/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1507810

wrong board. the really cool tech guys are all on >>>/b/

>>1507811
this is diy. just point me to the rjght direction

>>1507812

I already did. /diy/ is the wrong board for YOU. you will find your kind of crowd on >>>/b/

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/

>>1507863
thank you based anon

>>1507810
Spend a few grand on tools and meters and the rest will follow

>>1507869
>he bought a fucking Klein multimeter

The stupidity just never ends with you does it?

>Spend a few grand on tools and meters and the rest will follow

Nope, I guess it doesnt. I didnt think id ever see a gearfag gloating about cheap tools, but here we are.

>>1507810
>make a reasonable goal
>learn technical information pertaining to that goal
>buy tools and materials to complete your goal

>>1507882
I’m halfway convinced the Klein and Southwire meters are made in the same place.

And what’s wrong with the Klein? Is it supposed to be either $25 Aliexpress meter if you’re poor otherwise you NEED a Fluke? I haven’t had any issues with either of them, and I’ll buy a damn Fluke one day when I actually understand what I’m doing with the things. When I bought the Klein, I thought you could measure the amps going through a circuit by sticking the + lead on the + terminal of the battery and the - lead on the - terminal. I learned from my mistakes after a couple blown fuses.

>>1507810
start lurking on the arduino threads
also /ohm/ general

>>1507882
whats wrong with Klein multi meters?
i just bought one. nothing wrong with it.

>>1507889
>I’m halfway convinced the Klein and Southwire meters are made in the same place.

Southwire is a fucking Lowes house brand, its not a real brand. And I wouldnt doubt a cheap shitty lowes house brand being identical to the Klein.

> Is it supposed to be either $25 Aliexpress meter if you’re poor otherwise you NEED a Fluke?

You BOUGHT a 20$ aliexpress meter, just with Kleins name on it.

>>1507894
>whats wrong with Klein multi meters?

Nothing if you enjoy paying a lot more for a name.
You can buy a Uni-T for the same price and get a much better multimeter with more features, same build quality, same warranty because you arent paying the Klein and Lowes Shelf tax.

Remember that even Fluke boards are made in china now. Only a few manufacturers so its up to picking the features you want at the pricepoint you want. Klein is one of the bigger ripoffs when you get right down to specs.

>>1507905
Kek, the response I expected.

The price difference isn’t as big as you make it out to be. There are basic Klein meters for $30-$40 that are close to a no name Amazon meter for $25. The $70 meter like I got, those same features would be about $40 on an Amazon meter, but the Klein ones have some decent features like the drop protection and you can be a little more confident that Klein isn’t trying to put their name on a meter that will give you false readings right out of the box whereas Unitekcity from Amazon doesn’t care about their brand so much since it won’t be around in two years.

And that Southwire wasn’t really a bad deal. It was $80 and it reade DC amps. There is a Uni-T that will read DC, but it’s tiny and made for lower voltages and currents so you can’t really compare the two. The only clamps that would read DC current for significantly less money were very questionable brands.

I understand they’re not Fluke meters, but there’s a reason I didn’t order off Aliexpress. Gives me more peace of mind having testing equipment with a real warranty and return policy from a brand that will still exist in 18 months.

Speaking of meters, I grabbed pic related the other day. Good ol’ Craftsman. $6 for some extra long leads, the clamps, and the mini hooks.

>>1507905
ok. i didnt know. what a disappointment even Fluke is china crap.
well, this is my only digital meter atm. so i was planning to buy another one eventually. i'll look at uni-t next time.
i really wanted a Fluke but got frustrated while comparing all the different models so i went with the Klein MM700 because it sounded like a good one for hobby electronics

>>1507930
Meh he’s just talking shit. Uni-T’s are one of the better less known brands, but they aren’t even that much cheaper than the Kleins. The ones where you really save money, like the multitude of $40 “1000V True RMS” meters on Amazon are of questionable origin and I would not want to put 240V+ into those leads.

