• Have you tried out dark mode?! Scroll to the bottom of any page to find a sun or moon icon to turn dark mode on or off!

diy solar

diy solar

Why are Voltmeters dead?

hardtop

hardtop

Solar Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 13, 2020
Messages
405
Location
Las Vegas, NV
My USB Radio Shack shack multimeter bit the dust after about 15 years. I never used it for anything other than measuring DC and AC voltage. I need a device that measures down to at least the tenth, but hundredth would be better. I'm finding companies like Fluke have blogs on Voltmeters, but don't actually sell them. They up sell to multimeters and I don't want to spend on things I don't want or intend to use and would rather put that cost of things I don't want or need into a quality voltmeter. Any voltmeter suggestions?
 
hardtop said:
Any voltmeter suggestions?
Click to expand...

How old are you? I'm in my 50s, and simple voltmeters have been rare compared to multimeters my entire life. I too have a radioshack meter (somewhere around here), but it's a multi, not just volts.

If you don't need the other functions of a multimeter, you're doing it wrong. Do I use everything? No. Have I used the ohmmeter, ammeter, diode tester, frequency tester, etc.? Yes.

My favorite thing is to go buy a $5 HF multi and adjust the voltage pot until it correlates with my fluke with 0.01V. I have about a dozen of these all over the house. Usually never more than 10 feet away from one.

Will recommends a few here:

www.mobile-solarpower.com

Tools

Do not buy cheap tools. You will thank yourself for years, and building a system will be MUCH EASIER. ( I make a commission for purchases made through the links below)
www.mobile-solarpower.com

Love my Fluke 116:


Like my CL800 very hard:


but wish it had an INRUSH function.

Again... $5 HF:

www.harborfreight.com

7-Function Digital Multimeter

Amazing deals on this 7 Function Digital Multimeter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
Last edited:
I find I use the clamp meter, hoiki brand, as a general purpose dmm most of the time. The only failing is the minimum ranges arent always low enough.... for microvolts and low amps I switch to the Fluke 117 with the adapters... the yr1035 for internal battery resistance... the ut673pv for panel testing.... and a good siglent 200mhz oscilloscope for looking at the signals themselves.... a 100mhz or even 10mhz would be fine for solar stuff...

I used to work in a calibration lab preparing and calibrating test equipment so I prefer to use the proper tool for the proper job...

You want simple I would just spend $20 on a DMM and be done with it...

The $5 hf special works for some things...but I've also more than once used one and tossed it because it wasn't working or accurate on different ranges.... I don't trust them and stopped getting them free at the register with a coupon... test equipment you can't trust is worse than useless....

They do make a simple 2 probe item with lights in it that come on at different voltages ..... and you can build a simple volt meter or buy one for $20 or less.. I have some that reads 5v to 30v that are attached to series batteries. Simple glance 0.1 resolution.


Suggestion
 
Last edited:
I use the heck out this multimeter for about 4 years now. It does read down to .XXXX so if you have a steady load on a circuit, you can read across a junction and look for voltage and easily find a poor connection. Internal resistance meters are great but not worth much when the system is in use.

Link:
IMG_1784.jpeg
 
littleharbor2 said:
There are a few DMM's out there that have a 20 amp current limit. I prefer these for measuring individual solar panel current now that most of the large panels have over 10 amp output.
Click to expand...
I picked up one of these and it’ll tell you pretty quick how things are. The only thing is, solar panels are all it does so it hasn’t been used since. IMG_1518.jpegIMG_1785.jpeg
 
I like the simple dial on my Fluke 113 because I don't do much else with it other than measure volts and continuity.

But it does get lost sometimes when you're looking for low voltage dc and then you have to use more buttons to lock it in.
 
hwy17 said:
I like the simple dial on my Fluke 113 because I don't do much else with it other than measure volts and continuity.

But it does get lost sometimes when you're looking for low voltage dc and then you have to use more buttons to lock it in.
Click to expand...
You mentioned it gets lost sometimes, yeah mine gets physically lost because it blends in. 😂
My 40 year old Fluke 77 is still kicking. IMG_1786.jpeg
 
hardtop said:
They up sell to multimeters and I don't want to spend on things I don't want or intend to use and would rather put that cost of things I don't want or need into a quality voltmeter. Any voltmeter suggestions?
Click to expand...

