Do 9v batteries historically suck?

Looks like I killed my multimeter by reversing the polarity to a 9V
transformer I wired into the meter for a replacement power source.

Like I keep 9V batteries around anymore. So I wired up a 150mA 9V
transformer to soar and "be free". It worked and then, out of
curiosity, I flipped the polarity: Busted, I got the "DUH AWARD" for
the evening..

And yet they're still making them, multimeters for 9Volts like they're
really still the in-style thing, presumably to getting somewhere.

I found a replacement multimeter that uses 2xAAA for power. No more
9V --- As in say Bye-bye, see ya, but sure wouldn't wanna be ya.

After ten years, that really fried the wongdoodle in my brainpan when
I cooked my old multimeter. The Chinese digital I just replaced it,
with another Chinese model, has perhaps a couple newer features I
might use -- the usual ohm, wattage, current and amperage -- this new
one has a "inductive" (proximity) sensor, e.g. beeps if near a wall
outlet that's powered; A backlit screen's new, a hold function and
audio continuity the old one had, but wow, now the new one even has a
flashlight.

The "nice" meters, however, look like they might the blue-toothed
interfaced models, for downloading the types of meters they'll
interface into a blue-tooth connection and handheld display. Those
cost four times what I paid (of course not including a handheld.
There's probably one of those out there somewhere, similarly, except
for an oscilloscope if I'd looked farther and harder.)

Flasherly wrote:
Looks like I killed my multimeter by reversing the polarity to a 9V
transformer I wired into the meter for a replacement power source.

Like I keep 9V batteries around anymore. So I wired up a 150mA 9V
transformer to soar and "be free". It worked and then, out of
curiosity, I flipped the polarity: Busted, I got the "DUH AWARD" for
the evening..

And yet they're still making them, multimeters for 9Volts like they're
really still the in-style thing, presumably to getting somewhere.

I found a replacement multimeter that uses 2xAAA for power. No more
9V --- As in say Bye-bye, see ya, but sure wouldn't wanna be ya.

After ten years, that really fried the wongdoodle in my brainpan when
I cooked my old multimeter. The Chinese digital I just replaced it,
with another Chinese model, has perhaps a couple newer features I
might use -- the usual ohm, wattage, current and amperage -- this new
one has a "inductive" (proximity) sensor, e.g. beeps if near a wall
outlet that's powered; A backlit screen's new, a hold function and
audio continuity the old one had, but wow, now the new one even has a
flashlight.

The "nice" meters, however, look like they might the blue-toothed
interfaced models, for downloading the types of meters they'll
interface into a blue-tooth connection and handheld display. Those
cost four times what I paid (of course not including a handheld.
There's probably one of those out there somewhere, similarly, except
for an oscilloscope if I'd looked farther and harder.)

There are worse things. They made some multimeters that run off
12V, and the battery is quite quite expensive. At least the 9V battery
is cheaper, relatively speaking. I could probably buy twenty 9V batteries
for the price of the slim 12V battery.

You know that 4000 series CMOS, works up to 15V for VCC, so that's
probably a convenient upper limit for a multimeter design :-)

The meter might only draw 7mA from its 9V supply, so it does not
load the source too heavily. That's when the meter is on the volts
range. If the meter has RS232, when the RS232 is plugged in, the
meter will stay on, so you can do extended measurement sessions. I
have one multimeter that has optoisolated RS232, and the meter
can probe mains, without danger of blowing up the computer
recording the readings via RS232.

Paul

On Wed, 27 Jan 2021 01:05:15 -0500, Paul
wrote:

There are worse things. They made some multimeters that run off
12V, and the battery is quite quite expensive. At least the 9V battery
is cheaper, relatively speaking. I could probably buy twenty 9V batteries
for the price of the slim 12V battery.

You know that 4000 series CMOS, works up to 15V for VCC, so that's
probably a convenient upper limit for a multimeter design :-)

The meter might only draw 7mA from its 9V supply, so it does not
load the source too heavily. That's when the meter is on the volts
range. If the meter has RS232, when the RS232 is plugged in, the
meter will stay on, so you can do extended measurement sessions. I
have one multimeter that has optoisolated RS232, and the meter
can probe mains, without danger of blowing up the computer
recording the readings via RS232.

