Just a thought but is there anyone out there who has used a multimeter and is able to give a few pointers on how it's done.

If, like me, you own one and just wrestle with it every time and aren't sure of what you're looking at then can someone give us a few tips?  What can they be used for?  What can they measure & how is is measured?

I'm talking about these guys....

Depends on what you want to measure and what your multimeter is capable of measuring.

A basic unit should be able to measure voltage, current and continuity.

More specialist units can also measure capacitance, resistance, frequency and so on.

I have one but haven't a clue how to use it properly, even basic stuff is a struggle!

I understand what they can measure I just don't really know how in practice to do it...for example I'd love to LED-up a cheap box for fun but I don't really know how to check where to solder into the power.

So I'd be interested in any basic tips or instructions too

I sometimes use mine to measure the voltage of batteries. Set (Digital Multimeter) DMM to VDC > nominal value of battery and connect up the probes to the terminals to get a value. 0 or close to 0=dead battery.

For problematic PCBs I use the continuity function to trace tracks on the powered off PCB to confirm if they are unbroken. Touching the probes to together first will confirm with the sound of the buzzer from the DMM. The same should happen on the PCB

I have an ESR meter I use to test for dead capacitors. A really low value will indicate a good capacitor. A high value will indicate a dead or dying capacitor. Values vary depending on size, type, and brand of capacitor.

I use the continuity function to also check the transistors to see if they are still responding. Depending on the type of transistor and pin connections you should either get a sound on the buzzer and or measure a value close to 1 or nothing at all. If you get nothing at all with any combination of connections, then it is probably a fried transistor.

i use the resistance function to double check values on the components. Set the meter to a higher rated max value and touch opposite ends of the resistor. Meter should come back with a value close to the component, otherwise it is a faulty resistor.

6.5 Ohm's:  Good Aiwa 8 Ohm 4 inch speaker, bad surrounds.

very handy to have you can test a variety of components / power feeds etc but using them can be head scratching at times.

+1

For people looking for a mutimeter. One thing to add is, don't buy a cheap chinese one to save a buck, as they are unsafe and don't meet specs.  

Great topic AO.

I have one and primarily use it for continuity and voltage determination. After reading this post and some of DocP's links, I'm tempted to break something so I have an excuse to use it properly now

.....where's my wife's phone........

fine cause for a thread AO -

and thanks alot DocP for those great links 

i love my fluke 

I have that same exact meter! I've had it for years.

Some great answers here...

The cheap ones aren't that bad but you need to know what you're looking at, some just aren't designed for challenging tasks.  To avoid dangerous arc blasts you need to ensure you get one that meets the highest voltage you will be working with. So, pick a meter that is rated for the highest category possible and you must ensure it has test leads that are certified to the category and voltage at the same level or greater than the meter.

When doing voltage checks make sure you use a good known ground to test against and use the schematic to guide your results. Set the DMM to an appropriate voltage, usually 20V will do as components and lines along the circuit are always less than this.

Checking resistors you should raise one of the legs out of the circuit as the rest of the circuit will usually affect the result if tested when in circuit.

Resistors are measured in ohms so place the selector on ohms and move it up or down depending on the value of the resistor.

Continuity testing is useful periodically so you should get used to using the DMM with that along with voltage testing accurately and properly first, I use continuity a lot to test fuses.

Testing transistors and diodes is a natural progression once you are comfortable with checking voltages.

I taught myself and was a bit overwhelmed at first but trying things out and learning from mistakes is what electronics is all about. Reading is particularly useful for electronics and understanding how to test is particularly important but more important is understanding the results and what that means to the circuit, this takes a lot of practice.

Being able to read and follow a schematic is equally as important to ensure you know what it is you are looking for and how to test it.

I taught myself and was a bit overwhelmed at first but trying things out and learning from mistakes is what electronics is all about. Reading is particularly useful for electronics and understanding how to test is particularly important but more important is understanding the results and what that means to the circuit, this takes a lot of practice.          bang on dave     

Great topic....many Headphone enthusiasts use them as well..on their phones....takes a skill indeed