Tested resistance of 510 LR attys

[jmanning]

I just got in a box of 5 LR 510 attys. The resistance is supposed to be 1.5-1.7 ohms. Every one of these test out at around 2.0 ohms, which is better than my regular attys, but not the 1.5-1.7 as advertised.

Is this normal? Am I possibly testing these incorrectly? I use a multimeter set to resistance/ohms, stick one probe in the bottom hole and touch the other to the threads.

 

[Liv2Ski]

Check your meter and test the leads. Higher priced meters factor in lead resitance and low priced ones don't depending on the gauge of the leads and length this could very well be .5 ohms.

 

[jmanning]

Check your meter and test the leads. Higher priced meters factor in lead resitance and low priced ones don't depending on the gauge of the leads and length this could very well be .5 ohms.

This is a cheap Harbor Freight meter. If I touch the leads together I get a reading of 0.00.

 

[RedAlert]

Liv2ski is right. Put both probes together and see what the meter reads. Then test the atty and subtract the value of just the leads. That will give you a better reading.

 

[jmanning]

Woops! I was sure I checked that before, but after checking again, the leads read 0.2. So that puts the LR atty resistance around 1.8, more like it. Thanks, I am pretty new to multimeter usage.

 

[Abe]

On cheap multimeters,, the 0 reading can move around quite a bit. I picked up some real cheap ones, look good but give a very bad reading, especially for things with low resistance.

 

[Richie G]

On cheap multimeters,, the 0 reading can move around quite a bit. I picked up some real cheap ones, look good but give a very bad reading, especially for things with low resistance.

Agreed, Abe.

Some of these cheap meters are akin to dashboard "idiot lights". But, as long as the e-cig user is cognizant of that it's still a valuable tool -- just don't look for .1 accuracy. If an atty that is supposed to measure 1.5 is reading 2.5 or higher, it's a goner... ditto if it reads as a dead short, obviously. The same logic applies for voltage accuracy.

I use a Fluke for professional reasons and have it calibrated once yearly, but it is extreme overkill for the typical PV user. The inexpensive meters are fine when one knows the limitations.

 

[jmanning]

I tested the same attys at work on a Fluke. They meter out to 1.5-1.6 on the Fluke, so my cheep multimeter is a bit off.

 

[jthebigjay]

Off Thread: GLad to see someone from Amarillo.. i grew up in Hereford.. Moved to Austin ASAP.

 

[Richie G]

I tested the same attys at work on a Fluke. They meter out to 1.5-1.6 on the Fluke, so my cheep multimeter is a bit off.

But that's good information, J. Now you know how far your (at home) meter is off. Our PVs aren't rocket ships... we just need to get close to diagnose a prob. =)

 

[jmanning]

Off Thread: GLad to see someone from Amarillo.. i grew up in Hereford.. Moved to Austin ASAP.

I was born and raised in Hereford!

 

[jthebigjay]

if your who i think you are, you know my dad pretty well.. Mike's auto?

 

[jmanning]

if your who i think you are, you know my dad pretty well.. Mike's auto?

I'll PM you