Scale Calibration and Maintenance Scale Calibration and Maintenance

If you find that you are frequently measuring electrical voltage, current or resistance in your work environment and having to borrow the right equipment to do so, then you will be in the market to buy a good-quality multimeter of your own to streamline your work. You will find that there are many of these options available in the marketplace but will want to make sure that you buy the most appropriate version for your needs. To begin with, you will have to make a choice between digital and analogue, so what's the difference?

Choice

Generally speaking, digital has replaced analogue over the years as technology has moved on, but this doesn't mean that your automatic choice is to go with something that is more up-to-date. You may have to take into account fluctuations in electricity and how these may provide a reading that is not quite as "real" as you might ordinarily think.

New Versus Old

It's certainly true to say that the digital multimeter, by taking advantage of more up-to-date technology, can provide you with a highly accurate reading. You will get an instantaneous readout on the LCD display and this compares to the fluctuating needle scale of the analogue version, which for some people is a little bit vague.

Truer Picture

Remember, however, those electricity fluctuations. The current can vary at any one moment, and this means that the pinpoint reading you will see on your digital multimeter may not be a true representation of the electricity that is actually passing through it. You will notice that fluctuation with an analogue version, however, so if you want to see any potential fluctuations in real time and make any adjustments necessary, then you may want to go old school and choose analogue.

Extra Functions

Nevertheless, the digital multimeter has other functions to consider quite apart from that pinpoint reading. Some can test temperatures while others may be able to indicate power levels, and you may be able to set a range automatically or manually before you begin to take a reading. If some of these features are important to you, then you'll undoubtedly need to go for the digital solution but remember that an analogue multimeter is quite a lot cheaper than the more modern-day alternative.

Make a list of the functions that are important to you and always get the multimeter that can meet your needs, while fitting in with your budgetary parameters. Check with your supplier to see what options they can suggest.