Are any alligator clips made to fit over or somehow attach to the probes that come with multimeters so they can be used hands-free, as when attaching the clips to rails? I gathered that was the purpose of alligator clips. Even my local Ace Hardware was at a loss. Or, must the clips be soldered to the probes?
If so, who sells them?
Thanks!
Is this what you’re looking for.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
That’s the Tip of the Week [yeah]
Edit: I thought they were cheaper on Ebay. I looked at 20 some pages of alligator clips and if they don’t have a connector that you can see, they are just plastic covered alligator clips that you have to solder a wire to.
here is what i use
only i got mine through snap on.
doctorin’ up your link
thanks BD don,y know why it don,t work.
I got a set of probes and a set of alligator clips with my inexpensive Canadian Tire meter.
I bought a set of different sizes some years ago from Harbor Freight where I bought my multimeters. Cheap enough.
Over the years, these small clips have been very valuable when working on small electonic projects.
I started using them when working for NASA in 1972. First time I saw them with TTL IC’s. Never knew what the name was until recently. We called them flea clips.
Rich
Those small clips are invaluable for working with ICs, it’s far too easy to short adjecent pins with regular probes, which can be a disaster. I also have a set of them that have female dupont connectors on one end to use with my logic analyzer.
For test leasd I bought a complete set like thise (actually several - I have 3 ‘real’ handheld DMMs, once an old Fluke 8060A which didn;t come with test leasts, and I have 3 bench meters, all of which came with a single set of leads, but 2 of them have the capability for 4 wire resistor measurements as well as dual display of volts and amps at the same time, so I needed more probes anyway):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012VWUI6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The GOOD ones are by Pomona, but they also cost more - but probably worth it, much better made, silicon insulation, etc:
–Randy
Mel,
Perhaps, but getting close. The ratings on Amazon are not very favorable.
The tips of my probes are 1/16" (.062") wide; the plastic base in which they’re embedded is 1/4" wide. The clips are advertised as slipping onto tips of .080" width. Think these will fit snuggly enough on what I have?
Pricey little fellas too.
What meter do you have? If the probes plug in to the meter with standard banana plugs, the Elenco set I linked will give you everything you need (and probably better overall probes in addition to workign alligator clips)
–Randy
Randy,
Elenco? One link shows Extech TL809, the other Pomona 6343. I have a Cen-Tech digital multimeter.
What are banana plugs? ICs?
A IC is an integrated circuit.
Banana plug.
I also have several Cen-Tech meters and the probes measure .079”.
I didn’t notice bad reviews on the Amazon clips, sorry about that. I have several that came with my Fluke meters and rarely use them but the quality is very good.
Truth be told I make my own clips from parts off eBay. I prefer smaller wire than the standard multimeter wire when I’m working on my trains and electronics.
I buy meter test sockets and the smaller clip probes. I use 12” to 24” number 28awg wire between the test sockets and the test clip.
Sorry, Extech are the ones I have. I have other stuff from Elenco and I’m old and easily confused.
They won’t fit the Centech meters. They don’t use standard size banana plugs on their probe leads. So you’ll have to work with the kind that the existing probes slip over. Or make up your own. Or just get a pack of the leads with alligator clis on both ends, clip one to the probe tip and clip the other end to the circuit you are trying to test.
–Randy
Something like this
–Randy
Randy,
Ah! And thanks for the suggestion of the double-ended clips. Good option there.
Randy,
Now that’s an option I can live with! Only nine pairs too many for my needs, though. Any takers for the extras?! [:D]
They also come with a 97% high approval rating on Amazon as well!
And thanks for the lead to a new supplier.
You can always use them for many things. I probably have a coupel dozen pairs of those.
Like onnecting a spare piece of flex track to a DC power pack to test a loco on DC - just turn out the screws a bit on the power pack and clip the croc clips (that’s Aussie for alligator clips) (no I’m not aussie) on the the screws and to the rails. Bingo, instant power.
–Randy
.
Fluke makes exactly what you are asking for.
.
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They also make special probes that are threaded and a special set of aliigator clips threads onto them.
.
I use this set. It is fully CAT IV compliant, and it works wonderfully. It is also by Fluke. The ends slide onto insulated banana clips on the test leads. The leads are super flexible.
.
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That set is around $100.00, and worth it.
.
-Kevin
.
While those are the kind of leads I would want for my good meters (and two of my Flukes do have genuine Fluke test leads), now that we know the OP has Centech meter, $100 probes for a $5 meter are kind of nuts.
Cat IV rating - well, despite the scale being present on the Centech to read house current, the last thing I would ever use for checking house wiring would be one of those. I have at least a half dozen of them laying around. They’re plenty for model railroad use, if that’s all you do there is no point in buying a more expensive meter. I’ve seen people selling the Centech ones at train shows for as much as $20 - but it’s the exact same meter you get a Harbor Freight for $5, $1 or even free if you watch the coupons. They do work. They are more accurate with DC track voltage than most of the fancier True RMS types (my old Fluke 8060 is probably the one exception - it does True RMS up past 20KHz. Most top off at 100Hz or maybe 1KHz if you’re lucky). But the internals of those inexpensive ones are just not designed for safe use of high voltage. The only fuse they have is for the DC milliamp range, anything else, they are hoping the board fries or the reather thin leads they supply act as a ‘fuse’ if something goes wrong. There is nothing remotely dangerous about using it to check track power and otherwise troubleshoot low voltage layout wiring, so don’t get the wrong idea, but don’t go poking in your breaker box with it. Train layouts, checking 12V circuits in your car, basic testing if you get into using Arduinos - it’s a fine tool for those kind of jobs.
–Randy