Reddit reviews DT830B LCD Digital Voltmeter Ammeter Ohm Multimeter

1. Use lightbulb to figure out the Line (would normally be black) connection, like /u/elfa82 said
   
   
2. Turn on some lights/appliances that are on the same circuit (back to your junction box). This will create a few volts of potential between the line and ground. Try to get a good bit of draw, it will generate more voltage.
   
   
3. Check for this couple volts using a flashlight bulb (best), or LED (might get damaged) connected between one of the wires you identified as Neutral/Ground to a known ground connection (metal pipes should be grounded).
   
   One of the wires will generate a faint glow, one will not. The one that does not is ground (should be bare/green) and the other neutral (should be white).
   
   BE CAREFUL! After you figure out the hot wire, secure it so it will not bite you during subsequent testing. Then mark the wires REALLY WELL so the next poor person in there won't have to repeat your work.
   
   
   Also, the correct answer is get a multimeter!

Overcharging is what is most likely to cause a battery to fail.

The ego style batteries are going to mostly be safe as long as you use a proper charger. Don't let it charge over night or on a highly flammable surface. Don't push the button while it's charging.

The most worrying batteries are going to be the ones you can swap in and out of a mod like the Vamo, Kamry K100, etc. They are batteries like the 18650 or 18350 and use a good charger like the Nitecore IntelliCharger i4. You'll want to use a volt meter to check them when you take them from your charger to make sure they aren't charged over 4.2v.

Use a LipoSack while charging batteries for extra safety. You could also build a charging box. Don't pour water on your battery if it catches fire.

If you're still worried. Failure will most likely happen right off the charger (well, on the charger because that is when a fire is most likely), after it has been dropped, or if it has been in an area that is too hot or too cold. Don't use you're battery if you notice any dents or bulges. Hold it away from your face and give it a 3 count test fire away from your face while your device is fully put together after you take it off the charger or if you did something that worried you.

Digital Multimeter - you'll want to measure voltage. Set it to the next number above what you want to measure - in this case, 20VDC. The spec sheet for that battery pack doesn't list the minimum useful charge, but does mention that it loses about 1v per month (20%) and states that it is fully charged after 14-16 hours.

Automatic Wire Stripper

Plastic Trim Tools

Digital Multimeter

Wire Puller

It'll do what you need, but there's no reason to order a MM from china. You can get one from amazon for just as cheap that'll perform just as well.

EDIT: Actually that one is rated from 200-2M ohm (unless that is it's settings, covered below). So maybe not that one, but I doubt you'd have any issue finding one that would work (I'm betting the 200-2M is implying two different settings though and it should work). This one seems to claim 0.8% accuracy at 0-200 ohm (I'm guessing that's what the specifications are implying, horrible description though) Often times a 200 ohm setting implies that it is the max it can read though (on that particular setting, their will be a 200ohm and a 2M ohm setting for instance on that first one), not the minimum limit. Amazon just isn't very good with descriptions tbh.

I have a simple multimeter that I use for testing wattage on my Power Supplies and PC builds. Looks very similar to this. I imagine I can test ohms on it as well.

Thanks for all the help... this community is awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/DT830B-Digital-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Multimeter/dp/B005KGCI0Y/ref=sr_1_15?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1383038935&sr=1-15&keywords=multimeter

Got this one. Works like it should.

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't one of these work?

thank you for such a quick response. however, i dont have a multimeter ..would something like this work?

Okay, they're not too bad, just wasn't sure if you were lumping them in with "tools".

While it is possible now, you're still going to be kind of tight. Look around for a good price on the K100 or K101 (they can usually be found around $12) and an IGO-L atomizer (usually anywhere from $9-13). Past that, try to find Sony VTC 4 or VTC 5's, but good luck. If you can't find any, LG 18650HE2's are alright batteries at a cheaper price, but realize you would need to stay above 0.3 ohms with these, and really I would recommend staying about 0.5 ohms until you get good at building coils. As for chargers, the Nitecore I2 is probably the cheapest charger I would trust not to burn my house down.

As far as ohm meters/multimeters, I have an older version of this one (that apparently dropped in price since I last saw it) that will get the job done. It's not the best one by any stretch of the imagination, but it's reasonably accurate.

I suppose I could probably afford this.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-multimeter-98025.html

EDIT: Eff it, $.50 more and it gets placed on my doorstep. I would have used more in gas going to the store. Thank you Prime!

http://smile.amazon.com/DT830B-Digital-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Multimeter/dp/B005KGCI0Y