Multimeter AC question

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Feeling dumb tonight. I picked up a new power inverter and wanted to check the output Voltage. Probed the outlet with a multi meter set to Vac and got 37. Went and stuck in a home outlet and got the same thing. Took an old appliance cord and tested the leads directly with positive lead to black wire and individually the black wire both from white neutural and green ground with the same result from multiple outlets. AC is not my thing but wanted to make sure both settings and setup were correct as I should be getting 120+/- and not 37.

 

[shues]

This will sound silly, but please trust me. I have had the same problem and spent far too long racking my brain. Replace the battery in your meter and try again.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

This will sound silly, but please trust me. I have had the same problem and spent far too long racking my brain. Replace the battery in your meter and try again.

Although it works fine on DC, I'll give it a shot.

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

Yep. That battery is probably weak.

Stan

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Hi,

Yep. That battery is probably weak.

Stan

I put a new one in last night and no change

 

[shues]

That outcome seems to suggest a problem with the meter itself.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

That outcome seems to suggest a problem with the meter itself.

As long as I ma not hooking it up/setting it wrong then that was my assumption too. It works great on the 12 volt side and that's what I use it for. This is only the 2nd time in 5+years that I have wanted to test the 110v power/outlet so it's not a big deal. Just wanting to make sure I wasn't doing something dumb.

 

[Tango7]

We had a meter at the FD we normally use for the rigs showing 145VAC at our wall receptacles. Checked with another meter and it was 123.

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

There is a Reference circuit in DMMs for AC. I think that last one has a slight problem. The OPs has a large problem. Get a new meter for AC and keep the funky one for DC and Ohms. It never hurts to have a dedicated vehicle work meter. I have a very old Fluke 73 which was used for decades at the race track. It is pretty beat up and dirty and ugly but it still works. For DC and Ohms anyway. Dunno about AC...

I have a nice Fluke 79 which busted the selector knob. So I removed the top of the case and use it naked, locked onto DC and pulling the 9v battery when I want to turn it off. It would be unsafe to use for high voltages, but it is fine for the 12 volt power lines in the ham shack.

Of course I needed to replace that 79 so I bought a superior 87. Nothing like having a failed piece of gear to have an excuse to buy a better one.

And I have only Fluke meters here. Two bench ones and five portable ones. That's from my being an Electronics Development Engineer by way of a day job. I always say, if it works, and works well, it's a Fluke!

Stan

 

[David56]

Just a suggestion, make sure the selector on the meter is on vac and not dc. I have done that myself by mistake.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Just a suggestion, make sure the selector on the meter is on vac and not dc. I have done that myself by mistake.

yup, it was, set to 200. Tried the 600 also, don't remember the numbers but it was still not inline with what it should have been