multimeter suggestions

[BOOTY MONSTER]

so i got some old coax and conectors ive been pratcing my soldering on trying to develop something that resembles soldering skills . i think i can at least solder on a pl259 onto coax correctly now . i want to get a cheap multi meter to check them with . i want to be sure that if a build a cable or jumper that it isnt shorted and that the the shield ,conductor and 259 are solidly soldered together . ive never had or userd a multi meter . im thinking something inexpensive should work . is a digital display better than a analog one ? do i just need a cheap one ? id kinda like a lil room to grow ......maybe (later on) be able to measure a cables impedance or an antennas . mostly i just wanna make damn sure if i build a cable or jumper that its not gonna hurt what ever i put it on . what do y'all recomend ?

 

[Seminoles]

Just to check cables you could just use a light bulb and battery (continuity tester) but any multi meter will work it's like everything else you get what you pay for I love my BK hand held had it since the 80's it dose volts AC/DC, OHMS, DIODES, CAPS, TRANSISTORS, and AMPS be very careful on the amps saw a guy blowup one in his hands and I mean in pieces kind of blowup what some people will do with aluminum foil and a fuse. The FLUKE meters you can get in auto parts stores are very good and take lots of abuse digital is good for electronics unless you work on old Toyota's that have fuel injection then you need an analog to see the ohm's swing the digital ones just change numbers to quick to set the mass air flow sensor.

 

[W5LZ]

'BOOTY',
It depends entirely on how 'serious' you think you might be getting about the whole thing. If you don't expect to be doing a lot of building or testing or fixing in the future, almost any multimeter will work just fine. If you do expect to do any of the above, and if you expect you'll need very high accuracy at some point, then a 'better' multimeter is probably a good idea. If checking continuity is the main thing, find a bargain meter from whoever is having a clearance sale. ('Nuthin says you can't up-grade later.)
Digital or analogue read-outs.
Lots of personal preference there. If I'm reading something that shouldn't vary a lot, I like a digital read out. If I'm reading something that varies, or if the rate of change is informative, I like an analogue read-out. Most readings I take with a multimeter are things that ~ought~ to be fairly stable, and the digital thingy works just fine. Besides, it was cheaper than the "260" I used to have (it's still around here somewhere, just can't find it!). Ease of use is strictly a matter of whatever you get used to using...
- 'Doc

 

[loosecannon]

i say go digital.
you can get a halfway decent one for 20.00.
you can also get a totally crappy one for 10.00.LOL
pay between 20-50 and you'll be happy.
i like the audible continuity feature so i dont have to look at the meter.
loosecannon

 

[Beetle]

I agree with 'Doc. Neither meter (analog or digital) is inherently "better" than the other, although for certain applications, the analog is much more suitable.

For example: say you have a coil and a variable capacitor in parallel and you're trying to find the resonant frequency. This would be indicated by a very sharp dip in the meter reading. With an analog meter, you can clearly see this and plot the exact lowest point, the 3 dB points and so forth. A digital meter would be a meaningless jumble of numbers for maybe several seconds before things quieted down. Then you'd record this reading and have to make a small change (and you wouldn't know in which direction), wait for the display to stop jumping...it'd be a long, tedious process.

Still, if what you're looking for is mainly for resistance checks on coax, I'd get the best DMM I could afford, with as many features as possible. You might not need them yet, but if you continue with electronics and radio, they will.

Then save your money for either a good used Simpson 260 or the military equivalent, the AN/PSM-4 ("C" model or later). Any meter you buy used, be sure that ALL the functions work. Be especially careful on the Rx1 and Rx10 ranges. These are frequently blown out by some so-called "technician" who checks resistance to ground and then checks voltage without switching meter functions.

Same way with current ranges. Like Seminoles said, you can literally blow up a perfectly good meter if you don't know what you're doing, and the current ranges are a perfect place for this to happen.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i found this at wally world for $25 . will this allow me to check coax and maybe later (if i aquire the knowledge and skill) be usefull for doing modifications and/or small fixes on radios and amps .

http://www.iequus.com/product_info.php?product_id=3320&category_id=1

i really like the large display and the rubber protective corners . is innova a ok brand name for multimeters ? im sure its no fluke but for $25 if yall say itll do then it seems good enough for me . would anyone recomend something else in a similar price range ?

thanks again