Multimeter use
 

I'm not sure where to post this.

This is a request, online/or at Horizons Meetings, for a talk/instruction on the use of Multimeters.

I have a friend who has shown me some things, and I will ask him for a refresher course, but I thought that having multimeter skills would be useful to many.

This would depend on someone with the skills who is willing to demonstrate . I'm sure many would welcome such a session. If this took place at a Meeting, then all interested could bring their own Multimeter.

(Hmmmm...I will ask said friend if he is up for a Horizons talk).

I recall parties in the 60s (swinging of course) where you put your car keys in a heap and ........

Using Multimeters to get connected? Hmmm

Yeah - lets have it!

I'm quite willing help anyone with multimeter operation, as far as a basic course goes, Unfortunately we could do with someone who knows how the electrics on modern bike fuel injection/ ignition systems work.
There are a few basic bodges like shorting out sidestand switches/clutch switches that most of the old hands know about, but all the modern tackle seems to be designed so a bloke in a field has to take it to the main dealer to fix it!

Thanks Joe

I hope you will consider (through Grant) giving a talk at a future Horizons Meet. A basic course would be very well received, certainly by me; but I am sure there are many who would love a basic course. There are possibly as many new hands as old hands out there who would benefit.

I am here also suggesting to Grant that info on stuff like tyrechanging, basic multimeter electrics, carnets, and so on, might be gathered together in booklet form (for sale), or a downloadable form (with a fee for Horizons) - just a small idea for the well-being of Horizons, though possibly it isn't new.

Anyway, thanks again for your response - do think about a talk at a future date. I for one will be there, clutching my multimeter! I had real problems in the Czech Rep. and Poland because of my ignorance of electrics.

Tony! (LOL)

Are you suggesting we throw our multimeters in a heap at Ripley? You will certainly end up with a bearded gnarly bloke. Do you want that? I don't!!!!!! You like risk, do you?

PS -in the 60s I was struggling to buy yet another Joe Lucas useless dynamo for my old BSA, never mind think about cars.

LOL!

Yes - would love to have more tech subjects - we just need volunteers to give them! And yes that IS a hint... ;)

See the Meetings page, and look for the link top right:

Present YOUR Tech Clinic - good at something of interest to motorcycle Travellers? Please do a Tech Clinic for us!

or direct to the sign up to Present page:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/meetings/presenters

Not new, but thanks for raising it Denis - it's very much in mind - there's all sorts of subjects on my list, from (now) multimeters to carnets to bike mod tips to country info. There's loads of demand for snippets of info on a subject.

Our problem is time - we haven't enough!

Ideally we'd have some volunteers assembling them from all the info on the site, and out of their own heads, and we'd sell them as downloadable pdf's at $2-$5 or so. We'd share the proceeds with the volunteers who assemble them.

Volunteers contact me!

I've a rough on bike preperation .. one other has seen it and said I'm a bit wordy .. I have not had time to go back over it ... anyone want (?) to go over it and take out my 'Warnerisums'? Basicly it is an expansion from a talk I did at the OZ HU meeting.

Been thinking maybe I should do one specific to bike electrics - preperation, maintance and fault finding .. bit of work there ...

Multimeters I can do standing on my head .. I'll add it to the list ? :)

Frank

This sounds good to me. If you have something prepared this would be brilliant, for me at least. And this would fit in with Grant's thoughts on collecting such TechTips. If you have tips on multimeter/electrical stuff, well that's fantastic.

If it's a matter of expressive clarity, I would certainly look at it for what you call "Warnerisms"! But I bet you it's just fine!!!!!

Ta!

How about a tech session, with several talkers, all on strict 15 minute limits.
There is bound to be "experts" in several different fields.
Just the basics, multimeters, carb servicing, ignition, bodging bust threads and bolts, bead braking and tyres, brake systems, etc etc.

Field service stuff, and get you home tricks.

?

A brilliant, comprehensive idea, Joe. If those giving the talk could also write up in brief instruction form the info they are giving, then this could be transferred to Tech Tips as Grant has indicated above, for downloading as a road booklet.

This is all good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All good indeed! Go for it guys! :clap:

I'm off to Spain for the Spanish HU Meeting, see you when I get back!

Great stuff!

Put me down for a place please.

Maybe it could be filmed/recorded and put onto DVD, like Susan and Grants talks were.

:))

Like Tims talks on GPSes .. they expand becasue of all the questions .. and ideas others have ..

From very distant memory the first talk I was given at trade school on multimeters (AVOs - analog back in those days .. digital one were around but way too expensive) was 1 hour long...

I think while 15 minutes might be the time you think it would take .. you'll be supprised how long it actually takes when you consider the finer points. I'd alow an hour - if it takes less then there is more drinking time... not a bad thing.


Umm home can be a long way for a Hubber ... get you to the next major town would be a good objective. The basic 'change a tyre' thing is esential. After that we get into cleaning carbs, air filters .. messy stuff like that .. fork seals can wait till the next town .. fixing holes in sumps cannot.

Good points above.

Many of us know some tips/trick, but we seldom know them all. I went along to a tyrechanging session at a HUBB meeting, thinking that I pretty well knew most of what there was to know......well, I had my eyes opened to tons of stuff I didnt know.

And someone will always have neater way of doing something. As I mentioned, I had real problems in Eastern Europe because of my lack of knowledge of bike electrics, therefore my initial request. If I'd carried a little RoadBook of TechTips on areas such as electrics which I was weak on, then the problems I had would have been much diminished. Such TechTips can be the product of several authors.

So I hope that anyone reading this thread with knowledge of some Tech issue will put it together in online form and, I hope, present a talk of any length on it.

umm, 15 mins, it depends on how much detail we need to cover, i could rabbit on for hours, but, how much would you remember?
keep it to the absolute basics, like what gear is worth taking ( I always take a VERY basic multimeter on trips with me) and how to use it, if we are talking about field servicing, you wont need much in the way of detail!