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    Multimeter leads question

    Hey everybody! So i am a noob, bought a radioshack multi ($50). Sometimes i find it difficult to get a reading with my leads. I have to poke them around quite a bit to get a reading and its touchy. Do you think it might be a technique problem or do i need to buy a better set of leads? Whats your opinion guys?

    #2
    Re: Multimeter leads question

    You can try to clean the tips and the sides with isopropyl alcohol ... get some paper handkerchief, dab it in isopropyl alcohol and rub the tips in the wet paper.
    This removes the oxides and whatever crap is on the metal tips.
    But sometimes the probes are simply put, bad. The metal they're made of can have bumbs and pits that you may not see with your plain eyes and it can happen to not get a good contact.

    Now.. as for buying better leads, I guess it depends on the Radioshack multimeter...as far as I know, radioshack stocks cheap multimeters with not so great specs. You may do better by returning the meter for the money and ordering a good multimeter instead online.

    For example I own an Uni-T UT61E that's great, and you can buy it online for about 60$. The probes it comes with are good, they could use a cleaning with alcohol as well but they work just fine for me. It should certainly be a better base multimeter to buy probes for.

    If you want to go this route, I recommend this seller: http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT-61E...item2ec6ac75bd

    You'll have the meter probably within a week

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Multimeter leads question

      In case it is a problem with the actual wires set the meter on ohms and hold the probes touching in one hand - should read 0.00 then with the other hand gently tug each wire and see if it goes to "1" or "OL"
      Please upload pictures using attachment function when ask for help on the repair
      http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39740

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Multimeter leads question

        I agree with Mariushm but I'd go a bit further and use some fine-grit sandpaper to really get rid of any oxidization.
        36 Monitors, 3 TVs, 4 Laptops, 1 motherboard, 1 Printer, 1 iMac, 2 hard drive docks and one IP Phone repaired so far....

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          #5
          Re: Multimeter leads question

          I will clean and sandpaper them. I didn't think oxidization would be a problem with something i bought new....... I will try the touch test too. Im thinking i got a bad multimeter though, sometimes it has readings when nothing is touching the probes. i think its gonna go back to Radioshack ultimately, i will look at the link you gave me. Thanks everyone for helping me out.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Multimeter leads question

            Originally posted by 2hamburgers View Post
            Im thinking i got a bad multimeter though, sometimes it has readings when nothing is touching the probes.
            If the multimeter is in resistance test mode and it is showing something other than out of range when the probes are not touching, you have a defective multimeter.
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              #7
              Re: Multimeter leads question

              Originally posted by 2hamburgers View Post
              Im thinking i got a bad multimeter though, sometimes it has readings when nothing is touching the probes. i think its gonna go back to Radioshack ultimately. Thanks everyone for helping me out.
              If you are talking about the mV range, this is normal, if you sort the probes and the reading become 0000 the meter is healthy .

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