35 range multitester from radioshack - question

[djalli]

multitester question

I have a 35 range multitester from radioshack and it behaving weird. I can no longer measure capacitance and resistance but giving me an overflow of reading.

I have measured once or twice capacitance & or resistance having power of the circuit on.

What is very useful to know what might have gone wrong, how and why does it. It measured voltage and current in an element in circuit correctly, batery is also new.

Have any ideas? I tried to zero it but nothing happened or I might have done it wrong.

 

[Borber]

I do not know your multitester. If it has rotary switch try to clean it.

 

[flatulent]

battery

Check the battery voltage and cleanliness of the connections to it.

 

[djalli]

Re: battery

hmmm

it is clean. it is digital multitester,
battery is new. tested 9.29 volts

tried with new battery to zero it, using a 15 and 100 ohm resistor
it displays same message "OF" overflow when measuring the resistance and capacitance.

it is very useful to know why.

 

[flatulent]

next idea

The other thing that may be is that there are usually several sockets to put the test leads and they are different for different sets of measurements. A double check reading of the manual may be in order. See if the test leads have an electrical connection from end to end (not open cicuit). If this is not the problem, I am at a loss for what to do next other than sending the meter in for repair.

 

[House_Cat]

Most multimeters have an internal protective fuse on the resistance and/or capacitance measuring inputs.

Open the multimeter and look for a small fuse on the meter circuit board - since you have tried to measure resistance on an energized circuit, the fuse is probably blown.

 

[djalli]

thank you House_Cat

Most multimeters have an internal protective fuse on the resistance and/or capacitance measuring inputs.

Open the multimeter and look for a small fuse on the meter circuit board - since you have tried to measure resistance on an energized circuit, the fuse is probably blown.

exactly, once i replaced the fuse capacitance and resistance reading started to work perfectly.

you are right, i did once or twice to measure the resistance while the circuit power was on.

House_Cat, thank you.

 

[House_Cat]

I'm glad it was a simple problem.

I knew what to do because I have made the same mistake myself a time or two!