all knows this... but if you screw your MOD onto the battery tester portion... and screw your ATTY into the ATTY section... you can actually vape with the Omnitester in the middle! The Omnitester is nothing special, and was never intended to be... however, it's oddly accurate... at least the one I have is. Quality Control/Assurance/Whatever-they-call-it-in-your-field may leave a bit to be desired though.
Whatever you do though,... if you are looking for accuracy in very low ohms... you may want to set up a simple 4 wire system (search engine = friend). You can even buy some rather low tolerance power resistors to double check your rig. Generally, this type of set up (especially if you are pushing enough voltage to reach 1A) lends itself very well to using consumer volt meters... as this is where many of them tend to be most accurate, although it does assume you have a fairly accurate ammeter/power supply. I suggest pushing the same voltage/amps as you intend to IRL and using that for your calculations though.
The issue I have with many of these handheld meters is simply the error level at sub-ohm readings. You should be able to check the error tolerance via the manual for any device online. If you can't find this information, or the manual doesn't supply it... move on to a different unit. Simply investing in a fair set of leads can make quite a difference.
Stay safe and enjoy!
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