I've never seen a 2xAAA configuration in a DMM (or a 2xAA for that
matter), but I'm flush with good Eneloop AAs and decent Tenergy AAA
brand. Rechargeables may be a gamble, backlighting, audio, and what
else. If they'll bring it up initially, though, that's good, as I
don't really mind putting in fresh batteries between reasonably short
time usages. My last didn't have auto-ranging or back lighting, so
the new is not bad for a basic unit and abilities I didn't if ever use
on the one I fried.

No 9V.
No more.
At least I got that much accomplished (in a week delivery time (found
in US stock) when the below, Aneng M118A, arrives $14/US total).


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Mul...-Manual-Tester
-Volt-Range-AC-S3E1/373440256975?hash=item56f2c61bcf:g:t9wAAOSwK5tgD99 m

AAA 1.5V x 2
Current Range: 0.01uA-10A
DC Voltage Range: 0.1mV-600V
AC Voltage Range: 1mV-600V
Display: 6000 counts
Test/Measurement Functions: AC Current, AC Voltage, DC Current, DC
Voltage, Resistance, Volt, NCV, Ohm, AC/DC
Features: Auto Power Off, Auto-Ranging, Backlight, Battery Door
Access, Over Range Protection, True RMS
Flash Light, Back light, Auto-power Off
NCV test, TRUE-RMS, Data Hold
Sample Rate: 3 times per second

On 2021-01-27 12:05 a.m., Paul wrote:
Flasherly wrote:
Looks like I killed my multimeter by reversing the polarity to a 9V
transformer I wired into the meter for a replacement power source.

Like I keep 9V batteries around anymore.Â* So I wired up a 150mA 9V
transformer to soar and "be free".Â* It worked and then, out of
curiosity, I flipped the polarity: Busted, I got the "DUH AWARD" for
the evening..
And yet they're still making them, multimeters for 9Volts like they're
really still the in-style thing, presumably to getting somewhere.

I found a replacement multimeter that uses 2xAAA for power.Â* No more
9V --- As in say Bye-bye, see ya, but sure wouldn't wanna be ya.

After ten years, that really fried the wongdoodle in my brainpan when
I cooked my old multimeter. The Chinese digital I just replaced it,
with another Chinese model, has perhaps a couple newer features I
might use -- the usual ohm, wattage, current and amperage -- this new
one has a "inductive" (proximity) sensor, e.g. beeps if near a wall
outlet that's powered;Â* A backlit screen's new, a hold function and
audio continuity the old one had, but wow, now the new one even has a
flashlight.

The "nice" meters, however, look like they might the blue-toothed
interfaced models, for downloading the types of meters they'll
interface into a blue-tooth connection and handheld display.Â* Those
cost four times what I paid (of course not including a handheld.
There's probably one of those out there somewhere, similarly, except
for an oscilloscope if I'd looked farther and harder.)

There are worse things. They made some multimeters that run off
12V, and the battery is quite quite expensive. At least the 9V battery
is cheaper, relatively speaking. I could probably buy twenty 9V batteries
for the price of the slim 12V battery.

You know that 4000 series CMOS, works up to 15V for VCC, so that's
probably a convenient upper limit for a multimeter design :-)

The meter might only draw 7mA from its 9V supply, so it does not
load the source too heavily. That's when the meter is on the volts
range. If the meter has RS232, when the RS232 is plugged in, the
meter will stay on, so you can do extended measurement sessions. I
have one multimeter that has optoisolated RS232, and the meter
can probe mains, without danger of blowing up the computer
recording the readings via RS232.

Â*Â* Paul

Waybackwhen, I was having problems wit a 250 ton Carrier water chiller
so I called the company that had the maintenance contract for the
machine and they sent one of their technicians.
The machine ran on 600 volts 3 phase AC and drew 247 amps full load,
anyway he was checking various things with his Fluke meter and then we
had to turn the unit on for some live measurements.
I was standing about 8 feet away when I heard this really large Bang and
saw a puff of smoke where the meter was in his hand. Well the meter
literally disappeared,
Sorta like ' I dream of Genie disappeared', Miraculously he was not
injured at all. Well he said he had forgotten to change the meter from
the ohms scale to the AC voltage scale.

