Which is better, a digital multimeter or a pointer multimeter?

From the beginning of learning, one of the most commonly used multimeters is definitely indispensable. There are two most common multimeters on the market: pointer multimeter and digital multimeter. Which of these two is more suitable for us electricians? I think this is also a problem faced by many electricians when they first buy tools. Some say they should use digital ones, while others say they should use pointer ones. Below, the editor of Xiwang will briefly talk about how he views this issue.

1. Each display method has its own advantages: What is the first reaction of many people when they see a digital multimeter? They will definitely think, wow, this multimeter is so good, it can directly display the measurement in digital form, and I don’t have to read the reading, how convenient! Well, this sentence was heard by the electrician who likes to use the pointer multimeter, and he refuted. The biggest advantage of the pointer meter is that its pointer swings, which can very intuitively reflect the property changes of the measured object, which is more convenient than the digital meter.

From the above point of view, it can be said that they are almost the same. However, digital watches have another outstanding feature, that is, they can be made very small and portable, which is slightly better than pointer watches. As for the backlight problem, I think some better pointer watches also have it, so I won't count it here.

2. Differences in design purposes: Generally speaking, people subconsciously think that digital multimeters are suitable for measuring precision instruments and devices. For small overload purposes, the accuracy is relatively intuitive and accurate compared to pointer multimeters. Pointer multimeters are considered suitable for measuring large overloads (this is also related to the working principle of the pointer). So it depends on the nature of the electrician's work and the commonly used measurement objects of the multimeter. As for the issue of whether it is resistant to falling, I personally think that digital meters are slightly better, after all, the swinging pointer is a precise and flexible physical device.

In the end, everyone has their own preferences, but what if you are a junior electrician? The author still thinks this is more suitable based on the characteristics of the pointer multimeter, although it is relatively troublesome and not intuitive. However, our purpose is to learn and understand the numerical changes of the measured object, so it is still recommended for novices.