Nowadays a voltmeter might be priced higher than a multimeter: reduced features doesn't always mean reduced cost.

DIY your meter?

I've found this Uni-T AC/DC amp clamp to be one of the best values. I reach for it at least as often as I do 1 of my 2 Flukes.
 
Skypower said:
I use the heck out this multimeter for about 4 years now. It does read down to .XXXX so if you have a steady load on a circuit, you can read across a junction and look for voltage and easily find a poor connection. Internal resistance meters are great but not worth much when the system is in use.

Link:
View attachment 278579
Click to expand...

+1 on the Kaiweets. I have several of the 60A version - they are inexpensive enough that I have one at most of the places I will need it:


The clamp is small enough to get into tight places.

Bonus: they are one of the few DMM's that when I test them after buying, they are always spot-on when checked against my calibration source. Many of the others I have were as much as .2VDC off.
 
I calibrated hundreds of Fluke 77AN meters when in the Navy.... super reliable and hard to kill...

Drop it in a barrel of old dirty hydraulic fluid and leave it for a week until you can empty the barrel... spray it out with some trichlorofluoromethane .... check calibration and it is probably spot on....
Drop it off the wing of an airplane - check calibration and it is still good.

Run over it with a tow tractor - 50/50 chance it is still fine, might need a new knob....

Send it through a jet engine and the melted fragments are NOT ok, and the engine needs to be sent in for inspection and repair.

Run over it with a 30,000 airplane and you need a new fluke :)
 
robbob2112 said:
I calibrated hundreds of Fluke 77AN meters when in the Navy.... super reliable and hard to kill...

Drop it in a barrel of old dirty hydraulic fluid and leave it for a week until you can empty the barrel... spray it out with some trichlorofluoromethane .... check calibration and it is probably spot on....
Drop it off the wing of an airplane - check calibration and it is still good.

Run over it with a tow tractor - 50/50 chance it is still fine, might need a new knob....

Send it through a jet engine and the melted fragments are NOT ok, and the engine needs to be sent in for inspection and repair.

Run over it with a 30,000 airplane and you need a new fluke :)
Click to expand...
🤔 Seems like you’re speaking from experience 🙄
 
time2roll said:
You had a RadioShack multimeter and then Fluke sells same and it is a big upsell?
Click to expand...
No, that is not what I said.
sunshine_eggo said:
How old are you? I'm in my 50s, and simple voltmeters have been rare compared to multimeters my entire life. I too have a radioshack meter (somewhere around here), but it's a multi, not just volts.

If you don't need the other functions of a multimeter, you're doing it wrong. Do I use everything? No. Have I used the ohmmeter, ammeter, diode tester, frequency tester, etc.? Yes.

My favorite thing is to go buy a $5 HF multi and adjust the voltage pot until it correlates with my fluke with 0.01V. I have about a dozen of these all over the house. Usually never more than 10 feet away from one.

Will recommends a few here:

www.mobile-solarpower.com

Tools

Do not buy cheap tools. You will thank yourself for years, and building a system will be MUCH EASIER. ( I make a commission for purchases made through the links below)
www.mobile-solarpower.com

Love my Fluke 116:


Like my CL800 very hard:


but wish it had an INRUSH function.

Again... $5 HF:

www.harborfreight.com

7-Function Digital Multimeter

Amazing deals on this 7 Function Digital Multimeter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
Click to expand...
I'm not doing it wrong, I just don't have a need for those other functions. Ever. Maybe measuring amps, but the multimeters I looked at have low amp capabilities and I haven't had a need for that.

The Radio Shack meter had an app and USB output that was useful. I reverse engineered their app and then built my own app that fired an alarm when voltage dropped to xyz. That way when I ran the inverter off the car battery, I'd know when to start the engine.

What I also used the Multimeter for was to check if a wall socket has power and frequent battery testing.

The $5 harbor frieght multimeter is what I actually bought but I returned it because it doesn't reflect tenths of a volt, only whole numbers. To me, 12.9V and 12.1V are massively different on an AGM starter battery for example. They have another multimeter but I wanted to research more so I didn't get it.
 
hardtop said:
No, that is not what I said.

I'm not doing it wrong, I just don't have a need for those other functions. Ever. Maybe measuring amps, but the multimeters I looked at have low amp capabilities and I haven't had a need for that.