Rene

Rene Lamontagne wrote:

Waybackwhen, I was having problems wit a 250 ton Carrier water chiller
so I called the company that had the maintenance contract for the
machine and they sent one of their technicians.
The machine ran on 600 volts 3 phase AC and drew 247 amps full load,
anyway he was checking various things with his Fluke meter and then we
had to turn the unit on for some live measurements.
I was standing about 8 feet away when I heard this really large Bang and
saw a puff of smoke where the meter was in his hand. Well the meter
literally disappeared,
Sorta like ' I dream of Genie disappeared', Miraculously he was not
injured at all. Well he said he had forgotten to change the meter from
the ohms scale to the AC voltage scale.

Rene

I take it after this, you stood more than
8 feet away :-)

By any chance, did the guy have orange hair ?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...8Muppet%29.jpg

Paul

On 2021-01-27 3:00 p.m., Paul wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote:

Waybackwhen, I was having problems wit a 250 ton Carrier water chiller
so I called the company that had the maintenance contract for the
machine and they sent one of their technicians.
TheÂ* machine ran on 600 volts 3 phaseÂ* AC and drew 247 amps full load,
anyway he was checking various things with his Fluke meter and then we
had to turn the unit on for some live measurements.
I was standing about 8 feet away when I heard this really large Bang
and saw a puff of smoke where the meter was in his hand. Well the
meter literally disappeared,
Sorta likeÂ* ' I dream of Genie disappeared', MiraculouslyÂ* he was not
injured at all. Well he said he had forgotten to change the meter from
the ohms scale to the AC voltage scale.

Rene

I take it after this, you stood more than
8 feet away :-)

By any chance, did the guy have orange hair ?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...8Muppet%29.jpg

Â*Â* Paul

Can't remember, but
a couple years later I had to reset a 600 volt 1600 amp breaker , it had
tripped due to shorted lead in a motor control center, When the
electricians had made repairs I went down to the electrical room and
cranked up that breaker and hit the start button. I was standing as far
away as I could., About two and a half feet, Well, that breaker slammed
in and out again in an instant, as there was still a short to ground on
the system, it also tripped the main 6000 amp breaker which was only
about 3 feet away in the same panel.
That was the time I would have liked 8 foot or longer arms, the noise
was like a ton of dynamite, And a huge flash as the arc chutes did their
job..
After the electricians found charred buss bar insulators and replaced
them with spares and properly meggered the system I had to fire in that
breaker again,
Talk about apprehension! I stood as far away from that breaker as
humanly possible, with an outstretched arm and hit the start button,
This time everything went smoothy.

(Whew).

Rene

On Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:54:11 -0600, Rene Lamontagne
wrote:

Waybackwhen, I was having problems wit a 250 ton Carrier water chiller
so I called the company that had the maintenance contract for the
machine and they sent one of their technicians.
The machine ran on 600 volts 3 phase AC and drew 247 amps full load,
anyway he was checking various things with his Fluke meter and then we
had to turn the unit on for some live measurements.
I was standing about 8 feet away when I heard this really large Bang and
saw a puff of smoke where the meter was in his hand. Well the meter
literally disappeared,
Sorta like ' I dream of Genie disappeared', Miraculously he was not
injured at all. Well he said he had forgotten to change the meter from
the ohms scale to the AC voltage scale.

Knew a team, mostly two sometimes a three-man crew, over time who
worked the 3-phase supply transformers that supplied a generator room
and initially branched to a 20 acre complex. Well enough to see them
on their occasional breaks while converning the grid rounds. I'd hear
their talk of overtime and salaries, their wives and families who were
happily so provisioned, whereupon winding down to climb back into the
trucks, perhaps a mention of how seldom they saw them. I might have
wondered if their senior technicians, like those of us in the complex,
were also permitted to walk away, which they all did, and let the
people do, those with a I behind their job title, which they all did
at least initially for some to favor more than others, (later along
for inasmuch as little as possible of) what they too once did before
assuming the titles suffixed by a II or III.

