How Do You Read A Multimeter?
If you’re using a multimeter for the first time, one of the things you’ll need to learn is how to read it, which isn’t that obvious. This article explains in detail how to read the current and voltage using the multiple scales on an analog multimeter or multitester (the kind with a pointer), not how to use a multimeter. This article does not apply to resistance or dB measurements. • Understand the range. The meter has a range of zero to full scale. Zero (shown here) is always zero. • This shows the meter at full scale. How many volts is that? Determine the voltage at full scale. It depends on the setting of the range switch. The meter is designed to give full scale when the voltage you’re measuring matches the switch setting. Thus, if the switch is set to the 30 volt range, this picture shows 30 volts is applied across the inputs. Similarly, if the switch is set to the .1 amp range, you have 0.1 amps of current running through the meter. • Half scale. Remember that the meter is linear.