New MultiMeter! Just a little over-kill :D

[juiced]

I was using a multi-meter on my panels while they where outside in -30. Then i left it in my front room (unheated) over night. When i picked it up in the morning, both probes broke off. Usually i would care and just fix them but there is no way to do so. So i returned the package to crappy tire (MotoMaster; 'Made for Canadian Winters!') along with a bunch of other junk.

  I was just in luck when i went to pick up the new multimeter; as this model i bought was on sale from 69$ to 30$. I gladly paid the 10$ diff.

  So now, i have this ultra-high tech (i think) multimeter. It even has some kind of port for transistors or something. (NPN / PNP [EBCE]) It has a temp setting, hold, compare, backlight, etc...

   Now im hooked up to a little hand-pumped light giving about 5 watts. I have to multimeter set to VAC. For some reason, i can get a funny ERROR 0  message if i pump more than (i think) 10vac.  Anybody know why?

   Also, what can i do with the 'FREQ%' and 'hFE' settings?

   Too many toys, not enough books!

[juiced]

One other thing, it is either uncalibrated or extramely sensitive.

   It is picking up, right now as we speak .07VAC while unconected to anything.

[edy252]

i have no idea about the error message but Hfe or betais the amplification of the transistor (gain).

freq is probably for measuring the frequency of an alternating voltage.

[edy252]

that's not so odd especially if it's near an electric instrument .....

[drdongle]

NPN/PNP is for testing transistors, hfe is testing the gain ( amplification) of transistors and Freq is the frequency counter function ( could be useful for RPM testing). As for the "error" set it to a higher AC voltage for a proper reading.