I used to have a nice big chunky DMM I bought back in the early 1990s,**It almost doesn't matter. I have 6 or 7 digital meters. I still have the first one I ever purchased. It was a SOAR branded auto ranging meter. Except for a broken battery cover, it works very well and is (for day to day measurements) is entirely adequate. The only meter I managed to bugger up, is a Micronta bench meter, which I used to measure a 2kV (specifically warned against in the manual, BTW) power supply. I have a range of meters, which cost me between $8.00 (I keep this one in the car glovebox) and $500.00 (I keep this one on the bench) and I honestly can't think why you would want to spend more than $100.00 on one, unless you have specific needs (my Fluke is pretty much physically indestructible, but, at a huge cost). Even $50.00 will get you an excellent and versatile instrument.
>memory says "Metex", bought from Jaycar, but it seems to have gone
>walkabout.
>
> Now, ignoring the "real" multimeters like Fluke, what should I get just so
> when I need to do something like check a circuit or cable of component or
> whatever.
>
> I've looked at the Jaycar/Altronics/DSE catalogues, but have no idea.
>
> For that matter I vaguely recall some posts talking about shops in
> Melbourne other than the chains, but my google-fu is not working. South
> east is where I am located.
>
> Suggestions? On both the DMM and shops.
>
> And ones to avoid, too.