The 9805A by Victor is a really good, moderately priced meter. I like it particularly well because it will not only do the standard voltage, resistance, and current measurements, it will also do inductance, capacitance, and frequency. And, the value ranges provided are in the ballpark for what we see in PTP guitar amps. It also has a temperature probe which is great for monitoring transformers and other devices for problems. At this price, if you blow one up it's cheap enough to just toss it and buy a new one. Incidentally, I've had a 9805A for almost two years and I haven't blown it. On the contrary, I decided to try one because my Fluke died, it wasn't that old, and the repair cost was too high for me to justify. I think Fluke just replaces the entire guts as standard repair.



The PM128A is a 3-1/2 digit LCD display that is a basic 0-200mV DC voltmeter. It is scalable and the position of the decimal point may be selected through the placement of jumpers on the circuit board. I put it on this page because it is a great little device for making a bias meter or similar devices. Some build them into their amps as a bias monitor by installing them on the rear apron of the amp chassis. Requires 9 volts to operate.



Just getting started? Here are a couple of decent but lower end digital voltmeters. Big displays for us oldtimers, all the standard functions and ranges for beginners.

The X830L, at $20, also tests transistors and will measure current up to 10 amps. It also features a momentary (5 seconds) blue backlighting for the display. No big deal, but kind of cool.

The DT9205A, at $30, has a 20 amp range, measures capacitance, tests transistors, and has all the standard Volt-Ohm ranges. It also has auto power off, which must have been invented for people like me. The position (viewing angle) of the display is adjustable, which is kind of a cool feature.

Both meters include a yellow shock-resistant rubber case, meter leads, and battery.
Qty Price Description Buy
 $60  9805A
 $8  PM128
 $20  XL830L
 $30  DT9205A
Model VC9805A - 3 1/2 Digital Multimeter
30 ranges
26mm high digits
1999 counts max.
Unit symbol display (e.g., V, A, Ω, kHz etc.)
Data hold
Low battery indication
Auto power off
Full overload protection
Protective holster (rubber boot)
Frequency response: 40 ~ 400Hz
DC voltage: 200mV/2V/20V/200V/1000V (± 0.5%)
AC voltage: 200mV/2V/20V/200V/700V (± 0.8%)
DC current: 2mA/20mA/200mA/20A (± 0.8%)
AC current: 2mA/20mA/200mA/20A (± 1.0%)
Resistance: 200Ω/2kΩ/20kΩ/200kΩ/2MΩ/20MΩ (± 0.8%)
Capacitance: 20nF/200nF/2µF/20µF/200µF (± 2.5%)
Inductance: 2mH/20mH/200mH/2H/20H (± 2.5%)
Frequency: 200kHz (± 3.0%)
Temperature: -40°C ~1000°C (±0.75%), 0°F ~ 1800°F (±0.75%)
Diode check
Triode check
Continuity test (audible)
Power source: 6F22 (9V) x 1
Dimension: 190 x 88.5 x 27.5mm
Weight: approx. 320g (including battery) 		  
   Features:
   200mV full scale input sensitivity
   Single 9V DC operation
   Decimal point selectable
   13mm figure height
   Automatic polarity indication
   Guaranteed zero reading for 0 volt input
   High input impedance(>100Mohm)
   Easy bezel fixing method
   Applications Include:
   Voltmeter
   Thermometer
   pH Meter
   dB Meter
   Watt Meter
   Current Meter
   Capacitance Meter
   LUX Meter
   LCR Meter
   Other Industrial
   & Domestic Uses
 
  Model DT9205A
Voltage Measurement Range 200m-1000 (V)
Current measurement Range 20m-20 (A)
Resistance Measurement Range 200-200M (Ohms)
Dimensions 189 x 91 x 31.5 (mm)
Weight 0.62 kg
DC voltage 200mV-1000V ±(0.5 +1)
AC voltage 200mV-750V ±(0.8 +3)
DC 20mA-20A ±(0.8 +1)
AC current 20mA-20A ±(1 +3)
Resistance 200O-200MO ±(2.5 +3)
Capacitance 2nF-200µF ± F
Transistor testing (NPN, PNP) - hFE
Diode Test - Conduction Resistance
Automatic shutdown
Power: 9V, 6F229V, 6F22
Model XL830L
Voltage Measurement Range DC 200VmV-600V ± (0.5%+2) AC voltage 200V-600V + (1.2%+10)
Current Measurement Range DC 2000µA-10A + (1%+2)
Resistance Measurement Range 200 Ohms - 2000K Ohms + (0.8%+2)
Power: 9V,6F22