Measuring DC/AC Voltage

WARNINGS:

•NEVER CLAMP A TEST LEAD TO A HOT WIRE (USUALLY RED, BLACK, OR BLUE IN AC WIRING CIRCUITS). IF ONE LEAD IS CLAMPED TO A HOT WIRE AND YOU TOUCH THE

MULTIMETER’S OTHER PROBE, YOU COULD RECEIVE AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

•THE MAXIMUM INPUT LIMIT FOR VOLTAGE MEASURE- MENT IS 500V DC OR 500V AC (RMS). TO AVOID ELECTRI-

CAL SHOCK AND DAMAGE TO THE MULTIMETER, NEVER TRY TO MEASURE DC VOLT- AGE ABOVE 500 VOLTS OR AC VOLTAGE ABOVE 500 VOLTS RMS.

•TO AVOID ELECTRICAL SHOCK AND DAMAGE TO THE MULTIMETER, NEVER CON- NECT THE TEST PROBE PLUGGED INTO THE – JACK TO A SOURCE OF VOLTAGE ABOVE 500 VOLTS.

Follow these steps to measure AC or DC voltage.

1.Set the function selector to one of the DCV positions (to measure DC voltage) or to one of the ACV positions (to measure AC volt- age).

Note: If you are not sure about the voltage level you are measur- ing, set the function selector to 500 DCV or 500 ACV. Then keep trying the next lowest range as necessary until the reading appears in the upper third of the multimeter’s scale.

2.Touch the test leads to the circuit you want to test.

•If the function selector is set to

500 ACV or 500 DCV, read the upper line of ACVA/DCVA on the multimeter. The AC or DC voltage is the reading you see. For example, if the needle points to 200, the AC or DC voltage is 200 volts. Other- wise, read the lower line of ACVA/DCVA on the multime- ter then multiply the reading you see by 500/3. For exam- ple, if the needle points to 2.4,

the AC or DC voltage is 400 volts (2.4 ⋅ 500/3 = 400V).

•If the function selector is set to

150 ACV or 150 DCV, read the lower line of ACVA/DCVA on the multimeter then multiply the reading you see by 50. For example, if the needle points

Using the Multimeter