DMM not workin right?

[xtcxyooj 10+ year member]

so a friend let me use his dmm FLUKE 333 http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/Fluke+330.htm

the ohms just keeps jumping. 150-80-50-2-00 and so on doesn't give me a steady read. WTF am i doin something wrong or is it the dmm? haven't try a different one yet which i plan on gettin one just want to make sure it's the dmm first. it's set on ohms section. voltage does work just the ohms that doesn't.

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[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

maybe the sub is bad? i'm assuming that you're measuring the coils on a sub.

 

[midnightg35x 10+ year member]

Yea, what are you trying to measure?

 

[93dakota 10+ year member]

It may have to do with where you are trying to get the reading

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

Are you trying to take a reading on the sub while it's playing?

Unplug the sub. Take the test probes on the meter and touch them together. In about 1-2 seconds the meter should "zero out'. Now test the terminals on the sub that should give you the subs ohm load at rest. Do not push the sub up and down while you do this.

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

Oh jeez! Now I see that's a clamp meter! Are you just clamping over the speaker wire while it's playing? No, that won't work.

Do you have the two test probes for it?

You need a standard probe type meter to test the sub while it's unpluged "at rest". You can get any $10 - $20 meter. That fluke is a great meter, it's just not the right tool for this job.

 

[Xprime4 10+ year member]

in my case, i had few dmm over the last years or so. The first thing that seems to defect is the ohm reading. Happen on 3 of my dmms.

I'm lucky they're only 10$ or so in sale almost everyweeks

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

set it to dv current and clamp it to the power wire of your amp while its playing heavy bass and see how many amps its pulling. That meter rated up to 600 amps dc.

as far as testing the subs coils. You would need to disconnect the sub, put a small jumper on the coils and measure it then.

 

[bw_audio 10+ year member]

..

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

Oh jeez! Now I see that's a clamp meter! Are you just clamping over the speaker wire while it's playing? No, that won't work.Do you have the two test probes for it?

You need a standard probe type meter to test the sub while it's unpluged "at rest". You can get any $10 - $20 meter. That fluke is a great meter, it's just not the right tool for this job.

That fluke has test leads also. I would take it by far over a cheap meter anyday. Plus the clamp comes in handy to hang it when taking readings.

I think you were right though, he is probably taking readings while the sub is playing.

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

in my case, i had few dmm over the last years or so. The first thing that seems to defect is the ohm reading. Happen on 3 of my dmms.
I'm lucky they're only 10$ or so in sale almost everyweeks

I've never heard of that happening to a fluke iirc.

 

[xtcxyooj 10+ year member]

i had the sub off while testing the ohms. two different subs re se and jl w6 and it keeps jumping. both subs were not hooked up.

 

[bigaudiofanati2 10+ year member]

If you dont have the test leads us two pieces of speakers wire instead I do it all the time with my fluke.Also I have also never heard of this happening with a fluke.

 

[gotparts90 10+ year member]

I've never heard of that happening to a fluke iirc.

it will happen to them too but takes a long time then you need to repair it with new sockets on the board. Took about 10 years to happen to my first one with almost daily use for at least 5 of those years.