DICK SMITH Q-1446 Vintage Multimeter Review & Teardown!

Vintage auto-ranging goodness from DICK SMITH!
The Q-1446 is over 30 Years old but still looks and performs great!
A solid 4 Vintage Stars!
Michael Yammerino has a great hybrid-hack multimeter stand, check out his video:
Need a cheap set of great leads, try these!
SUBSCRIBE Today and be automatically entered into 1 of 4 MULTIMETER Prize Draw Giveaways!!

[EEVblog]

OMG the memories! This was my first digital multimeter, given to a circa 10yo me by a pinball repair tech cousin.

[IgorBeaver-wy]

You've become one of my favorite YouTubers!

[yambo]

Yknow on that lead resistance being the same for two different sets of leads, it could be as old as the meter is theres a light oxide coating on the input jacks, if not maybe something internal.

[samuellourenco]

Nice pair of leads! Dick looked at no expenses. ;)

Now seriously, that multimeter is accurate down to the mV, almost. About 1 or 2mV of error is quite good for a multimeter of that day and age. The selector switch is very nice, and rare (if not impossible) to see in new multimeters, even on expensive ones.

[yambo]

Wow, first glance you'd think its an old 830 type, but even though its 30+ years old that through hole technology
still delivers the basic accuracy it was designed to after all these years - wonder how many riceland meters would be this good after 30+ years. My old Fluke 27 is all through hole and still holding its accuracay, amazing, but there was more care and craftsmanship in these hand built boards, no wave line used on this old guy. A rare retro find, cant believe the condition of that battery box and connnectors no leakage anywhere it and the meter are in perfect shape, cool find and great review.

[derektodd]

Something quite satisfying about these older meters. Am keeping an eye out for some Beckman units. My first employer supplied meter back in 1988🤣

[DjClarky]

I've got the q1459 model. Reckon I bought it 15 years ago.

[martin-ot]

The original manufacturer of this one is SOAR corporation of Japan. They have a version of this one with 10A input and also continuity test.

[rinqucosta]

There was a time when it was addictive to many Electric Hobbyist... I have a Dick Smith FBT tester that was used by my uncle

[fsto]

I just bought some new leads for my. Dick Smith Q1456, about 30 years old but a bit more used.

[IrishvintageTVRadio]

Nice old meter there!👍 Where did you get that holder? Looks really useful for meters that don't have a stand.

[davidandersson]

Thanks for the review.

Everything screams early 80s about this meter.
For example the overall design look, and also the one sided circuit board with the brown backplane.
Two things are a bit in contrast to that. At least to me, a layman.
That is the auto ranging feature, and the surface mounted IC.
Did you, or any viewer see a date, or a year information somewhere on the meter ?

[chrisblank]

retro quality. I still have probes like those and still use them

[bhushan]

That N printed on the back side of the PCB stands for





Nothing!