On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, Tom Cullen wrote:

> I've had several other "cheap" meters, and the first mistake I make with it,
> it's toast. I've found it is impossible to get the smoke back in the box.
> The smoke is what makes it work, and once it's escaped you might as well
> throw it away.

I haven't smoked a cheap one yet, but my meters don't get exposed to a lot
of abuse.  I also figure I can replace a $16 meter *many* times for what
I'd pay for one Fluke.

Actually, the meter I'm most amazed with is my Radio Shack Micronta
auto-ranging DMM.  It still has the same pair of AA batteries in it I put
in when I bought it in 1994.  I've left it on overnight several times,
too.  I like the Velleman better, though, because it responds much quicker
than the Micronta.

             _ _
  __ _ _   _| | |  | David M. Brodbeck (N8SRE)              Ypsilanti, MI
 / _` | | | | | |  +-----------------------------------------------------
| (_| | |_| | | | @ cyberspace.org
 \__, |\__,_|_|_| "To the optimist, the glass is half full.  To the
 |___/             pessimist, the glass is half empty.  To the engineer,
                   the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."