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What setting to use on multimeter

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To all the electrical gurus out there...for the life of me I just can't figure out how to set my multimeter in order to check a reg/rec no matter how many times I read the dang book.

It's an Etek model#10709. What it says is to set it to diode mode and then connect the leads to the appropriate tabs. When I follow the stator papers and try this, I get readings of 577 to 579 on all 3 tabs. But the diode setting has no variables to get a voltage reading.

I'm not an idiot but this is making me feel and look like one! Help please!
 
Hi,

Those numbers are giving you the forward voltage drop of the diodes being tested. Diodes are supposed to conduct electricity in one direction but not in another. If you set your meter to ohms and test again you will find that the diodes in the rectifier portion of the r/r will have almost no resistance in one direction and, after reversing the leads, an infinite resistance (OL) in the other.

I tested one of my good r/r units recently and documented the results.

Regulator/Rectifier Diode Test


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Last edited:
Those readings are in millivolts. So you are actually seeing 0.577 to .579 volts.
 
Hi,

koolaid_kid said:
Those readings are in millivolts. So you are actually seeing 0.577 to .579 volts.
Click to expand...

Yes, the current provided by the meter is not a lot so it's typical to be a little less than the "normal" drop of 0.7v for silicon parts.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Those readings are fine. Now, to finish the test, reverse the leads. Put the red lead where the black one was and the black one where the red one was. You should read ZERO or OL (for OverLoad) or OR (for Over Range).

To do the full diode test for the R/R, you will do a total of TWELVE readings. There are SIX diodes, and you will check each of them in both directions.

You should have SIX readings similar to the two that you just showed, and SIX readings that are not. If you have any other mix of readings, replace the R/R.

.
 
Steve, it depends on the meter. My Craftsman 821140 reads 1 instead of OL. Not that I like it, but that is what it does.
 
OK, the wires going from eft to right of reg/rec are B/W, Y, W/Bl, W/R and R.

I'm testing this reg/rec out of the bike, that's right...right?

Ok, So When I put the red lead on the far left tab and check the 4 tabs going to my right, I get 569, 571, 577 and 800.

When I swap the leads and have the black lead on the left tab and use the red lead for readings, I get all 1's..where does that leave me so far?
 
Steve, How do I hook up the leads to get all 12 readings? Just keep alternating the leads on all the tabs of the reg/rec?
 
3 of those wires go to the stator. They are involved in every test.
1 is the ground. You test the ground on each of the stator wires, forward and backward.
1 wire is the output voltage. You test is on each of the stator wires, forward and backward.
That is a total 12 tests.
 
Basscliff, You mention switching the meter to ohms. I have the following settings on the ohms side of the multimeter: 20m, 2m, 200k, 20k, 2k, and 200. Which one should I use? Thanks
 
Koolaid Kid...so I need to have the r/r in the bike and hooked up to the stator to do these tests? I currently have the r/r out of the bike.
 
Hi,

Super said:
Basscliff, You mention switching the meter to ohms. I have the following settings on the ohms side of the multimeter: 20m, 2m, 200k, 20k, 2k, and 200. Which one should I use? Thanks
Click to expand...

20m = 20,000,000 ohms (or less)
2m =2,000,000 ohms
200k=200,000 ohms
20k = 20,000 ohms
2k = 2,000 ohms
200 = 200 ohms

Isn't there a "20" setting too, for 20 ohms?

When checking resistance, if your meter shows "OL" (or whatever designates 'out of range' on your meter) just go up to a higher range. Use the lowest range possible for greater accuracy.

When testing the r/r I like using both the diode setting and checking the diodes for resistance just to make sure they are conducting in one direction only. The tests I linked to earlier on my website were done out of the bike.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Last edited:
Basscliff, I had to go up to 20m to get a reading. When I hook the red lead to the left tab I get readings of 4.4, 3.8 and 3.5 and these readings deem to fluctuate up and down some.

When I switch the black lead to the left tab I get all 1's..which is the over range reading I believe.
 
koolaid_kid said:
Steve, it depends on the meter. My Craftsman 821140 reads 1 instead of OL. Not that I like it, but that is what it does.
Click to expand...
OK, yeah, different meter, different "out of range" indication. It happens.

Does it just show a "1" or is it "- 1 -"? :-k



Super said:
Steve, How do I hook up the leads to get all 12 readings? Just keep alternating the leads on all the tabs of the reg/rec?
Click to expand...
Disconnect the R/R from the bike. You should have FIVE wires going to it, three stator wires (color does not really matter), one RED wire, one BLACK ground wire.
Connect the black meter lead to the black ground wire.
1. touch the red lead to one of the stator wires, record the reading.
2. touch the red lead to a second stator wire, record the reading.
3. touch the red lead to the third stator wire, record the reading.
Connect the red meter lead to the black gound wire.
4. touch the black meter lead to one of the stator wires, record the reading.
5. touch the black lead to a second stator wire, record the reading.
6. touch the black lead to the third stator wire, record the reading.
Connect the red meter lead to the red output wire.
7. touch the black lead to one of the stator wires, record the reading.
8. touch the black lead to a second stator wire, record the reading.
9. touch the black lead to the third stator wire, record the reading.
Connect the black meter lead to the red output wire.
10. touch the red meter lead to one of the stator wires, record the reading.
11. touch the red meter lead to a second stator wire, record the reading.
12. touch the red meter lead to the third stator wire, record the reading.

If you have a diode test function on your meter, it is the preferred setting. If you don't have it, use whatever Ohms setting gives you a meaningful reading.

Again SIX of one reading, SIX of the other, and you should see them in groups as outlined in the tests.
For the first group, they should all be out of range.
The second group should all be good.
The third group should all be out of range.
The fourth group should all be good.

If any ONE of them reads wrong, the R/R is no good.

.
 
Steve, it just shows a 1. I also tested the Centech from HF and it also shows a 1. Curious.
And I agree completely about using the diode function. That is its sole purpose, and it is specifically designed for testing diodes, which is what we are doing.
I don't think my old, long since gone, mechanical meter had a diode function so I would use the Ohm meter function there.
 
I don't remember what my Fluke meter shows, but I just checked my Radio Shack meter and it shows "OL" in resistance and diode functions. :o

.
 
No need to send anything, I'll just look at it when I get to work tomorrow. :p

By the way, it's not a Fluke to get excited about.
noway.gif

It's just a model 77, and about 15-20 years old, but it just got recertified today. :dancing:
Since I use it to calibrate equipment in the hospital, it has to be calibrated, along with all the shop's test equipment, and gets a new sticker every year. :D

By the way, I had him check my Radio Shack meter. Since it did not need a certification sticker, he did it for free.
AC and DC volts are dead-on, right up to 1000 volts.
Resistance is dead-on, from milliohms up to 30Megaohms (where he stopped checking).
Temperature is within a degree (no decimal point on the meter) in all the ranges he was able to duplicate.
Frequency was dead-on.
Capacitance was dead-on.
The Amp scales had the only discrepencies. :(
On the 40 amp scale, it read actual plus 2, at the worst. That is, 30 amps showed as 32.
On the 400 and 800 amp scales it read just a bit low. 100 amp input showe as 98. 600 amp input showed as 595.

Plenty good for me. :cool:

By the way, they have dropped the price on the meter. :lol:

.
 
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