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CEN-TECH Model 90899 Multimeter

Overall Rating:

Contributed by Dick Stafford

CEN-TECH Digital Multimeter 90899

Brief:
How many times have you forgot to bring a multimeter to a launch and found yourself scrounging one to check continuity or battery voltage? I almost never brought one and couldn't seem to justify buying a second one to leave in the range box. Harbor Freight recently opened a store nearby and I ran across the perfect solution to my problem: a $3.99 DMM manufactured by CEN-TECH.

Construction:
The CEN-TECH DMM measures 2.74" wide x 5" high x 1" deep and provides the following features:

Functions: AC and DC voltage, resistance, DC amperage, battery test, diode test, transistor (hFE) measurements
Fused circuit with diode protection
Low battery, over range indicators
LCD readout
32" leads with banana plugs
750 VAC, 1000 VDC, or 10A DC max input

I know you often get what you pay for and if I was using this professionally, I would opt for a 'name brand' device with more features. I will generally just use the resistance measurements to check continuity and either the battery test or DC volts features to check batteries. I am not sure how much use the battery test feature will be over a simple voltage measurement, but it might be more effective since it verifies the battery under a load. Either way, it fits my needs perfectly.

Summary:
As of this writing, this meter is still on sale at Harbor Freight. The newer version appears to be $9.99 and has a backlight, which mine does not. However, the point is not the exact model or the exact price. Rather, I wanted to highlight the availability of inexpensive DMMs from Harbor Freight, which are just perfect to keep in your range box.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Comments:
rcc (March 26, 2007)
The Cen Tech meter can burn up under high voltage conditions http://www.bnl.gov/userscenter/Immediate/cen_tech.asp
D.S. (April 2, 2007)
Thanks for the link, this is something to watch out for. Luckily, mine is used to measure up to 12v DC and for checking resistance/continuity. I wonder if this was standard wall voltage?
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