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Whats the best osciloscope preferably handheld for the money?

Onceler

Onceler

Golden Member
It has been a very long time since I messed with electronics but I am looking to get back into the game.
What kind of features can I expect for 100$ or <?
 
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Been using my Extech Ex330 for about a year now, zero complaints and does everything that needs to be done. Not to same level as fluke, for ~40$+ cheaper with more features, and honestly outside of professional arenas most simply don't need the Fluke's extremely tight tolerances.

$60 at amazon with free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Extech-EX330-Autoranging-Multimeter-Thermometer/dp/B000EX0AE4

Official product web page (with link to specs): http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=48&prodid=277
 
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Used low-end Fluke.
I have a 10 dollar Radio Shack meter thats fine for checking batteries and outlets, but if getting the exact voltage and current were a serious issue, I would need to buy Fluke.
 
I've always wondered if the Fluke craze is mainly marketing.
I have a Fluke 177 that has never failed me (except when the battery dies and I don't have any 9Vs near by).

Still... I bet the $10 chinese multimeters work pretty well for most things.
 
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When you go under the $100 price point, they are all pretty much the same...I mean, yeah a $90 one will be better than a $15 one, but it's not going to be night and day.
 
Like any other tool it depends on what you're doing with it and how much you use it. Sure you can get a cheap imported one for $10...

Fluke is like Snap-On you can use it and abuse it daily and it just works.

I trust it with working on high power/high voltage equipment. If you drop a $10 meter are you going to test it on a PSU with +550VDC, 100+ Amp rails? I wouldn't! Crowbar that and the meter could explode like a grenade in your face. Reminds me of the unfortunate electrician who used a wiggy on a 4160VAC circuit. :'(

If you're just testing batteries and need a continuity tester, etc. a cheap one is fine for that kind of thing. I looked around a bit on ebay and found some Fluke 27s for cheap too. That's a LOT of meter for the price. Especially the BNIB ones for $150.
 
Avoid digital. Digital multimeters are total garbage. They simply don't work.

You can try this at home. Using a digital multimeter, try to measure the voltage coming out of an AC inverter. It will say 120, then 60, then 150, then 78, then 95, and it will keep jumping around.
Try the same thing with an analogue meter. It will go straight to 120v and stay there. No BS.
 
dwell said:
It's big, it's ugly, and it kinda smells. But it's $40 and works great with a auto-resetting fuse:

http://www.amazon.com/Sinometer-Manu...3699136&amp;sr=8-1

Sure Flukes are the best but I've done countless projects with the above multimeter and had no issues.

Unless you need the highest degree of accuracy most Chinese meters will do.
Click to expand...

i've played with those - they seem pretty decent. you can pick them up at harbor freight for $29 when it's on sale and slap one of those 20% off coupons on it.

the resettable fuse is nice too. the fuse for my fluke 112 is $10 alone.
 
ShawnD1 said:
Avoid digital. Digital multimeters are total garbage. They simply don't work.

You can try this at home. Using a digital multimeter, try to measure the voltage coming out of an AC inverter. It will say 120, then 60, then 150, then 78, then 95, and it will keep jumping around.
Try the same thing with an analogue meter. It will go straight to 120v and stay there. No BS.
Click to expand...

Try a True RMS meter. That is, stop using cheap meters.
 
ShawnD1 said:
Avoid digital. Digital multimeters are total garbage. They simply don't work.

You can try this at home. Using a digital multimeter, try to measure the voltage coming out of an AC inverter. It will say 120, then 60, then 150, then 78, then 95, and it will keep jumping around.
Try the same thing with an analogue meter. It will go straight to 120v and stay there. No BS.
Click to expand...


LOL in all the DMMs I've used over the years (Sperry, Triplett, Fluke, Amprobe, Micronta) (Radio Shack brand) I've literally never seen this happen. In open circuits with long legs sure you will pick up spurious readings but that's due to the meter's very high input impedance.
 
ShawnD1 said:
Avoid digital. Digital multimeters are total garbage. They simply don't work.

You can try this at home. Using a digital multimeter, try to measure the voltage coming out of an AC inverter. It will say 120, then 60, then 150, then 78, then 95, and it will keep jumping around.
Try the same thing with an analogue meter. It will go straight to 120v and stay there. No BS.
Click to expand...
analog
 
I use a DMM in the back country. So far I've destroyed a Metex, two Radio Shack, and an Extech meter. I'm working with a Klein branded meter now (not sure who makes them for Klein). I haven't dropped any of them, it's just the day to day jostling around in my pack that eventually does them in. I gave away my Fluke to a coworker who works higher voltages than I do. It's still running fine after bouncing around in his truck for ten years. I keep not getting another Fluke 77 because when it comes time to replace a busted meter I keep thinking that I can't justify the higher price. Maybe I can.

The Klein has a rubber wrap on it so maybe it will survive a bit longer than the previous meters.

This is the model I'm currently using:
http://www.amazon.com/Klein-MM1000-E...dp/B003LCL4D6/
 
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LTC8K6 said:
Try a True RMS meter. That is, stop using cheap meters.
Click to expand...
I shouldn't need to. If a $20 analogue meter can measure true rms, then I expect a $20 digital meter to be able to do the same.
What's interesting is that high quality digital meters basically are analogue meters that are converted to digital values. The low quality ones just measure voltage a few times then average it. If the wave is noisy, the values are all over the place.


LOL in all the DMMs I've used over the years (Sperry, Triplett, Fluke, Amprobe, Micronta) (Radio Shack brand) I've literally never seen this happen. In open circuits with long legs sure you will pick up spurious readings but that's due to the meter's very high input impedance.
Click to expand...
Every one I've had the misfortune of dealing with had this problem, mostly because stores like Walmart don't sell high quality digital meters. I don't even think most people notice. All I use my meter for is measuring DC voltages of batteries.
 
It depends on what you will be using it for. If you are using it for just voltage around the home then anything will work. If you are getting into electronics to start playing around with circuits involving timers, logic parts, capacitors, etc then you want a meter that has things like frequency measurement, capacitance meter, or transistor hfe measurements.


This is my current favorite, includes everything but the hfe measurements, but bonus is the temp probe and non contact voltage detector
http://www.amazon.com/Extech-EX330-A.../dp/B000EX0AE4
 
The only times I had the problems ShawnD1 has described was when trying to measure voltage on an earth resistivity array which puts out 4hz square waves.
 
I have an ancient micronta 22-211a analog meter in a clam-shell configuration that has lasted me years. I like it because you can set it down and have the meter at different angles to see the readings better. I lost the leads in one of my moves and need to replace them when I get around to it.
 
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