Overheard a customer say my multimeter was ancient, made me think about old tools

I was fixing a 1980s Pioneer receiver from a guy in Portland last Tuesday, and he joked that my Fluke 77 from 1991 looked like a brick. It got me thinking how the old analog meters and basic digitals still get the job done without all the fancy auto-ranging that newer models have. Anyone else stick with an old workhorse meter for certain jobs over the newer stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_stone2d ago

The old Flukes are practically indestructible... I've got a 27 that's been dropped off a ladder twice and still reads spot on. Auto-ranging is fine for quick checks but sometimes I prefer dialing in a range manually, keeps you honest about what you're measuring. Those old analog meters with the mirrored scale can show you voltage fluctuations a digital just blinks past.

emma3491d ago

You know, I used to be all about digital and auto-ranging, thought anyone who still used analog was just being nostalgic or stubborn. But you might have just changed my mind with that point about voltage fluctuations. I never really thought about how a digital just smooths everything out and hides those quick dips or spikes. Now I'm wondering how many times I've walked away from a circuit thinking it was stable when it wasn't. I guess manually setting the range forces you to actually pay attention to what the meter is telling you instead of just glancing at a number. Might have to dig out my old Simpson from the garage and give it another try.