cheapo multimeter

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 14 May 2005, 22:43

My local Tesco was knocking out Praktica 8X40 bins for £6.51 last year! WBM enjoys birdwatching.
as for the multimeter, if you can get one for £3, an LM35 chip for another fiver will make you a very good digital engine temperature gauge. E mail me if you'd like details.

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 14 May 2005, 23:17

I had the house alarm serviced (to comply with terms of my insurance) recently. The engineer left his multimeter behind.
Apparently they have to have then calibrated every year but it is cheaper to just replace them.
So if you know an alarm engineer.....[;)]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 15 May 2005, 00:31

The cheapo ones don't come with a certificate of calibration, the expensive ones do, it's part of the price. I've never know a multimeter to lose it's calibration, solid state electronics tends to last pretty much for ever unless you do something bad to it.

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 15 May 2005, 01:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My local Tesco was knocking out Praktica 8X40 bins for £6.51 last year! WBM enjoys birdwatching.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Comparing the Praktikas to the Meades is like comparing the ride of an Astra to that of a BX- go to Lidls and get her indoors the Meades if they have any left: she'll buy you a 16vBX for christmas- the Meades really are VERY good for the money!!!!
See-http://www.popastro.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=421, not quite as big a forum as this but equally as knowledgable!!!!

DLM · Post by **DLM** » 15 May 2005, 15:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My most recent bargain was a Makro special <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I have found the ocasional Makro bargain too (notably a cheapo Kingavon booster battery that has helped me many times with recalcitrant BXs).
However, it's worth noting that Makro is far and away the cheapest place to buy a new Haynes BOL - just make absolutely sure they don't try to charge VAT though (books are still zero-rated for VAT in the UK).

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 16 May 2005, 20:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stuart McB

Do the Lidl still do catering size tins of kidney beans?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
A fart in every bean......
So, Stuart, you are on LPG now?

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 16 May 2005, 20:26

I got about four of the meters from Maplin to carry in the garage and fleet about 2 years ago - one has had a new battery, and the all still work!
Even have a circuit diagram for them

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 20 May 2005, 04:25

Slightly off topic, but Aldi seems to have a good selection of items coming in.
http://uk.aldi.com/special_buys/index.html
£5.99 for a multimeter, but it looks better than the Maplin one.

Forth · Post by **Forth** » 23 May 2005, 04:57

Good week coming up at Aldi.... the multimeter is hard to resist, I'm certainly getting one and so's a friend; and their 100mm vice and the Audioline tv digital box thingie also look well worth considering.
btw: keep an eye out at Lidl for their stainless steel wooden-handled spades coming back in; dead cheap but the best spade at any price I've ever used.