There was some anon a week or two who had a cheap meter supposedly rated to 600V and I think his leads fried when he started touching 110V+.

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/multimeter-spreadsheet/

>>1507933
yeah im not worried. i only paid about $40 for my Klein MM700. and it had like 90% 4 and 5 star reviews

>>1507937
Oh damn, where did you get that price from? Those things are normally $100. At $40, you would be hard pressed to find even the shittiest Chinese brands that claim to have the same features.

>>1507919
>Kek, the response I expected.

So you knew you were overpaying for literally nothing? And you did it anyways?

But hey at least you can brag online about spending "thousands" of dollars on tools amirite?

>>1507882
I have a klein mm600 and its really not bad at all. Nice big display, nice backlight, feels solid and even measures microamps unlike most fluke meters under $400 (except those Chinese market ones with no warranty lol).

>>1507867
>how many pairs you splicing?
'Bout 2 or 4 my man
>you are a little baby. Watch this....
>MS2

>>1507941
i got it off of Amazon. i just reviewed the order info. i guess i actually paid $99.97 lol
sorry i was being retarded idk why i thought it was $40

>>1508131
whats that?

>>1508138
3m ms2

>>1508150
>3m ms2
>Super Splicing Module

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViYveJS1Bhs

>all them splicings.
dang that's kinda cool

>>1508137
>mm700

i like it so far. Only other meter I have is this little analog unit I've had for damn near 20 years

I suppose I'm going to need at least one more digital handheld meter soon. But eventually I'd also like to get one of those digital bench top meters

>>1507971
It’s not overspending if you value having a brand you can somewhat trust. I would say the extra $20 was worth it so I don’t have to second guess every reading I get.

So buying a Fluke must be a huge fuckin waste of money, right?

>>1508161
Maybe think about a clamp meter for your second handheld one. I’m already thinking about a third, but I would really like a scope.

>>1508245
>I would say the extra $20 was worth it so I don’t have to second guess every reading I get.

But they have the same boards and same quality control

>So buying a Fluke must be a huge fuckin waste of money, right?

Any actual EE will tell you that Flukes are straight garbage and are only popular because retard electricians like to drop their meters 20 feet onto the concrete.
So if you actually want accuracy and repeat ability, they are a waste of money because you are buying a big overbuilt plastic shell.

Its like you did literally 0 research before you bought the damn thing

>>1508251
>0 research
This is untrue. I did research. It was poor research, but it was research nonetheless.

>same QC
This is debatable. I understand that a few of my doll hairs went to the marketing joos and Home Depot, but even coming from the same factory, Klein is likely to have better QC than Shintek because they actually care about their brand.

>>1508415
I said to buy the Uni-T because they are the OEM who badges all the other meters

>>1508454
Those are straight, but they aren’t significantly cheaper than Klein or Southwire for the same options.

>OP about getting started in electronics
This thread is a good example of why tripfaggotry is cancer

>>1508245
i have a wish list im up to $1000 for a benchtop 2channel dmm, 4 channel scope and a 3channel variable pwr supply

>>1508683
>i have a wish list im up to $1000 for a benchtop 2channel dmm, 4 channel scope and a 3channel variable pwr supply

scope, pic related.

2 channel dmm, or 2 dmms, not too expensive, depending on who you listen to. very few people need to know ANYTHING to huge certified precision, in my opinion. quite often you just need to be able to measure a change that you have made.

3 channel pwr supply. why? could you get by with a single channel power supply, and maybe a 30 buck ATX PC power supply for 5, 12, 3.3 voltages?

