What do you guys use to check ohms, Volts, Milliamps

[jamesfarrell]

I had a battery question in another thread. Someone asked me how many milliamps my battery was reading. I tried to do that on this voltmeter and had it set on this uA/A and mA/A and my battery got super hot. Now my voltmeter wont test voltage or ohms. Think I fried it.

Question.

Is there a simple ohm meter or device without endless menus and options that will check ohms, Volts and Milliamps?

We're talking about an idiot here. I have another smaller volt meter and there's 3 settings for ohms.

If I bought this, can someone tell me how I test ohms, milliamps and volts on it? What settings I would put the dial on for Volts, what I would put it on for ohms and then amps? I would really appreciate it and this would save me a lot of agony.

Thanks

 

[dripdaze]

Normal multimeters like the on pictured are not designed to measure current the way you attempted to do it. They are designed to be inserted inline in a functioning circuit. When you attached it to the battery, it created a short circuit across the battery.

The meters internal parts were carrying the maximum current your battery could provide. If your meter has a fuse(some do), it has been blown. If there isn't a fuse in it, you have blown the weakest link in the meter and it would have to be repaired/replaced.

A meter capable of being used as you attempted will have an internal resistance capable of flowing the full current the battery can provide. These are pretty rare except for battery testers for automobile batteries.

ETA: I just took another look at your meter and the jacks for leads are labeled as fused. If you open the meter, there should be an obvious fuse that needs replacing.

 

[Bolivar]

Setup: black lead in the center hole, red lead in the right hole.

Ohms: dial at the 6:00 position (straight down) on 200 ohms. Tip of one lead on center hole on the bottom of the head, other on the case anywhere.

Volts: dial at 10:00 position on 20v. Red lead on positive end do battery, black lead on negative.

Not sure you can measure mA off a battery with that meter.




Sent from the north 40 by messenger cow.

 

[jamesfarrell]

Thanks man

 

[Bolivar]

No problem.

 

[Stosh]

For measuring amps you would need to set the dial to the 4 o'clock position, labeled 10A, with the black lead in the COM hole and the red lead in the left side 10A hole. The leads also need to be connected in SERIES with your circuit, and for that meter not measure anything over 10 amps (more will blow the fuse or the meter) For vaping mA is not very practicable, as 1 amp = 1000 mA and we normally draw more than 1 amp.

There is a more complete explanation with pictures here...Ammeter usage : Basic Concepts And Test Equipment

Be very careful measuring as all the amperage needs to pass through the meter to get a measurement, check and double check your connections to prevent short circuits.