Forgotten how to read ohmeter

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Thu 2 Feb 2006 08:13
Forgotten how to read ohmeter - Mikey Jay
I cant quite work out what the different numbers on the digital multimeter I bought yesterday from Henry's in Edgware road. Its a Skytronic model 600.219. The scale reads 200,2k,20K,200K,2M,20M.
Does this mean for example that the first number means you can read resistances up to 200 ohms, the next up to 2K and so on? Is 1 Meg ohm equal to 1,000,000 ohms? I know how to check resistances using my analogue meter. If anyone has got a moment to give me a quick run down on checking resistances and getting the point in the right place I would be grateful as I have forgotten how to do this. At least you dont have to zero a digital meter. Its just that I dont quite understand what the above numbers mean. Many thanks.Mike
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Thu 2 Feb 2006 08:23
Forgotten how to read ohmeter - Deryck Tintagel
I am not familiar with the model but ...

Yes, the 200 range will, as you said, read up to 200 Ohms, and so on. The higher the range the lower the resolution, ie. the 200 Ohm range may read to one decimal place, the 2kOhm range to no decimal places.

With a digital meter if the resistance is higher than the range selected you may get something like a "_" or a "1" in the left most digit (or both) displayed to indicate this. Open circuiting the probes should give you an idea. If this happens just select the next range up. Alternatively, select the highest range and work down if you don't know what the value is likely to be.

Again, yes 1MOhm is 1000000 Ohms
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Thu 2 Feb 2006 09:51
Forgotten how to read ohmeter - Galaxy
MJ,

But you do know how to read the Digital Multimeter; everything you have said is perfectly correct. Believe me, if you can read resistance on the Analogue Meter (e.g. Avometer) you will find it considerably easier to read the same with the Digital! You won't have any difficulty whatsoever.

The only thing that I would just add is don't try to read the same resistance with both meters simultaneously! They are both voltage sources when set to measure resistance, that's how it's measured, and, whilst it's unlikely you would damage anything, you would obtain two completely different and wrong readings.
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Thu 2 Feb 2006 15:32
Forgotten how to read ohmeter - Cliff Pope
In my experience the internal battery does not have a long life, and the readings become erratic when it starts to fail. A good indication is when the buzzer facility, if yours has one, stops buzzing when using the lowest range.
This won't be your problem for a while, unless it had been in stock a long time. Just remember it does need the battery, unlike the voltage and current functions.
I always like to touch the two probes together before testing, just to reassure myself that it is working and reading nil.
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Thu 2 Feb 2006 18:30
Forgotten how to read ohmeter - Mikey Jay
Many thanks for your replies which were very helpful. Deryck thanks for the point about resolution. All the best, Mike.
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