Visit The Home Depot to buy Home Electrical Test Kit (Digital Multimeter, Non-contact. Test leads and a user manual as needed; Digital multi-meter, non-contact, GFCI outlet and dual phone line testers. This Gardner Bender Tester Kit includes all of our most popular electrical testers in a handy storage/carry case for easy access for. With easy to read, color-coded analog displays. Measure conductors at any point in the wire or cable. Manual or auto ranging with easy to read digital displays.
Gardner Bender’s GDT-11 is a handheld digital multimeter with a 3 1/2-digit liquid crystal numeric display. The meter measures volts for direct and alternating currents, resistance and DC current. In addition, the unit has a diode check feature.
Preparing Meter and Battery
Snap the battery clip onto one of the batteries; set the battery aside for measuring voltage and current.
Plug the red test probe into the meter socket marked VΩmA.
Plug the black test probe into the meter socket marked COM.
Rotate the function selector knob to any setting other than OFF. If the display does not turn on, or if you see the BAT indicator on the display, replace the meter’s internal 9-volt battery with a fresh one.
Tip
Measurements of a 9-volt battery are safe as the voltage is too low to pose a shock hazard.
DC Voltage
Rotate the function selector knob until it points to the 20 range in the DC voltage scale, indicating a maximum of 20 volts. The DC voltage scale is indicated by the V-- symbol on the meter.
Touch the metal tip of the red meter probe to the positive wire of the battery clip; usually this is the red wire. Touch the tip of the black probe to the negative wire, which is black.
Read the voltage indicated on the meter’s LCD display. The meter should measure roughly 9 volts.
Tip
Gardner Bender En Resources Instruction M…
You can measure voltage or current with the probe polarity reversed; however, the meter will display a negative number. This does not adversely affect the meter or the components you’re testing.
Gardner Bender Multimeter Instructions
Warning
Avoid touching the metal probe tips when measuring voltages greater that 50V; high voltages pose a shock hazard.
Resistance
Rotate the function selector knob until it points to the 200 range on the meter’s resistance scale, indicated by the Ω symbol.
Touch the red meter probe tip to one of the resistor’s leads. Touch the black probe to the remaining resistor lead.
Read the resistance on the meter’s display. You should see a reading of about 100 ohms; a few percent higher or lower is normal.
Warning
- Do not touch the metal probe tips when measuring resistance; the resistance of your skin will affect the meter’s accuracy.
- Do not attempt to measure resistance for circuits or components that are powered on or have currents running through them; you might blow the meter’s fuse or damage the unit.
DC Current
Wrap the positive battery clip wire around one of the leads of the resistor.
Rotate the function selector knob until it points to the 200 range in the meter’s DC current scale, indicated by the A-- symbol.
Touch the tip of the red meter probe to the free lead of the resistor. Touch the tip of the black meter probe to the negative battery clip wire.
Read the current value on the meter’s display. You should see a reading of about 90 milliamps or .09 amps.
Gardner Bender Multimeter User Manual
Warning
Do not attempt to measure currents in excess of 200 milliamps unless the red meter probe is plugged into the 10A DC socket and the selector knob points to the 10A-- range.
Gardner Bender Gdt 3190 User Manual
Always measure current with a resistance connected in series with a battery or other power source; the resistance limits the current and avoids a potentially damaging short circuit.