voltage standard

[twister]

I would like to find a way to accurately set my voltmeters, especially on DC. I have several and they are all different.

 

[Resqueline]

There are many 'precision voltage reference' IC's available, just Google that expression.
Examples: REF01, REF102, MAX674, MAX676-678, LT1031, etc..

 

[twister]

There are many 'precision voltage reference' IC's available, just Google that expression.
Examples: REF01, REF102, MAX674, MAX676-678, LT1031, etc..

Thank you for that info.

 

[shrtrnd]

They're not cheap, but there are a lot of electronics standards labs available that
calibrate test and measurement instruments to factory specs.

 

[twister]

They're not cheap, but there are a lot of electronics standards labs available that
calibrate test and measurement instruments to factory specs.

For my cheap harbor freight multimeters, it would be overkill. ha
I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but when Resqueline mentioned those voltage standards, I thought a regulator IC would be close enough. So I found a 6 volt regulator in my junkbox and hooked it up and set all my multimeters. Sometimes the answer is so simple that you can't see it. I couldn't see the forest, for the trees! ha
I just built a solar panel voltage regulator and I had 5 meters hooked up to the breadboard at the same time. It was confusing when they all were at least a volt off, but now that I'm done they are all reading the same except one, and it won't adjust. I probably had it on the wrong range at one time or another and ruined a resistor or something. They aren't protected from people like me.

 

[shrtrnd]

I work in a standards lab.
Believe me, even the best of meters aren't protected from some of the damage I
see, done by 'experts'.

 

[twister]

I work in a standards lab.
Believe me, even the best of meters aren't protected from some of the damage I
see, done by 'experts'.

Ha, ha, now I don't feel so bad!

 

[JMW]

shrtnd:
It takes a professional to really do a number, it takes experience and ingenuity to create smoke.
There was a Air Force A school instructor from the '60s who had the correct response. " the quality of the technician in the field is inversely proportional to the amount of damage he did in class. I did have exception to this. Sent an E5 to school on a searchlight, he was so bad, the school wouldn't accept any further applicants from our ship for a year. This field is an ongoing learning experience. When I started common voltages were 10k, not only could release big smoke, but you could get hurt.