>>1508699
that is about eca3ctly the scope I'm looking at. im sure your right. i could prob get those 3 items for $800 or less.
only reason i was looking at the 3ch pwr supply was its only another $25 or so, more than some of the 1 or 2ch ones in the $50 to $100 range.

for the units I'm looking at (approx.)
scope - $400
2ch dmm - $300
pwr supply - $120

>>1508699
>5, 12, 3.3 voltages?
yes that's pretty much all i need for 90% of what i'll be working on.

i have no wife, no kids, no debt, no other hobbies that need money spent on them. $75k/yr income. 50% of which goes straight into savings usually.
i figure i dont blow money on typical useless crap like most people, cant hurt to spend a few grand on some decent tools, even if its just a hobby. its my only hobby that requires money at the moment.

>>1508705

i think you have more money than I do, so go with your original plan. nice equipment is nice.

however, will you want a function generator, a frequency meter, logic analyzer, etc?

one can never have too many tools. pic related is about 10 bucks and competes well with high dollar devices.

>>1508714
i figured i'd add those things too, eventually. that little logic analyzer looks like a sweet deal.
it may sound like overkill for a casual hobbyist like myself, but once i get to the real work on some of my planned projects, i will legitimately have a use for them

>>1508719
>>1507810
If you dont already have a soldering iron, grab one of them $99 hot air\soldering station\power supply combos. They are pretty good for the price and a massive step up from a cheap soldering iron. The built in power supply is pretty handy too, even if its only 15v 1A max. I use that power supply way more often than my 600w bench power supply.

another good thing to get would be a buck boost converter, and use an old laptop charger with it. for like $5 you can grab a usable one with a display on it.

Also a multi meter is very handy to have. Try get a few of the cheap $3 ones, and 1 nicer one. the vici99 meter is quite cheap and fairly decent. Has a frequency counter and thermometer built in too which is neat

>>1509651
>>1508714
>>1507810

the logic analyser is great for the price too. keep an eye out for a cheap laptop you can keep in your lab\workbench.
grab a cheap arduino uno\nano. handy for various tasks and cheap enough.

watch BigClive videos on youtube. he opens up common electronics, reverse engineers and explains how they work. pretty good to get a general understanding on most things electronic.
If you are new to soldering, grab one of them solder kits from ebay. try get both surface mount and through hole kits (its better to practice and destroy a $1 learning board than something you are genuinely trying to fix). they come with a small variety of parts.

As for reading material, maybe look into short circuit? they were aimed at kids in the 80s, but they have been updating them all the time and new editions are still made. Really simple circuits you can make for cheap, with explanations and fairly useful (like logic)

It sounds like you are older, so try and avoid learning on a breadboard as soldering experience is always great (desoldering doesnt take long at all if you free solder it all)

>>1508454
Did I do gud? These were on clearance for $7 at Wally World, website said only one store nearby had them and one left in stock. Was priced wrong otherwise they would be gone. There was a 2nd and I almost grabbed it because it was $7.

>>1511335
Yup, top notch Walmart quality! Best meter you could get for $7, but they probably could’ve saved a few cents by not including the k-type adapter since the temp probe goes straight into the meter.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons they put it on clearance. Plus people aren’t buying a $30 meter from Walmart, they’re buying the $10 model and stealing the $30 one.

>>1511335
huh, thats weird. It looks he same as mine under a different brand.

>>1511352
It probably is. Like anon was saying earlier, tons of them are made by the same OE. Look for “Intertek” somewhere on the meter, I’m guessing that is the company that makes em.

Walmart’s Hyper Tough brand is all contracted out too. You will see lots of the same stuff with different generic brands. *Some* of it isn’t all that terrible and not manufactured to be the cheapest possible crap, but rather a generic version of a name brand product that costs 30% more.

>tfw the leads are good for 600V but the caps will fry over 300V
I bet it will do 600V, but it’s a precaution because they don’t want anybody who would buy a Walmart meter to go near anything higher than household voltages.

That thing ain’t half bad for $7. Has a backlight, loud chime for continuity and NCV, stand to keep it upright, and I cut those stupid useless tabs off since there was no good method to wrap the leads around them anyway. The display is a little dim but now I’m about to test the batteries.

