Decent Digital Multimeter for DIY?

With your experience/expertise I'd expect you to have no difficulty seeing how that works. Ditto for anyone that would know how to use such a thing safely.

Not sloppy at all, just basic engineering

A low impedance load can hardly be a gold standard for measuring a normally high impedance voltage. Electrometers would seem better suited, or a VVM. Or even an electrostatic deflection CRT, if one's lab is so equipped.

NT

Electrometers were used to 50KV for TV measurements.

I bet theres one hanging around in your shed /shack /office somewhere;?..

Last one I saw was made by Pye instruments in Cambridge, and that was a long time ago now;!.

Sort of moving spot light on a scale it was..

Just incase anyone is still looking for a meter this one looks interesting..

That's a galvanometer I think you mean. I've still got one - and it works!

I think I can see where you're coming from with your string of resistors, but the role of the coat-hanger and poly remains unclear. I'm not a mind- reader.

I was of course referring to the gold standard for moving coil meters.

I suppose my half century old Japanese moving coil multimeter with its

Yes, thats the gubbins;!.

Undoubtedly. Well, be good Johnny and post some further particulars on it. Some pictures would be nice.

OK. A stick of expanded polystyrene makes the insulated handle and the moun ting base for the series string of resistors & coathanger offcut. The latte r is of course the conductive probe. A 2nd ground wire is wrapped round the poly between resistor string & handle area as a 2nd line of defence agains t insulation breakdown - this needs grounding of course. The whole is teste d to well above working voltage before use. An easy way to do that is hook it up to a CRT anode.

Anyone doing this has to understand the engineering issues, getting it wron g can kill.

in terms of input impedance that would be fet buffered meters

NT

No kidding? But I can't talk. I stick my fingers into mains sockets to see if they're on. I guess we're of a different generation. Fearless!

Well let's wait and see. Maybe he's got some pixie coil-winders. ;)

Try this:

I don't know if this is the right way to make image files publically available (I set it to public so I think that's right).

For engineer's that business as normal. The design addresses the potential risks effectively.

an infinite coil perhaps? FET buffered meters & VVMs offer highest input impedance, at least below 1kV.

NT

Nope! Just getting a 400 error message here...

No more so than your contraption for measuring EHT! I should say, though, as I should have said at the time, "don't try this at home!" - It's just something I've grown up since the age of 14 with and am confident about, AND I don't just do it willy-nilly; you won't find me doing it whilst standing in a puddle, for instance.

If the meter has an active device of any sort in it then AFAIC it doesn't count. I was referring to passive moving coil meters, as I'd assumed JBG well knew.

A polish electrician I once knew (fully qualified in the UK - honest) also used to do the same thing to check if a socket was live. It's a lot better IMV than relying on a neon screwdriver. But I'm NOT suggesting anyone else do it!

Feel free to point out any engineering flaw in it. Its safer than most EHT probes.

NT

Various people used to stick their finger in live things, but its pretty st upid to gamble with your life when nowadays a meter costs £2.

NT

stupid to gamble with your life when nowadays a meter costs £2.

I reckon it qualifies for a darwin award nomination.

NT