I haven't got a multimeter....

[Dippy]

Well, you've got no excuese not to buy a multimeter or two now.
http://planet.farnell.com/email/cpc/WebOffers/aug_14clp.htm

Quality unknown, we know where it'll be made. But at least CPC (for UK buyers) are good for warranty. I think P&P a fiver.
So, under a tenner and you don't have to get in your car and drive 50 miles to save a quid.
Too expensive?

 

[marcos.placona]

And it's even pretty

Well I'm just sticking to my £20 multimeter from maplins. The title was the best, I really thought you had trashed you multimeter.

 

[Michael 2727]

What a load of crap,
No AC Current, Frequency, L or C functions, no Thermocouple, or data logging.
I'll wait for the $5.00 model I think

 

[slurp]

Here's another....

http://www.mutr.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=339

You'll see similar in Netto's UK Stores from time to time....

regards,
colin

 

[Dippy]

Ah, all these wonderful offerings... and still we'll hear the bleating: "I haven't got a multimeter".

Come on SCHOOLS buy a handful and flog 'em to the students.

 

[marcos.placona]

What a load of crap,
No AC Current, Frequency, L or C functions, no Thermocouple, or data logging.
I'll wait for the $5.00 model I think

Can you believe my 15 quid multimeter didn't come with a thermocouple? Maplin's rip-off?

 

[Michael 2727]

OZ offerings from DSE

These units are a reasonable cheapie type, I have a couple as knockabout meters.
Model Q1467, $16.99 AUD
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48b4118401d34cec2740c0a87f9c0714/Product/View/Q1467

Then there are these which are similar to one above-
Model Q1469 $9.95 AUD
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48b4118401d34cec2740c0a87f9c0714/Product/View/Q1469
Actually I have a $120.00 version made by the same company and it's a good meter,
lots of functions, so these may be better than they appear ?

Yeh, Go Schools, buy a box and flog em off to the kids cheap!

 

[westaust55]

These units are a reasonable cheapie type, I have a couple as knockabout meters.
Model Q1467, $16.99 AUD
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48b4118401d34cec2740c0a87f9c0714/Product/View/Q1467

Then there are these which are similar to one above-
Model Q1469 $9.95 AUD
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48b4118401d34cec2740c0a87f9c0714/Product/View/Q1469

Yeh, Go Schools, buy a box and flog em off to the kids cheap!

Notwithstanding that I have a very good digital multimeter and an old (antique) analogue multimeter, about 12 months ago, DSE had a sale and was selling the Q1467 or one very very similar as a pack of two for $16.99. A single meter of the same type was still $16.99 at the time so there was no decision -I grabbed (okay bought) the two-pack

 

[marcos.placona]

That's the one I own:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=97045&criteria=multimeter&doy=26m8

I wonder why prices in the UK went so high in just one year

They also have cheapish, with £9 OFF

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=44679&criteria=multimeter&doy=26m8

 

[Dippy]

And even Fluke is made in China now.... but prices still at 'Made in the west' levels!!

 

[Michael 2727]

Yes WestOZ, I bought mine for $9.99 AUD I think, was a while ago, hence the suggestion.
They are cheap and can handle a little rough treatment. I gave one away to a mate's son
+ soldering iron + small relay PCB to keep him off the streets for 5 mins. Still have 1 or 2
around somewhere, going strong 5-6 years later.
DSE have them on special every now & again, so it pays to look.

 

[manuka]

These little red DSE DMMs are extremely popular here in NZ, & schools use is very solid. Many projects/demos even utilize them as inbuilt panel meters! Switch contacts are reliable & the fixed leads ease the I/V swap over hassles of many simple meters.

Although not auto power off, battery life for the small 12V cell is great-often a good year. Of course when considering cheap DMMs schools should always consider the internal battery (avoid 9V!) & preferably go for auto power off. In spite of endless reminders kids will just NOT turn off DMMs, & the resulting flat battery can be both costly & inconvenient to later replace. 9V batteries can nickel & dime schools budgets to death- AAs in contrast are dirt cheap & "always available". I now never specify projects around 9V, as later users may well rob their home smoke alarm battery -with tragic consequences.

