Amp/Volt Meter Recommendations

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I need to measure the stall current on my DC locos before I choose DCC decoders to install. I’m looking for the recommendation of a few, relatively inexpensive meters. There are so many to be found on Amazon or Harbor Freight, can you please be specific as to model names/numbers? Thanks!

2

NNJ,

I picked up a nice digitral multimeter at Sears several years ago for $20. It comes with two probes and even a thermocoupler for measuring temperature.

Tom

3

Craftsman? Something like this (but no thermocoupler)?

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-digital-multimeter-with-ac-voltage-detector/p-03482146000P?unitNo=0001614&sellerId=SEARS&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

4

This is what I have: Craftsman 82400 digital auto-ranging multimeter

It may be a discontinued item now. Like I said, I bought several years ago.

Tom

5

My kid bought one of these off eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151705209431?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

He says it works very good. I have a sack full of the Harbor Freight Free Bee meters that work great.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

6

I have a couple of multi-meters but for (like you) testing DC locos before DCC conversion, I put a 3’ flextrack (even made s-curves in it) on a plywood strip. I included a 2A analog meter, which was cheap, arrived fairly quickly (probably within 2 weeks) and is accurate enough to see if a loco is a special case regarding decoder selection.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-2A-Ampmeter-Analog-AMP-Current-Panel-Meter-Ammeter-Gauge-85C1-/171780762553?hash=item27feee6bb9:g:5ZoAAOSwgkRVSulK

7

How do you connect it?

8

I have used the HF meters for some years. I have four. Cheap enough.

http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_Workshop/index.htm

The linl below shows very clearly how to do a votage amps check for a loco. Yes, you can do it with one meter but these meters are cheap enough.

http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_HF/index.htm

The meters measure 13.6 vac on my NCE Power Cab. Agrees with my digital Scope.

As a DCC amp meter, use the ZXCT circuit below on the 20ma scale. I bult two. One for me and one for club some years ago.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/DCCvolts.html

Rich

9

See the two large bolts on the back? In series with the power to the test track, just like you’d connect a multimeter. Can’t run backwards though with that type of meter, unless you get fancy. Can’t with a multimeter either, unless you swap the leads. There are similar meters that are center 0, so they can indicate for either polarity.

–Randy

10

I have half a dozen Harbor Freight meters that were free. All give slightly different readings, but I just average them out. [:-^]

11

That works just fine. I have done that over the years. This is model railroading, not rocket science.

Rich