10
Common DC Milliamperage Measurements
It is important to point out that milliamps can also be
expressed as thousandths of an Ampere. Therefore 500
milliamps is 500 thousandths of one Amp or
1
⁄
2
of one Amp.
The milliamperage function of your multimeter is commonly
used by electronics repair technicians and hobbyists to
troubleshoot various low voltage circuits. Although not
normally used for electrical troubleshooting around the home,
this function can be used to measure the milliamperage draw
of household items such as flashlights and other battery
operated devices that do not draw more than 500mA. In fig. 4,
the red (+) test lead is hooked up to the (+) terminal of the
lantern battery while the black (-) test lead is hooked up to the
bulb. The tester will indicate the milliamperage draw when the
flashlight switch is thrown in the ON position.
WARNING! Do not apply voltage to the
test leads while the tester is set in the milliamp
range. See #8 under For Your Safety.
DC 10Amp Measurement
A separate input jack is provided for measurement of DC
current up to 10 Amps. This range is not fused so it is
imperative that the circuit under test does not exceed 10
Amps. Additionally, this function is designed for intermittent
use only. Maximum contact of the test leads with the circuit
is 15 seconds, with a minimum intermission time of 30
seconds between tests. Set the function/range switch to the
10A range. Touch the test leads to the circuit in the same
manner as instructed in DC MILLIAMPERAGE
MEASUREMENT. Read the 0-10 scale.
9
4.3 Household Batteries
Household batteries can be tested in either one of two ways.
For a good/bad check, set the function/range switch to the
1.5V or 9V BAT setting depending on which type of battery is
to be tested. Plug the red test lead into the jack marked
“ V.
Ω
.A.”. Touch the red (+) lead to the (+) terminal of the
battery and the black (-) lead to the (-) terminal of the battery.
Read the BAT scale at the very bottom of the scale plate. The
scale will indicate if the battery is good, questionable or should
be replaced. To more accurately measure the voltage value of
household batteries, set the function/range switch to 10 VDC
and touch the leads to the battery as before. Read the 0-10
scale to determine the condition of the battery.
1) Fully seat the test leads in the correct input jacks.
2) Set the function/range switch to the appropriate
DCmA setting.
3) Touch the test leads to the circuit in series (in line with the
circuit) so that the circuit current passes through the
multimeter in order to make the measurement. If the
needle indicator deflects to the left, reverse the test leads.
With a set range of 5mA, read the 0-50 scale and “drop”
the zeros. With a set range of 500mA read the 0-250
scale and multiply the readings by 2.
Figure 4
5.0 DC Milliamp Measurement
GMT-19A
OHMS ADJUST
1000V DC/A
C
500mA DC
MAX
O
H
M
S
1000
250
50
10
2.5
500m
50m
5m
1000
250
50
10
1.5V
AA
9V
X1K
X10
X1
DC10A
A
C
V
D
C
V
D
C
A
+
–
DC10A
V.
Ω
.A.
COM
20K
Ω
/V DC
8K
Ω
/V AC
1K
100
200
50
500
2K
0
0
0
AC
DC
50
100
150
200
250
10
20
30
40
2
4
6
8
50
10
AC
dB
DC
dB
BA
T
20
10
0
Ω
Ω
BA
T
G O O D
?
-8
0
+6
+12
+16 +18
+20
+22
∞
R E
P L
A C E
5K
10 K
+14
OH
MS
OHMS
DC Milliamp
Scale
DC Milliamp
Measurement
Black
Red