A serious issue no doubt for one who watches a DMM vaporize in his
hand, should then he have to no alternative but to look forward to
remaining indefinitely on hazardous duty.

Flasherly wrote in part:
Looks like I killed my multimeter by reversing the polarity to a 9V
transformer I wired into the meter for a replacement power source.

Like I keep 9V batteries around anymore. So I wired up a 150mA 9V


I don't think 9V batteries are going away anytime soon.
I've never seen a residential smoke detector with any other.
In mine, plain heavyduty (MnO-Zn) last longer than alkalines.

Sure, 9V are old and most devices no longer need the higher
voltage. Current capacity (mAh) has become more important.


-- Robert

On 2021-01-27 3:00 p.m., Paul wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote:

Waybackwhen, I was having problems wit a 250 ton Carrier water chiller
so I called the company that had the maintenance contract for the
machine and they sent one of their technicians.
TheÂ* machine ran on 600 volts 3 phaseÂ* AC and drew 247 amps full load,
anyway he was checking various things with his Fluke meter and then we
had to turn the unit on for some live measurements.
I was standing about 8 feet away when I heard this really large Bang
and saw a puff of smoke where the meter was in his hand. Well the
meter literally disappeared,
Sorta likeÂ* ' I dream of Genie disappeared', MiraculouslyÂ* he was not
injured at all. Well he said he had forgotten to change the meter from
the ohms scale to the AC voltage scale.

Rene

I take it after this, you stood more than
8 feet away :-)

By any chance, did the guy have orange hair ?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...8Muppet%29.jpg

Â*Â* Paul

Forgot to mention, No, Trump wasn't there.

Rene

On Wed, 27 Jan 2021 03:59:25 -0500, Flasherly
wrote:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Mul...-Manual-Tester
-Volt-Range-AC-S3E1/373440256975?hash=item56f2c61bcf:g:t9wAAOSwK5tgD99 m

The above totally sucks, as do most. But I did see, also, at least
one Ebay seller with the full-factory, Chinese gloss advertisement
spanning several very attractive HTML pages to favorably highlight
selling the M118A usages. A mistaken link I managed not to reacquire.

The four red mode switches below the 600-unit display, or rather
touch-sensors, however, may yet be of concern. As with many
invertible wonders, there's an underlying linkage to be found between
PCB touch-sensors and corresponding facial silicon button assigned to
enduser functionality. I've personally run into a designs employing a
"plastic shaft" implemented, between the aforementioned, such that a
shaft counterpoint disservices the PCB's touch-sensor into being unfit
for too hard and abrasive usage, ultimately, to prematurely destroy
sensor or inordinately render a PCB practically dysfunctional.

Sometimes, though, a disassembly may present rectifications. With an
intelligent battery charger I was unable to make adequate
compensations to adjust for the inferior shaft design, whereas with an
atomic clock's PCB touch sensors and plastic-post linkages, the posts
in addiction comprised a secondary function to mechanical PCB
switches. A latter instance I was, at least for another year or so
usage over as much as a decade total, to prolong its life (by removing
the posts for finger-pressure contact at the switches). The charger
is relegated to now stuck at a 200mA power-up default stasis, although
actually optimal to a nature of charging characteristics, (accounted
design intent not to be rendered wholly inoperable);- whereas a
replaced atomic clock, indicative yet of another like La Crosse
design, which turned out, after all, one of significant overall
original faults and inoperable design since then mechanically
redesigned to account for prior deficiency. I have not felt as yet
warranted a teardown on the clock*, although I will be curious, with
the DMM, as to what's up with those red, probably mode switches, and
what's exactly behind their implementation.

**
Lunar and weather station display models in the largest screen display
factor LaCrosse present offers.

*
A first-generation (AA/AAA) charger of which comprised only a couple
brand models at the time available, over and shortly after initial
advancements to first-generation battery design technology. Similar
"intelligent" chargers, at present, so-called conditioners, appear
widely varied in intent across no less as many brandmakes incident to
their production.