Talk:Multimeter

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It would be a nice historical note to add something about the AVOmeter, which was the ubiquitous predecesor to modern electronic multimeters. DFH 09:29:53, 2005-09-05 (UTC)

Meanwhile, here's a nice link. AVO Model 8 MkII with some historical information that I just found in the Richards Radios website. DFH 10:41:56, 2005-09-05 (UTC)

I've added data about AVO, David. If you want to expand, proof, or correct it, please feel free to do so! -- Mikeblas 21:43, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Voltage on the screen

Isn't it strange to see 0.385V on the screen of the multimeter, when its probes are disconnected?! :)

Turning on my Fluke True RMS multimeter (on mV) I get a jumpy reading myself. Right now it shows 0.2. You can play with it to hold a setting etc. but with my probes just lying there it still moves about a bit. Lsjzl 21:41, 8 June 2006 (UTC)


Isn't it that it has a battery bcoz of which it is showing this value ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Khemp (talk • contribs)

No. A reading when the probes are not connected to anything is entirely normal. Voltage is the difference in electrical potential between two points. Since air doesn't conduct electricity, two points in space can have two different electrical potentials. The difference is very small, but the meter is able to measure the difference. -- Mikeblas 17:39, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
Hilarity! While holding the probes on my multimeter, which is at 0.00 normally, I GOT 0.96 VOLTS! YYYYESSSSS! And here's a question- while testing my battery voltage over time, after use it got higher. I'm confuzzled, can someone help? 207.63.251.243 18:58, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Definition of VOM

A publication my students use states the VOM is Volt-Ohm-Milliammeter. I think my Simpson operator's manual makes the same statement.

[edit] Request for Knowledge

I wonder if someone could be kind enough to add to this article whether the final two syllables of "multimeter" are pronounced like "millimeter" or "odometer", because I don't want to give those geeks at Radio Shack the satisfaction of knowing how clueless I am. :) Thanks in advance and feel free to delete this comment. MatthewDaly 18:49, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

More like "meter" than "met her". I can't fix the article as I don't know IPA. -- Mikeblas 01:00, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The article needs to be wikified

There are no sections other than external links, I think there should be more. --Adam1213 Talk + 02:13, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

Feel free to edit it! -- Mikeblas 02:22, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
I was not all that certain on how to divide it up, otherwise I would of.
Feel free to do it for me--Adam1213 Talk + 13:25, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
You don't know how to edit it, or you don't know where the sections should be? -- Mikeblas 15:46, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] digits

The article says "For a modern DMM, such as a PC-based multimeter, the term "digits" actual maps to the noise performance of the device," and I can't make much sense of that. Can anyone expand on it or clarify it? -- Mikeblas 19:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

  • I think the article is wrong. Digits is more of a measure of resolution (either decimal digits or DAC bits), not noise. "Effective bits" is more of a noise/AC measurement thing. -- Morcheeba 03:24, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
    • OK. I've deleted that; I was going to just tag it {{fact}}, but since it's been so long for that editor to explain himself, it might as well go right now. -- Mikeblas 15:19, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Test Set

The reference provided is to a dedicated test set, not a multimeter with test-set features. The bullet here in this article says that multimeters with test set features are available, and I'm hoping to either find a reference to such a unit; otherwise, we'll remove the bullet as uncited. -- Mikeblas 17:26, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

With no reference added, I've remvoed the bullet. -- Mikeblas 17:59, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Disambiguation

Just to mention, DMM (which redirects to the main article) can also stand for Digital Molecular Matter (a kind of simulation technique that basically uses physics to calculate the simulation... mass, velocity, momentum, inertia, etc. ). I recommend that a Disambiguation page be made.(I don't know how to make one...)

220.246.177.36 14:32, 22 July 2007 (UTC)Wiki_Flight_Simmer


[edit] Fuse protection

"Almost every multimeter includes a fuse, which will generally prevent damage to the multimeter if it is overloaded."

thats very incorrect. A fuse on an analogue meter only protects the highest current range, or sometimes 2. There is normally no effective fusing for other ranges, and analogue meter mechanisms are vulnerable to overcurrent on these ranges.

Back to back diodes are used to give at least partial protection.

And fwiw lots of analogue meters had no fuse at all. Tabby (talk) 20:03, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for pointing this out, I fixed it up now --Adam1213 Talk 03:38, 24 April 2008 (UTC)