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Harbor Freight Voltmeter

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  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, March 7, 2019 7:11 PM

Drill bits yes.   Mel,   Harbor Freight does have those little ones that I seem to bust all the time. Replaced cheap at Harbor FreightYes

TF

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 7, 2019 7:17 PM

 I still remember the tool guy that used to be at local train shows selling the very same Cen-Tech meter you get at harbor Freight. For $15! At that time, if you actually paid for it at HF, it was $3. You can still find them on Amazon and other palces for $20+. It's the same meter.

 As for car chargers - on an older classic car that doesn;t have all the electronics of a modern car - I'd just put a battery disconnect on it and that way nothing could drain the battery when it's parker - also nothign can fail, or mice eat a wire, and cause the thing to catch on fire. My car is too modern for such things, it would go nuts if I pulled the battery when I park it for the winter - I have a battery tender I got at HF and it's kept it good (actually, the car before this one as well) for 5 years now. When I still ha dmy lawn tractor - I was too cheap to go to the battery outlet and get a cheap battery, I just connected the battery tender between mowings and it was good enough to get it started next time I needed it. Curse of newer cars with all their electronics though - my '92 truck sat for 2 months without being started and still it started right up, granted that was in the summer. In winter I park the car (it has performacne tires which don't like being cold and definitely do NOT go in the snow) and drive the truck.

                                         --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, March 7, 2019 7:34 PM

rrinker

 As for car chargers - on an older classic car that doesn;t have all the electronics of a modern car - I'd just put a battery disconnect on it and that way nothing could drain the battery when it's parker - also nothign can fail, or mice eat a wire, and cause the thing to catch on fire. My car is too modern for such things, it would go nuts if I pulled the battery when I park it for the winter - I have a battery tender I got at HF and it's kept it good

I park my car and I leave it.  That's it.  I have a security system in my car.  My car calls me on my phone if  it moves.

TF

 

After if such a thing happens my car will tell me where it is GPS  x  3  I pay for that service too.

It's a drain on the battery

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Louisville
  • 588 posts
Posted by dbduck on Friday, March 15, 2019 11:52 AM

To me nothing can beat the Simpson 260.  I recently retired as an industrial electrician & a 260 has always been part of my arsenal for the past 45 years.  I do have a number of different brand digitals as well... Mostly Clamp on amp/volt combinations.. funny thing I found. that the cheapest HF one reads almost exactly the same as  a nice Fluke that I own

 

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Friday, March 15, 2019 12:06 PM

My wife is the one that makes the HF run for me and when she brings back a freebee meter I check its accuracy with my fluke and most are very close.  I can only remember having to tweak one out of about a dozen meters.
 
I keep a HF meter within arms reach around my layout because of my arthritis.
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    March 2012
  • 1,162 posts
Posted by PC101 on Saturday, March 16, 2019 10:07 PM

New Harbor Fright add says ''Everything must go.''. Do you think they are going by the way of Radio Shack?

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, March 17, 2019 7:30 AM

I think it refers to their parking lot sale as the ad also says "See What's New"

https://www.harborfreight.com/

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Ridgeville,South Carolina
  • 1,294 posts
Posted by willy6 on Sunday, March 17, 2019 9:16 AM

A few years ago, I worked near our local HF and passed it twice a day. With those "Free" coupons I got 9 meters, 18 tape measures,11 magnetic trays,14 screwdriver sets and 19 LED mini flashlights in that time period. I do like their tool boxes.

Being old is when you didn't loose it, it's that you just can't remember where you put it.
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Sunday, March 17, 2019 1:53 PM

I did mention using the HF meter on the 20 ma current scale as a DCC five amp meter. The below link shows how it is done. I made two sets. The fellow use to show the HF meter a few years ago.

It is accurate. Our club booster would trip at about 4.97 0r 4.98 amps.I have a high wattage rheostat I clip accross the track for a load and dial down the resistance.

We had thought of getting a RRamp meter but they liked this.

Two three terminal chips do the conversion.

http://www.circuitous.ca/DCCammeter10.html

In fact, you can measure AC current using one of the resistors. 0.1 ohms, 1 percent, 5 watt resistor.. Use the meter on AC and measure AC voltage drop across the resistor. Ohms law if no meter to calculate AC current. Just buy an extra resistor or two. Put it in series with the load.

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.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Sunday, March 17, 2019 4:04 PM

Rich is correct, Robs circuit is dead on.  It also works on DC and just as accurate.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

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