The Radio Shack meter had an app and USB output that was useful. I reverse engineered their app and then built my own app that fired an alarm when voltage dropped to xyz. That way when I ran the inverter off the car battery, I'd know when to start the engine.

What I also used the Multimeter for was to check if a wall socket has power and frequent battery testing.

The $5 harbor frieght multimeter is what I actually bought but I returned it because it doesn't reflect tenths of a volt, only whole numbers. To me, 12.9V and 12.1V are massively different on an AGM starter battery for example. They have another multimeter but I wanted to research more so I didn't get it.
Click to expand...

You are stuck with it-- buy a DMM that has a higher sample rate than the harbor freight special.... The higher the sample rate the more accurate it is and the more digits it can display.....

The harbor freight one is just good enough to get a ballpark - that is all some people need.

But I think I get it --- you are actually looking for a voltmeter you can interface with a USB port to do automation - there are some of those, but as soon as you put in USB it goes to trying to test usb ports....

maybe if you have the model number of your old unit it might give a clue as to who made it ... RadioShack never made stuff after the early 90s... , they relabeled things with their logo

Maybe a picture as well would help.
 
robbob2112 said:
You are stuck with it-- buy a DMM that has a higher sample rate than the harbor freight special.... The higher the sample rate the more accurate it is and the more digits it can display.....

The harbor freight one is just good enough to get a ballpark - that is all some people need.

But I think I get it --- you are actually looking for a voltmeter you can interface with a USB port to do automation - there are some of those, but as soon as you put in USB it goes to trying to test usb ports....

maybe if you have the model number of your old unit it might give a clue as to who made it ... RadioShack never made stuff after the early 90s... , they relabeled things with their logo

Maybe a picture as well would help.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'll need to wait until I have budget to get a quality DMM since I can't spend what I need on it right now in order to check my starter battery or a 9V battery or any other battery. I seems silly is all. Maybe a battery tester would be better and then a DMM later.

The Radio Shack DMM was cool, but I'm not buying another one. I don't need the USB anymore since moving to a DIY Lifepo4 battery pack. Now I don't run anything off the starter battery. The pic below is what it looked like and I'm pretty sure the rotating dial switch is what broke from repeat usage. It started to get loose and then one day it wouldn't switch on so I junked it.

MYzbZzM.jpg
 
So, have you taken the meter apart?

That type is usually a dmm on a chip with a selector switch.... takes it apart, careful of little springs...get spray contact cleaner...depending on the type contacts you can sometimes just use a pink pencil eraser on the contacts to get rid of carbon buildup....

You can also try just turning the switch fast back and forth a bunch of times... if it works after that then you can take it apart to do a better job...
 
robbob2112 said:
So, have you taken the meter apart?

That type is usually a dmm on a chip with a selector switch.... takes it apart, careful of little springs...get spray contact cleaner...depending on the type contacts you can sometimes just use a pink pencil eraser on the contacts to get rid of carbon buildup....

You can also try just turning the switch fast back and forth a bunch of times... if it works after that then you can take it apart to do a better job...
Click to expand...
I thought about taking it apart for fun, but tossed it. I didn't think about spraying cleaner on the dial switch to get it working again that would be a good try if I had electrical cleaner spray. The stop also wore out for the dial so it would over-extend past OFF.
 
Handiest voltmeter ever, I love it. Good for 60v to 3.5v.
Use it almost everyday as a mechanic. Great for checking alternator charging, fuses. Etc.
But also nice for golfcart and higher voltages stuff. It even gives polarity, and works in both directions.
 

Attachments

  • 20250216_203550.jpg
    20250216_203550.jpg
    223.1 KB · Views: 5
  • 20250216_203526.jpg
    20250216_203526.jpg
    111 KB · Views: 5
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ghostwriter66
DC Solar Trailer Lead-Acid to LiFePO4 upgrade
Replies
15
Views
1K
Higher_wire
Higher_wire
L
I don't know what to choose..and my eyeballs are rolling around in my head from research...?
2
Replies
34
Views
3K
Consumerbot3418
Consumerbot3418
KevinC_63559
Bootstrapping sanity check & Introduction
Replies
5
Views
758
sunshine_eggo
sunshine_eggo
D
Hello everyone from the Netherlands, Dear Diary...
Replies
16
Views
1K
Hedges
Hedges
M
Grid tie inverter with limiting for UK use?
Replies
10
Views
6K
megatron-uk
M

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top