- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,456
Yeah but...Yeah. Me too. They sometimes try to put fewer and fewer knobs, buttons, etc. on the devices to make them look more sleek. And that just adds to the confusion of how to use the thing. "Oh, you want to measure voltage in the 100 - 300 volt range? Hold down button A while double tapping button B within 400 milliseconds of pressing button A. Continue holding button A down for an additional 3 seconds to lock in your new setting." Yeah, I'll surely remember that four years from now. Just give me an old style meter where I can figure out how to work it my looking at it.
If you don't already have one of these things below, buy one now. They are so much easier and safer to use than a voltmeter when you're checking if a circuit is hot overhead and things like that. Several people here recommended I get one back when I was replacing all my light switches with remote control digital ones a while back. They were 100% right in that recommendation. Get one!
Klein non-contact voltage tester
It doesn't have to be Klein brand or this specific model. Any of them are better than a voltmeter for quickly checking if a circuit is hot or not. But Klein is a very good and trusted brand. I like mine.
Can't check continuity with that.
I have 6-9 multimeters scattered about. All Chinese knock offs.
Not that long ago I finally got around to installing a manual transfer switch that I had lost the instructions. Continuity checks cleared up which color went to the breaker and which color for the load.
But as far as o'scopes go...
I was not happy when an HP salesman tried to sell the lab at Pitt one of those new fangled scopes with sub-menus.
I liked the old school scopes with knobs and switches. Every time I got a new scope I read the manual cover to cover. I still have one on a cart in my shop and two spares on the shelf.
Ben