[alfa] Multimeters

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

That Jeffrey Kern has a few comments and question: "Biba mentioned 
Electronic Specialties. I found the Electronic Specialties 585K on 
Froogle for only $73.00. In contrast the best price for a Fluke 179 
(w/kit) was $229.00.

"Biba, does the ES 585K do capacitance measurements?"

******

I'm guessing your Froogling came up with theToolWarehouse.com for the 
$73 price. I am a pretty confirmed Googler [since they put many of my 
site's pages on the first or second page out of kazillions (+ or - 3)], 
but will admit Froogle did come up with the magic number. The TTW 
catalog is $79.25 and their website undercuts it to a shade under $73. 
Even the "high" number was lower than the five or six other sites I 
visited. Do me a favor, if the the site Froogle came up with is not TTW 
and unless you have a history with this company, go to TTW and buy. In 
the little special instructions box tell them Biba sent you. Quite sure 
it will mean diddle since I feel TTW is about 90% on automatic (computer 
controlled). I had trouble calling them, but both items I've purchased 
from them came the next day. If I'm correct, screw people / the personal 
touch, I'll take the computer every time with this kind of service. Oh 
yeah, when you get one of their catalogs included is a free shipping 
coupon. I was charged the minimum shipping charge, though as mentioned, 
it came the next day. Try keying in "#0904 Free Shipping Coupon" in the 
special instructions box and see if you get free (though probably not 
next day) shipping. I failed to do this.

Capacitance???...(thumbing through ES instruction manual) ummm, got yer 
volts, yer resistance, checks diodes - close enough? Okay, don't know 
what a capacitor / capacitance is nor how they work. This puppy is 
really geared for automotive use so if there aren't too many capacitors 
in cars, guess not.

Though you didn't ask, ya gots several probe options - pointed probes, 
alligators, RPM thing, and itty bitty heat probe. Comes with battery 
installed and there is a low battery display. (She walks, she talks, she 
crawls on her...).

Trust me, I have no idea how good this multimeter is since I have 
nothing to compare it with. Oh sure, made in China. Must admit, being 
old, I can easily remember when "made in Japan" was a joke. Do believe 
most (not all) items coming from China today are Considerably better 
constructed and with better materials than only a few short years ago. 
You will be amused, though, at the various spellings of "Range "in the 
instruction manual.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA 
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