Dumb newbie Q

[flydjd]

Hi all....I don't know the 1st thing about electrickery.....

Can someone please offer some advice about what sort of electrical tester/digital multimeter/ohmmeter to get for building an RV re ranges to be covered and operational use......

Sorry about the dumb Q but thats why G.. invented a/c kits and forums....


(As you will notice I am also new to forums which is why this post is in the classifieds in error !!!!!!!!!)

[ed. I moved it to the General forum for you flydjd.}

[jcoloccia]

Originally Posted by flydjd

Hi all....I don't know the 1st thing about electrickery.....

Can someone please offer some advice about what sort of electrical tester/digital multimeter/ohmmeter to get for building an RV re ranges to be covered and operational use......

Sorry about the dumb Q but thats why G.. invented a/c kits and forums....


(As you will notice I am also new to forums which is why this post is in the classifieds in error !!!!!!!!!)

[ed. I moved it to the General forum for you flydjd.}

Personally, I intend to use the same two meters I've been use forever...an expensive Fluke 87 and a cheap RadioShack. If all you're ever going to use it for is this plane (which it sounds like it is) practically any digital meter from radioshack will do, I think. For what we're doing here, the differences between a high-end Fluke and the cheapest Radioshack meter are pretty much irrelavant.

edit: the only thing I'd ad to this is whichever el'cheapo radioshack meter you get, get one of the ones with a diode tester and one that can measure capacitance. This will come in handy if you've installed some diodes or capicitors and things aren't working quite right.

[grover]

the meter you acquire should have 2 main characteristics.
1. on the front, somewhere it should say "fluke"
2. on the back, somewhere it should say "made in usa"

you could use a cheap-o meter, but the fluke will outlast your build time. and if you don't want to have a meter around for other chores (boat, house, car, etc) you could sell the fluke.

I can't imagine the need to measure much beyond the basic DC volts and ohms. you might want to measure current, but I wouldn't think the need would arise often.

[Tom Maxwell]

If you are going to be minimally involved in working with electricity (which it sounds like you will be) then you can get by with a minimum amount of tools.

Basic wiring and testing can be completed with a cheapo radio shack meter or even one of those screw driver testers with a light in the handle. There are just not many basic electricity jobs that the cheapest meter won't handle. Let's face it, you will use it occassionally to check yor 110V AC outlet to determine if you really blew your 15amp breaker or maybe melted the wires going to your 10,000 PSI-1500 SCFM 110V air compressor you just couldn't build your RV without , you will measure 12 volts to see if you made the correct connection between your power buss and the landing lights, and you will measure resistance once in a while to find the wire you hooked up backwards that keeps popping your circuit breaker. The cheapest meter around will do all of these quite nicely. If you get in much more deeply than this, you are going to need much more than a multimeter.

[alanrv8]

The is NO such thing as a dumb question......ESPECIALLY when it comes to building/flying airplanes.

[sf3543]

I agree with the other posters that you don't need anything exotic. I have used the Radio Shack testers, but after returning two of them due to defects, I got my money back and got one at Sears for $20 that has lasted for several years, so far, with no problems. It also has a rubber casing around it so that if you drop it, it won't break itself or whatever it hits.

The only thing I ever use it for on the plane is to test for continuity...which you will want to do for trouble shooting...and occasionally to test voltage. Get one with a tone, for the continuity test.

[tomcostanza]

Harbor Freight Tools (www.harborfreight.com) has a cheapy for less than $10.00. They frequently put it on sale for $4.00. It works great, and the best part is, if you lose it, or break it, WHO CARES?

[dan]

FWIW, it's the el cheapo $4 Harbor Freight digital multimeter that I carry in my tool/parts bag in the plane at all times. It's very light, obviously super cheap, and it works fine for anything you'd need on the road. (FYI, my tool/parts bag weighs about 15 pounds! I carry a lot of stuff.)

I have a relatively "high end" Radio Shack multimeter (no, it's not US made) in the shop. I think it cost about $87. I just don't see the need to spend more than that unless you're working with electronics all the time and need super tight tolerance on everything you do with it. The one I have has a decent USB interface for monitoring with your PC, it reads capacitance (I have capacitance senders in my fuel tanks), etc. I don't need anything fancier than that, and I doubt most builders would.

Just my 2 cents.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (804 hours)
http://www.rvproject.com

[tomcostanza]

Check www.HarborFreight.com and search for item # 90899. This isn't the meter I aluded to above, but it's close. It's on sale for $2.99. The test leads are worth that much!

Best,
Tom Costanza

[tacchi88]

Mr. Tom
Why such an expensive meter from Harbor Freight?
T88
RV10