Not sure what your specific needs, but I got a decent multimeter for like $35 from jaycar. It does everything I need it for.
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Not sure what your specific needs, but I got a decent multimeter for like $35 from jaycar. It does everything I need it for.
Yep me too. I has a variable control rather than a manual select option and i like it. Mudnut i only use mine to measure 12v and Ohms on occasion and that is only looking for continuity. ET is talking another language to me and i simply have No Idea what he said ;) and Bill was border line for me ;) You must be playing with other stuff yeah? do you need the sinewave meter etc?? If so then spend the large for sure.
I dont think i helped......... :p
ROFL... My bad... I'll try and translate.
The OP is interested in potentially refurbishing instrument clusters so he is after waveform and signal pulse measurements and also very very low current applications.
An everyday Digital Multi-Meter (DMM) won't do all those jobs but the hand held Scope Meters will suit admirably so he only needs one bit of kit for most of his testing.
The Jaycar qm1551 measure micro amps and I can source it locally. That and a mini handheld oscilloscope for $80 and I have the tools to do the job but accuracy could be a problem. Signal generators are really expensive for what they do, but I haven't fully researched them yet.
Yep, agree... it is your budget and your cash and that will get you started. You can always buy better gear later if it is worthwhile
For a sig genny you could use one of the el cheapo kits ex Jaycar.
You won't need a full on sig gen because you can look at and adjust the output waveform of a kit sig gen with the Scope Meter or Cro.
A saw tooth which is the easiest therefore cheapest waveform to generate will work just as good as sq wave, pulse or pulse width modulated for testing vehicle instrument clusters 99% of the time.
I agree. Also your sig gen will only need to generate low frequencies. Most of your work will be below 100 kHz which electronically is considered to be in the audio range. For this reason an average scope will do the job. It does not need a large frequency response. As ET says, don't go overboard just yet. Buy the basics and build up on that as / if required.
I was reading the specs on some of the sites for the uni-t and some don't list the micro amps as such, but as 400mA and 4000mA.
Just for a start, so as not to part out a lot of cash, I have taken the speed sender from my cactus gear box and will set it up with a small stand and flex drive to fit the variable speed battery drill. That should suffice for an accurate speed signal. I might try to get a distributor and set that up as well.
Is the green/red wire from the TB42E speedometer to ECM (ECCS module), pin a feedback signal for something, or an input to the speedo?
If it was me I would want it to measure micro amps. 1 milli amp is 1000 micro amps. When you are fault finding and aligning low power circuits you need to be able to measure low currents. Some years ago they bought new multimeters at work. They sent an electrician out to select and buy them and when they were delivered they were useless to the electronic techs because of their current range - they couldn't accurately measure low enough.
It just makes me nervous buying stuff off people that can't list the product specs properly.
But when you are dealing with model numbers you just check the specs out elsewhere, and buy with the cheapest seller you reckon will deliver the goods.
You're not buying the cheapest price due to their product knowledge and extensive product listing. You did that work. Discount for you.