multimeter purchase |
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ColoradoPK
Newbie Joined: 04 Dec 2018 Location: CO Online Status: Offline Posts: 21 |
Topic: multimeter purchase Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 8:54pm |
Good evening-looking for advice on a multimeter to keep with us for camping. We are new to camping and will be picking up our first Rpod this coming weekend. We plan to be hooked up to shore power as we travel back home, but I wanted to have a multimeter just in case? Any suggestions for a particular brand or model? I've never purchased one before and reading all the reviews have only confused me more.
Thanks.
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PK Colorado
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 9:23pm |
Almost anything will do for what you'd need one for in an RPod. Klein are widely considered top of the line, for not too much to just about as much as you want to spend. Lowes has a good brand for around $75 Southwire, maybe. Walmart has them for $10 to $25. All of these are available on Amazon, etc. You should also get a $10 to $15 non-contact voltage tester. (See the long-running thread here about what you always need to test when you hook up at a campground.) TT |
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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ColoradoPK
Newbie Joined: 04 Dec 2018 Location: CO Online Status: Offline Posts: 21 |
Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 10:18pm |
Thanks so much!
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PK Colorado
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 7:02am |
"auto ranging" is a good feature to have since you will use it on 12v and 120v, 1 less setting to worry about..
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 8:09am |
I purchased a Southwire 21050T Tre RMS AC/DC Clamp Meter at Lowe's recently. It not only is able to measure AC and DC voltage, it can also measure AC and DC amperage (400A) and also has a non-contact voltage sensor built-in. In addition, it comes with an adapter and a temperature probe on a cable. Previously, I only had the little free with purchase digital multimeters from Harbor Freight. This is absolutely much better. It was more expensive, but worth it since it has already helped me to see parasitic drains on 12V power that I could not measure before.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2654 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 9:08am |
As TT mentioned, almost any inexpensive DVM will work well for what you need on an R-pod. Even if it was off by 1/10 volt (which none of them are any more), it wouldn't make a big difference in what you're looking for. Also as mentioned, having a non-contact voltage sensor (NCV) is a big plus. You can get a separate sensor for not too much, or you can spend a few dollars to get NCV built-in. A third thing is a current sensing clamp. You can get meters now that can sense both AC and DC current with a clamp. This is very handy, as in the old days you would have to "open up" the circuit to sense current. With this, all you have to do is find a wire and clamp around it. I have two meters. A Fluke, which I got for my business, and I love it very much. For the R-pod, I got a Klein CL800, which is auto-ranging, has NCV, as well as a current clamp. Kind of an all in one tool. I think I got it at Home Depot for a little over $100. |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 9:16am |
+1 to comments from StephenH and Glueguy. The ability to measure DC current is a big plus with battery charge/discharge management. A word of caution: If you do decide to go with a clamp on meter be sure it measures DC as well as AC current. Most of the cheaper meters only measure AC current. Also, the lower current range meters are preferable. The is no need for a 1000A meter on an Rpod. The 40A range on the above cited meters is ideal for your use.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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TheBum
Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 10:22am |
Fluke is a good brand too.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
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onesojourner
Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2018 Location: The Ozarks Online Status: Offline Posts: 29 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 1:26pm |
DMM are pretty good now days. I have a $10 craftsman, a $50 RadioShack and $200 fluke. For most tasks they all work. I usually grab the cheapy because it is a bit lighter. I would just buy a cheap one with decent reviews and add a clamp on meter.
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TheBum
Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407 |
Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 1:49pm |
Not all of them retain calibration well though. I trust the better brands to maintain calibration more than the cheap meters. |
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
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