got a new toy

Thread Starter

electronis whiz

Joined Jul 29, 2010
512
Earlier this week I was given an old bench style keithley DMM. I found the manual it was copyright 1979. So it is 30 years old and still appears to work nearly perfectly. It even does a decent job of 0ing out on ohm by itself. I have had other DMMs that will register like 1-3 ohms just for the leads. It was in one of the community colledge computer department labs for the computer classes I’m taking we were having problems with a system so we checked the CMOS battery with it. The teacher looked at it and was like you want it?
I was like sure. Because they have a whole box of the newer palm style witch is what the books for classes that discus them use. And for most students with little prior electronics experience could be hard to run.

I remember another teacher trying to use it but had no idea how and I looked at it and after a minute had an idea how to run it. But he refused to let me use it or help him use it. Even though I have been doing electronics for 11-12 yrs. we now have a new instructor because the other left for another job. And looking back on it and from what I have heard students and other staff say about the privious guy. It sounds like if he doesn’t know something none of his students will. (Not to brag: but getting the meter home and using it in the class for a minute made me feel like I did know what I was talking about then. even though the teacher made me feel like I knew nothing.)
 
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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Depending on the browser you use there are many packages that offer real time spell checking while you type. This site will direct you to one on the edit and you use the spell check feature on the post box. It is this button on top of the post box (
).
 

Thread Starter

electronis whiz

Joined Jul 29, 2010
512
I am going to look into the manual for the meter hopefully tomorrow there appears to be some functions that are not marked as doing anything on the control panel. It has a 20M ohm button but it also appears to do something for voltage and amperage also but has no labels as to what. The display shows the units sort of odd when used on the other so I will look into what they mean. If I find nothing I will post with some more info on what I find. I guess it seems odd it does something for something it does not indicate. I’m not sure weather it’s a glitch or some setting that the values got wore off or forgot. And if these settings will acutely do anything without messing up the meter or work at all.
 
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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Lighten up guys, this isn't All About Reading. :D

I like new toys. I also like pictures of new toys (hint, hint).
 

Thread Starter

electronis whiz

Joined Jul 29, 2010
512
i just fpound the diplay diagram in the manual. the ones that come on when the 20Mohm button is pushed. the volateg and amp show nothing for this button but the display does somthing. when set to voltage with this button set it shows VMK. witch acording to the manual V =voltage, M =mega, K= kilo. i'm not sure what that means the manual says it will mesure <200MV-1KV. and all of those have buttons.
on amprage it displays MA M K. the manual here too says amperage 200U-2000MA with other buttons for that.
if anybody has an idea of what this does i would like to know. i'm starting to wonder if that is an auto rangeing feature. but it has buttons for values it seems odd it would use both.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415

OK, I used that meter way back when. It was over 20 years ago at least.
 

Thread Starter

electronis whiz

Joined Jul 29, 2010
512
cool. i'm kind of surprised it was digital and still working near perfectly for its age. i have seen things before though about meters like this that they seem to last forever.
i have had some cheap digitals before like $5-10 from a hardware store they work ok but not nearly as acurate as this is. then die after 5-8 years. i just had a regal die on me for some reason but ohms still apear to work, and maybey the diode and tensistor tester. but im not sure the transistor part ever worked properly. i have another tester i built from a kit i usily prefer to use because. 1. it tests them 2. it identifies the type.
 

Thread Starter

electronis whiz

Joined Jul 29, 2010
512
i googled it thats what it looked like. why the clicking a transformer to drive the tubes?
i ran across that same video but didn't hear it doing any clicking.
 
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