Anyone notice their Free Harbor Freight Multimeter is off?

[Clemsoncartguy]

I have been checking pack voltage with my free HF multimeter. Well anyway I got one of those tiny in dash volt meters. The pack according to HF was 37.5. After a temp install of the dash meter it showed 36.9. I thought maybe it dropped that bad (bad batteries I already know). HF shows 37.4. Let sit over night. Dash meter says 36.9 still. HF shows 37.3. So I pull out my better quality...greenlee and it says 36.9 as well.

I usually use it to just teat for 12v or like in the house if voltage is present where so it's not as big a deal.

I have several more of the HF meters laying around I am curious if they all read the same or if they vary. Anyone else seen a difference?

[Volt_Ampere]

You got what you paid for. :-( Off by .4V doesn't surprise me in the least!
As I have said before here "Man with two watches never knows what time it is!"

[55BigBlock]

How do you know the in dash meter is correct?

[Clemsoncartguy]

Originally Posted by 55BigBlock

How do you know the in dash meter is correct?

I dont, but I posted that my more expensive name brand MM echoes exactly what the dash meter says.

[scottyb]

Years ago I pondered the same question about these meters So I connected a few meters to the same pack and then a couple of high dollar Fluke meters... ans everything was within 1/10 of a volt of each other..... it was a beautiful picture.... Remember too that if your in-dash connection is through micro & key switches and old wires your reading could be adversely effected by in line resistance.

[55BigBlock]

Originally Posted by Clemsoncartguy

I dont, but I posted that my more expensive name brand MM echoes exactly what the dash meter says.

My apologies, I missed that part. Like a beautiful young lady told me many years ago. "The more you pay the better it is."

[Clemsoncartguy]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Years ago I pondered the same question about these meters So I connected a few meters to the same pack and then a couple of high dollar Fluke meters... ans everything was within 1/10 of a volt of each other..... it was a beautiful picture.... Remember too that if your in-dash connection is through micro & key switches and old wires your reading could be adversely effected by in line resistance.

I have this temporarily hooked up with the factory wires of the meter, a butt conector hooked to some more good old fashion HF alligator clip test leads as a temporary hook up. It will be wired directly to my main + - via new wire.

[270Handiman]

I saw an article about calibrating the little HF meters once. If you have 4 or 5, and a real meter to check actual voltage with, it may be worth a few minutes of time.

They're actually pretty handy to have in places you'd never leave a good meter.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Clemsoncartguy]

Originally Posted by 270Handiman

I saw an article about calibrating the little HF meters once. If you have 4 or 5, and a real meter to check actual voltage with, it may be worth a few minutes of time.

They're actually pretty handy to have in places you'd never leave a good meter.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

That's what I bet them for. I put one in every tool box and keep one at the farm and boat etc.

[vagabond]

the one I got died after about 2 months, just glad I have some better meters