Hi all, I’m new to these forums so a simple question.

My digital multimeter manual says when reading AC and DC current the ranges are from 40mA to 400mA on one setting, and from 4A to 10A on the other.

So what about readings above 400mA and below 4A?

I get a overload error on the mA setting for the circuit I am testing and the A reading doesn’t make sense to me.

Thanks.

 

Build a current divider for testing your stuff above 400Ma. It will prevent damage to your DVOM if you overload it too often.
Bob

 

You can use the high range 4-10A setting to read currents less than 4A, but the lower the reading the less accurate it will be on that scale. The 4-10 spec probably means the meter is 'accurate' in that range on that scale. (whatever accurate means nowadays)

 

Never seen a digital meter with such strange, discontinue current ranges.

Can you show us a picture of the range dial of the meter, please.

 

What is the brand and model number?

Would you happen to have a link to an identical meter online, at a sales site or similar?

 

It’s a UNI-T, UT60A.
Here’s is a link to site: http://www.uni-trend.com/UT60A.html#

This was from manual:

I am trying to test a circuit which i think is between 500mA to 1A.

 

Forget the Hz thing, you have 3 ranges, each of which has 2 internally selected auto-ranges

uA goes 0 to 400uA, or 0 to 4000uA (same as 0 to 0.4mA, or 0 to 4 mA)
mA goes 0 to 40mA, or 0 to 400mA
A goes 0 to 4A (same as 4000mA), or 0 to 10A (you would think 40A, but there is probably a fuse)

So your ranges all start at zero and go to

    0.4 mA - uA range
    4   mA - uA range
   40   mA - mA range
  400   mA - mA range
 4000   mA -  A range
10000   mA -  A range

It should be simple now.

The only thing is, if you have already blown the current fuse, the 'A' range (at least) will not work correctly.

 

Ok i understand now.

The A reading i didn't get was 0.25 which would be 250 mA? (4A to 10A setting)
But when i had it on 40mA to 400mA it was overloading which means it should be a lot higher than 250mA?
I am right in that?

 

that would normally be right. Check your fuse, it might be blown, which would make the high current readings lie. If you accidentally try to measure a voltage while the meter is set up for current, you will blow it right away. (At least 9 out of 10 meters in the world have blown fuses, higher than that for people new to meters.)

You usually have to open the case to get to it.

 

Yes i checked the fuse and it was ok.
So that means the reading must still be above 400 mA?

 

Hard to tell from here, but if it was over-range on the lower setting, assuming that the meter is working right, then it was above 400mA. Why it would then say 250 on the higher range is unknown.

Sometimes, the meter itself can change the operation of the device it is hooked to. The 'amp meter' actually measures the voltage across a known resistor (usually a low value) that is inside the meter. This can mess up some circuits. Or the device you're measuring could just happen to change while you're measuring.

Like I said, hard to tell from here. Just keep messing with it, you'll figure it out.