Good Morning everyone. I'm beginning to wire my N-scale layout. I will be using The Digitrax Super Chief system. I am looking to buy a multimeter and I was wondering if it is worth paying more for a good one such as a Fluke unit, or will a cheaper unit(30-40 dollars) be sufficient ? Thanks
For model train purposes, a cheap meter is perfectly adequate. You can even get one for under $10 if you check places like Harbor Freight.
Good call on getting a meter, by the way. It's one of the more useful and valuable tools in this hobby, and many overlook it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
A cheap digital meter from Harbor Freight, which usually sells for around $2.98, is perfectly adequate for model railroad uses.
Hello Dr. Jim,
At the risk of sounding like a school teacher I need to provide some safety advice.
Whatever meter you buy ensure it complies with IEC 1010 CAT II. This will ensure that if somebody in your house uses the meter to troubleshoot a receptacle or household branch circuit and accidentally uses the wrong meter setting, the meter will not blow-up in their face. Personally I would not have a multi-meter in my possession that is not CAT II in the minimum.
This article will explain the IEC standard, risks and consequences in greater detail:http://content.fluke.com/promotions/promo-dmm/0518-dmm-campaign/dmm/fluke_dmm/files/safetyguidelines.pdf
I have worked in industrial electrical/electronics for several decades and have seen first-hand the affects of misapplied test equipment. This advice is offered to help you avoid those catastrophes in your home.
Keep your stick on the ice.Dwayne A
I have multiples of the $5 and under Harbod Freight meters around the house, and it is perfectly adequate for any model railroad use. If you watch their sale flyers, sometimes you can get them for $1, or even free.
I have a fancy Fluke desktop unit (that's about 30 years old) that I salvaged, yet despite it being much more sensitive than the HF meter, and also offereing more functions, the primary use of it is clipleaded to a section of track to test out the resistor wheelsets I make for block detection. Something the HF meter could also do, but the Fluke is AC powered and the desktop design hold the display at an easy to read angle. I'm not using a fraction of its capabilities and I wouldn;t have paid what one like it would cost these days.
If I was doing precision electronics.. but I'm not. Basic electronic and electrical testing can easily be done with the $5 meter. Even with DCC - I'm not really concerned to the .01V what my track voltage is - I'm more concerned that I have the SAME voltage all around the layout. The Harbor Freight meter does this just fine. Even a standard 'fancy' meter with RMS voltage measurement is designed for sine wave AC, and won;t be any more accurate on DCC's square wave. A REALLY fancy one where you can usually select sine, square, or sawtooth waveform is going to cost as much or more than your DCC system and is totally not necessary for model railroading. If you really MUST, a fairly simple circuit for a few dollars can be used between the rails and the meter to give a more accurate voltage reading, but I've never found it necessary.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
da1 Whatever meter you buy ensure it complies with IEC 1010 CAT II. This will ensure that if somebody in your house uses the meter to troubleshoot a receptacle or household branch circuit and accidentally uses the wrong meter setting, the meter will not blow-up in their face. Personally I would not have a multi-meter in my possession that is not CAT II in the minimum. This article will explain the IEC standard, risks and consequences in greater detail:http://content.fluke.com/promotions/promo-dmm/0518-dmm-campaign/dmm/fluke_dmm/files/safetyguidelines.pdf
Safety is another factor in a DMM selection. That is one of the best documents of DMM safety available today in the Internet. It was a sobering experience the first time I read it .
Many of the top automotive electrical trainers are now referencing this in their classes. I know because I have written material for them.
One problem with cheap meters is when the lights go out. They grab the 10 dollar model and start checking for power, usually during or after a lightning storm
Or they pick the wrong range. Or turn the dial past a incorrect range while it is connected. Another factor is during a amp test, the meter becomes the electrical path for a circuit.
Cheap meters have no input protection on the board, other than a common glass fuse. The safety fuse alone in a good meter costs more than a cheap meter. How can this be?
A meter is like any other thing, You will have to decide a price point but I agree CAT II is the bare minimum.
Jim
I am a retired Electronics Technician and I have had a Fluke 72 since the 1980's. I really love it. At the very least I think you should get a meter that is auto-ranging. (It looks like the Fluke 77-4 is the closest to what I have.)
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
As long as we're on the subject of multi-meters,I have a unit named Amprobe. It's not digital, and I know I could use for a lot of things, but I have to learn all over again each time I use it.
My question is, can I use it to determine the amp draw of my locos ? If this is off-subject here, let me know and I'll start another thread with my question.
Thanks,
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi As long as we're on the subject of multi-meters,I have a unit named Amprobe. It's not digital, and I know I could use for a lot of things, but I have to learn all over again each time I use it. My question is, can I use it to determine the amp draw of my locos ? Thanks, Mike.
My question is, can I use it to determine the amp draw of my locos ?
I have heard of the Amprobe brand. What is the M / N of your meter?
How about a couple of pictures. Don't fall off your chair laughing, but explain M / N ?
Mike
Mike, M/N is model number.
From what I can see, that meter is capable of reading current up to a 1/4 of a amp or 250ma. That is a very low range but it is a small meter.
Many can motors will be 200 to 300 ma. Open frame motors may be 500ma. So a risk of overloading the meter exists. The meter does have a fuse but why blow it if you do not have to.
If you want to measure higher current, a newer DMM is in order. Most come with a 10amp range.
Thanks Jim. An up-grade is in order.
I have been using these cheap meters for sometime. I know the potential dangers of measuring line voltage in a house. been working with electronics since 1953. Tube circuits had high volatge.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_Workshop/index.ht
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_HF/index.htm
These meters measure about 13.6 VAC on a NCE Power Cab and Power Pro system. I do believe the Power Pro system can be set higher but have never done that. It is used right out of the box and did not mess with the adjustment.
I have three of the meters. I pickup the fuses at a local Rat Shack.
Even a very expensive meter will not protect you if you do not understand the potential danger of house voltage. It only takes 50 ma to stop your heart. I have been around long enough to know of many examples where some people thought 120 vac is not as dangerous as the high tension wires outside. I have read many safety reports over the years.Too many.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
My next multimeter will be a Fluke, wish I had bought one instead of the cheaper types.
Richard
I have a multimeter purchased from Harbor Freight for $4.99: Cen-Tech 98025, labeled Cat II.
Dante
For me a fluke at work and a fluke at home. I've used enough different meters over the years to narrow my preference
Nothing wrong with a low cost unit for modeling, so just getting a meter is key, and the OP is on the right track!
SmithSr For me a fluke at work and a fluke at home. I've used enough different meters over the years to narrow my preference
A guy at work sent in a Fluke 83 for minor service. So he gets a phone call from Fluke customer service. The rep told him he had the meter long enough and that he deserved a new one. So they mail him a brand new 87-5 for free.