I quit using digital multimeters for continuity checks last year

There I was on a Gulfstream G450 at an MRO in Tucson, chasing a intermittent fault in the landing gear indicator circuit. Everyone else grabs a Fluke 87, I grabbed my old analog Simpson 260. That needle swing tells you way more about a bad connection or intermittent break than any beep or number does. I know it sounds backwards, but after 12 years in avionics, I trust that analog sweep more than a digital reading for certain jobs. Anyone else stick with old gear for specific tasks?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbychen1mo agoMost Upvoted

@shane751 you're spot on about the needle resistance thing. I've caught plenty of flaky grounds and cold solder joints that way, where the needle just twitches instead of holding steady. It's like having a visual stethoscope for bad connections.

shane7511mo ago

Have you ever heard that analog meters can catch intermittent faults that digitals just smooth over? I read somewhere that the needle's physical resistance to sudden changes actually helps you see momentary breaks that a digital meter might miss completely.

rosed321mo ago

@shane751 yeah that's why I still grab my Simpson 260 for chasing ghosts like that, the needle tells the truth.