The NCV feature on these is straight though. It has 4 bars telling you how close you are to live power, bright red light, and loud beep.

>>1511352
Slightly different specs after looking at it... yours doesn’t have the NCV and light, but instead has a diode test and a third battery compared to two in the Wally one.

>>1511356
>>1511352
>>1511342
>>1511335
>>1511358
what does the 'battery test' function do??? display the current voltage divided by the BNIB voltage as a percentage? eg, 75%

>>1511358
>>1511356
That's nice. Care to explain this?
>>1511516

>>1507810
Learn Kirchoff's laws before you start any new-fangled house fires.

>>1507810
go buy a electronics kit on eBay or Amazon

>>1511830
I gotta see when I get home. I think the free HF meters have a 9V battery test function as well.

>>1511907
Anon thinks he can catch samefagging, but he can’t. And then tries to >imply way too much from it.

>>1511956
I’m amazed that I haven’t had to call up Geico yet. I do have to say I was disappointed at the results when I shot a pellet gun at some old Li-Ion cells.

>pic related
>desoldering with Bepis

somebody swiped my fluke, so now i have the klein mm600 in my service truck, it works fine for me

>>1511830
Welp, I might be using it wrong but I think it’s 3 more settings for a basic voltmeter so they can advertise “29 Functions!”

>>1513498
What do you do? Does the lack of “True RMS” ever screw you up compared to the MM700? I still think about that, whether I should’ve spent the extra $30 for the TRMS and Lo-Z functions. My Southwire is True RMS though so I guess I can use that if I run into a situation where I need it.

>>1511830
>>1513628
Confirmed, battery test is useless. I don’t understand why they would even do that. Must be a marketing thing so housewives will buy the more expensive meter so they can test their AA batteries and have no clue what the readings mean,

>>1513628
>>1513631
i thought the battery test applied a small load to the battery, to get a different reading than a straight voltage test?

>>1513631
>What do you do? Does the lack of “True RMS” ever screw you up compared to the MM700?
i use the meter to confirm voltages and continuity, and diagnose opens/shorts in industrial machines and and the plcs that run them, the lack of true rms hasnt fucked me over yet, but thanks for bringing it up, it probably will tomorrow lol

So I just got a bunch of spin blade wheely-bobbers to go with all those damned motors and servos I bought

what do with them?

>>1513647
jk, i'm going to make some mini-oscilating fans

maybe i'll make a solder fume extractor box too

then I'll make some oscillating mini-search lights or something

>>1513641
Hmm I guess it does. So if the battery is dying, even if it still reads around 1.50V with no load, the drop will be much higher, right?

>>1513658
>the drop will be much higher
right, at least thats my understanding, its a small load tho, for testing low mah batteries like lr44 or 9v batteries

>>1513662
Here’s a Chinesium HF AAA that came in one of their free lights. Wish I had some Energizer Lithium AAAs nearby because it would be interesting to see the drop between the two, I’m assuming it would be much lower on the lithium even if they were reading the same with no load.

>>1513686
the drop would be less on the lithium because the capacity of the batteria is higher

>>1513691
Yeah but doesn’t it also depend on the amount of current the battery can put out? Like if you had two identical car batteries charged to 12.5V, one is new and the other is 5 years old, wouldn’t the drop be higher? Or two 2000mAh 18650s, one is rated at 15A max discharge and the other at 25A, would they be different on a test like that given they start with the same voltage?

>>1513708
youre specifically testing the capacity, not the discharge current.
the load in the dvom is around 300milliamps i think,i doubt it would show a difference on a car battery because of the huge battery capacity.
automotive battery load testers are 100 amps

>>1513641
>to confirm voltages and continuity, and diagnose opens/shorts in industrial machines and and the plcs that run them

Of course it won't hurt you then. True RMS is for screwy AC signals.