How to read an analog multimeter
- Look at the selector. Its setting is full scale: on DC 10 V the needle at the right-hand end means 10 V.
- Pick the row of figures that goes into the range by a power of ten, and multiply by that power: 2.5 V is read on the 0 to 250 figures × 0.01.
- Count small divisions. The scale has 50, so one is a fiftieth of full scale: 0.2 V on the 10 V range. Read to the nearest half division.
- For resistance, touch the leads together and set 0 Ω with the adjust knob. Read the Ω scale from right (0) to left (∞) and multiply by the R× setting.
- Keep your eye straight above the needle, so it hides its reflection in the mirror band.
An example
In set WXW222 the selector is on DC 2.5 V and the needle is on the tick at 195 on the 0 to 250 figures. One small division is 5 on those figures, 0.05 V on this range, and 195 × 0.01 = 1.95 V. In the second meter the selector is on R×100 and the needle is on the tick at 14 on the Ω scale, so the resistance is 14 × 100 = 1.4 kΩ. Open set WXW222
Which figures for which range
| Selector | Read the figures | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| DC 0.25 V, 2.5 V, 250 V | 0 to 250 | 0.001, 0.01, 1 |
| DC or AC 10 V, 1000 V | 0 to 10 | 1, 100 |
| DC or AC 50 V | 0 to 50 | 1 |
| AC 250 V | 0 to 250 | 1 |
| DC 50 µA | 0 to 50 | 1 (µA) |
| DC 2.5 mA, 25 mA, 250 mA | 0 to 250 | 0.01, 0.1, 1 |
| R×1 to R×10k | The Ω scale | 1 to 10 000 |
This practice meter reads AC volts on the same evenly spaced scale. Real meters often have their own AC scale for the lowest AC range (AC 10 V on the Sanwa YX-360TRF, 2.5 V AC on the Simpson 260); use it when yours has one. School ammeters and voltmeters are on the ammeter and voltmeter reading page.
Questions
How do you read the ohms scale on an analog multimeter?
Read it from right to left: 0 Ω is at the right end, where the needle goes with the leads touching, and infinity is at the left. Take the figure under the needle and multiply it by the R× setting: 15 on R×100 is 1500 Ω (1.5 kΩ).
Why does the ohms scale run backwards?
The meter's own battery drives a current through the resistor. With no resistance the most current flows and the needle goes to full scale, so 0 Ω is on the right. More resistance means less current, so bigger values sit further left and crowd together toward infinity.
What is the center value of the ohms scale?
The value under the needle at half scale. It equals the meter's own resistance on that range: 20 Ω on R×1 on this practice meter, so 2 kΩ on R×100. Real meters differ (12 Ω on the Simpson 260-8, 20 Ω on the Sanwa YX-360TRF), so check the scale on yours.
Which range should I use?
For volts and current, the lowest range above the value you expect, so the needle swings high up the scale where the reading is most accurate. If you have no idea of the value, start on the highest range and come down. For resistance, pick the R× range that puts the needle near the middle of the ohms scale.
What is the mirror on the meter scale for?
It stops parallax. Move your head until the needle hides its own reflection: your eye is then straight above the needle. If you can see the reflection beside the needle, you are reading from the side and the reading is off.
What is the difference between the zero screw and the 0 Ω knob?
The pointer zero screw sets the needle on 0 at the left end with nothing connected. The 0 Ω adjust knob sets it on 0 Ω at the right end with the leads touching; do that on each R× range before you measure, and again as the battery runs down.
Is a multitester the same as a multimeter?
Yes. Multitester is the usual word in the Philippines, and older books say VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter). An analog multitester has a needle and scales; a digital one shows the number.
Sources, read October 26, 2026: Simpson 260 Series 8 instruction manual (PDF); Sanwa YX-360TRF instruction manual (PDF); DGT Electrician curriculum, NSQF level 5, revised 2017 (PDF); NIMI Electrician trade theory and trade practical, semester 1 (PDF). The meter drawn here is our own practice face, not any maker's dial.