NB-these DSE darlings have a PV "bug", in that bright sunlight diffused thru' the casing will bias voltage readings! This initially causes "What the..." head scratching when outdoors -see one in the PV pix below. Simply open them up & cover sensitive parts with some dark plastic insulation.

Sadly however student uptake of such educational instruments is often indifferent- I've bought swags of them for as low as US$5 each & given them away as prizes,but many teens are now just NOT interested in having one or learning their use. "Can it play MP3s ?" was overheard once... Stan

 

[westaust55]

Multimeters

I had until recently two small DMM’s from Hioki that solved the battery problems. While fairly basic, they incorporated solar panels to recharge two small button cells. Bright room light or subdued sunlight was sufficient to charge them – what an excuse for not putting the tools away after a spot of electronics hobby work .

Had them both of the Hioki DMM’s for about 18 years and had replaced the batteries in one mid-life but when a new set of batteries came due again last year deemed it was cheaper the buy the two-pack of DSE DMM’s than 4 rechargable button cell batteries.

 

[westaust55]

and verbatim from a 2002 speech and very pertinent to education of the young:

The Nobel Laureate, Dr. Leo Esaki, delivered the distinguished lecture entitled "Innovation and Evolution: Reflections on a Life in Research" in the University of Texas at Dallas in the afternoon of Feb. 23, 2002 during the 2002 US National Engineering Week. In this lecture, Dr. Esaki indicated that most of the great discoveries and innovations by the Nobel Laureates occurred at the average age of 32 even though the Nobel prizes were awarded 10 or 20 years afterwards. Furthermore, Dr. Esaki indicated that the peak creativity of most scientists occurred around the age range of 20 to 30 years. As one gets older, the experience increases but the creativity decreases steadily with the age.

It is, therefore, very important to stimulate, encourage and cultivate many young people to get interested in science and engineering at their young age and to provide the optimal R&D environment for these very powerful young scientists and engineers to unleash their very strong creativities during their most precious and creative years around the age of 32.

 

[manuka]

Well it greatly depends on ones youthful environment of course, & the "Pearls before Swine" analogy familiar to all too many teachers needs considering. Many frustrated WW2 era POWs in their late teens/early 20s only really "got creative" when in midlife back home. We had a celebrated chap- Frank RENOUF - here in Wellington (NZ), who endlessly lamented his wasted years behind barbed wire, but credited the experience with propelling him into all manner of later creativity (most of it highly profitable).

 

[BeanieBots]

Just to keep the balance, for those who like to have an accurate calibrated meter that really does mean what it says, then you really do have to pay for it.
Getting 8 digit accuracy comes at a cost.
http://www.keithley.com/products/dmm/?mn=2002

What, no thermocouple input or L/C measurements!

 

[Rickharris]

Ah, all these wonderful offerings... and still we'll hear the bleating: "I haven't got a multimeter".

Come on SCHOOLS buy a handful and flog 'em to the students.

Sad to say this - we have at least 40 of the MUTR type in school. We tried to offer basic tools to the students - including a basic 08M with a small download PCB and have perhaps 3 takers every year!! Says something for the interest in engineering/electronics.

As far as I can tell the general attitude is " If I don't have to learn it I am not going to do anything that looks hard when I can buy better in a shop - "

The best result is to attack parents who are much more inclined to take up offers if they look useful. Mind when you run open workshop sessions they also help themselves to anything that looks attractive.!!!!!

Maybe the government should fuld a basic tool kit for every primary school child when they move into secondary school.

I see James Dyson has said he will transform the sad lack of engineers in the UK - We will wait with bated Breath.

 

[westaust55]

Maybe the government should fund a basic tool kit for every primary school child when they move into secondary school.
.

I concur with you.

At least here in Aust, apprentices in all manual type trades (eg electricians, fitters, plumbers, etc) get a tool allowance and are expected buy their own tools.

Maybe a basic electronics type tool kit for secondary students taking science/engineering type subjects included in school deliverables as part of the school fees.