Great. And due anyway, probably. And, a mere $13. But had it not ben cheap, or a rainstorm approached while a window was down, a paperclip or two may have found the issue by acting as the switch.

Or, and I like a VOM for this, (with a meter needle to 'wiggle,') over a DVM, (that takes time to determine the 3rd or 4th digit, and then doesn't answer as it is re-determining an unstable answer.) A cheap DVM is fine for this.

 

I have and use my grandfather's Simpson 260M for this exact reason. DMM' s are great tools, but not for seeing intermittent circuit problems.

 

You're making me feel old, I used a 260 in the military. They are pretty clunky though. I have a small Radio Shack analog meter, good for relative readings but I seldom use it. Digitals are fast and accurate.

 

Clunky? You drive a pickup - not a Ferrari.
260 VOMs, for certain tasks, do better. Intermittents are an example. Wiggling needles can say more than flipping digits... sometimes. A cheap VOM is a good tool.

Cheap digitals do better for accuracy than old but costly VOMs. Different tools for different tasks. A cheap tool is sometimes the better tool. It depends. Stay flexible in thinking.

 

LOL, like I can't think. Thanks genius. I've used meters since 1972, if you can't detect interment connections with a DVOM the problem isn't the meter. Talk down to me and I'll talk down to you.

 

No offense meant. Been using meters longer and am schooled in how to design and make one. Just trying to make a simple metaphor that everyone here, (who may even not own a meter, yet,) can follow. So, yes, I was trying to "dumb it down," but not for you, nor most meter users. It seems easier to many users, to see a meter needle wiggle as we flex a wire w an intermittent, than to see a "0.012" ohms, change a bit. Some also have a sound feature, which I rarely use... but is a nice option.

My fav was the $3.95 Radio Shack VOM. Cheap, but worked ~ half decade before it made it into its new home in my ashtray, beside a few firecrackers... around '67, and works to this day. But I tend to use bright orange findable Klein DVMs now (& pay the extra for drop & water resistance. Never dropped one yet, but I might.) For intermittents, I still like a lil ole VOM w a needle that wiggles. YMMV No biggee - Different strokes.

 

Agreed. You likely won't see a momentary pulse of or drop in voltage on a DMM either, but the needle on an analog meter will move noticeably (and repeatably).

 

How did you arrive at that? If your digital meter isn't recording at least as fast as an analog meter then you've got a cheap digital meter, they are not all the same. When modern day electricians troubleshoot equipment they don't usually carry an analog meter with them so they can do the job properly.

 

True, and usually one is looking for all-ok or an obvious fail... not an intermittent. And an intermittent an electrician finds will tend to be at a junction. These will show on a DVM.

But in a vehicle, multi stranded wire subject to constant vibration, sometimes an analog VOM from a rarely opened drawer is something some of us prefer. And it need not be a really good one like your 260 or Simpson 80 for this task. Sometimes the right tool for the job is subjective.

 

I don't care what someone prefers but when they tell you to be flexible because you don't do it their way then it crosses the line. I wouldn't want to lug a 260 around working on an auto but that's me. A digital meter has always worked for me and even my cheap ones work, the Fluke 87V can even record info but that's more than needed. My Harbor Freight freebies detect breaks instantly. No needle to swing. If numbers are changing when you wiggle wires around then something is wrong. I like analog meters and like I said I still have one but I don't even keep a battery in it because I use it so infrequently. It's not like I'm unfamiliar with them.

I don't know what the stranded wires comment means, they can wear in a spot and ground out or short or whatever. But I have no invested interest in what someone else prefers to detect problems.