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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Test Meter Recommendation

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Discussion Topic: Test Meter Recommendation

LarryK

07-15-2020 @ 4:46 AM

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I would like to obtain recommendations on a test meter or meters to use for electrical trouble shooting of my 1939 Deluxe Tudor. The electrical system is original. I would prefer that the meter be made in the USA if that is possible. Some considerations are:
a. functions (volts, amps, dwell, more?)
b. analog vs. digital
c. quality (takes precedence over price).
Thanks.

Larry

1931 Flamingo

07-15-2020 @ 5:36 AM

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A cheap Harbor Freight analog meter is all you need. JMO
Paul in CT

woodiewagon46

07-15-2020 @ 6:19 AM

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Larry, Any "big box" store such as Lowe's has a selection of multimeters available from $15.00 up to the hundreds. In troubleshooting your '39 you don't need anything exotic such as memory or wi-fi compatible. I would recommend something in the $40 to $50 range, but finding one made in the U.S.A. might be a challenge. Call me old fashioned but I prefer analog meters over digital.

TomO

07-15-2020 @ 8:53 AM

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There are many engine analyzers for sale on E-Bay. Most of them have the features that you will need (analog volt meter, tach, dwell, spark intensity point resistance and an ohm meter. Some will also have an ammeter and procedures to test a generator.

Look for one that is self powered by alkaline batteries. The Sun units from the 20th Century are powered by Mercury batteries that are no longer available. The newer Sears and Penske analyzers have functions that only work on a 12 volt system. A large meter with a mirror behind the needle is an important feature. The mirror helps to get an accurate reading by giving you an indication that you are looking straight at the needle. The large meter face is important because they have a very busy chart on the face of the meter and you can get readings from further away.

A 10 volt scale is nice to have as most of your voltage measurements are going to be around 6 volts and on a 10 volt scale, that puts the needle in the center portion of the scale, where it is most accurate.

I cannot recommend a brand or model because condition is more important. The new ones are usually digital and you need to spend over $300 to get the same reliability you would get with an used analog for $100 and under.

Get a guarantee of usability. If it doesn't work on your 6 volt system, it is useless to you.

Tom

Gordon T

07-17-2020 @ 6:28 AM

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Woodiewagon; Totally with you preferring analog before digital, unfortunately digital is so accurate. I gave a Simpson VOM in the leather box with the strap away many yrs ago, went to a good home.

TomO

07-17-2020 @ 7:05 AM

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Meter accuracy depends upon the components used to build the meter and the care with assembly and testing the final product. I have a Chinese digital meter that reads 1.25V on a brand new D cell that reads 1.7 V on my Fluke digital meter. It is as accurate as a test light.

A digital meter is very useful for electronic circuit measurements where small differences in voltage can make a big difference in the performance of the circuit or components, but the accuracy may not be any better than a good analog meter, it is just easier to read the small differences and most of them automatically pick the best scale for the reading.

An analog meter is easier to get an approximate voltage reading from a distance, which is often necessary in trouble shooting automotive electric circuits. Depending on the scale size and voltage ranges a good Simpson VOM can be accurate to o.001V, but most of them were accurate to 0.01V, if you had the correct scale for the target voltage.

A good analog meter is very useful in vintage automotive circuits where you only need to know what the voltage is withing 0.1V. For 6 volt circuits a 10 volt range is the best one to use and for a 12 volt circuits, the best range is 20 volts. These ranges put most of th ereadings in the center of the scale where the meter is the most accurate.

Tom

LarryK

07-20-2020 @ 3:50 AM

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Thanks everyone. You have given me much to consider.

Larry

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