Larry,

I think you have that backwards.
The digital yields precision and accuracy while
the analog shows "real time" fluctuations.

I too cut my teeth on a Simpson 260, but in that era,
"electronics" was transistors and 1/4 watt carbon wound
resistors with 10% (and worse) tolerances.

The usefulness and accuracy of the venerable 260
waned rapidly after the advent of laser trimmed
resistors with 1% (and better) precision.  It was soon
replaced by the FET VOM, which in turn was replaced
by the DVM.

With that said.....
I still carry an old Triplett FET right next to my Fluke.
Because as you pointed out, there are still __some__
(or maybe I sould say __a few__) cases where
analog is the better tool.

It just depends on the D.U.T. and the type of problem.

In the mid-seventies I worked on industrial systems
that employed Emitter Coupled Logic.  Only a 'scope
with a memory was fast enough to deal with  ECL.

Jim Meagher

----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry" <[log in to unmask]>

> Kenneth Alan Boyd Ramsay wrote:
>   <snipped>
> > Digital meters tend to be more precise than analog.
>
> Perhaps I'm just in a nit-picky mood or just want to argue but
> I disagree. Analog meters are just as precise as digital, if not more so.
>
> I learned the electronics trade on the old Simpson 260 analog multimeter.
> I have used both digital and analog and can see where digital has its
> advantages, but in electronics troubleshooting, analog is better because
> you can watch the changing value. With digital, you watch the numbers
change
> too fast to follow, or too slow (sample rate) to know what's happening.
>
> Watching the needle move in exact time with the measured voltage is
> a better troubleshooting aid than simply reading an end result, in some
> situations.
>
> Better digital meters have bar-graph indicators which simulate the
> needle movement of analog meters but the slow sample rate still screws
> up the exact measurement.
>
> Digital meters are for electricians and hobbyists. Analog meters are
> for technicians who seek precise measurements.

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