Multimeter 101: [DIY]

I like to think I'm a 'Do It Yourself' (DIY) kind of guy, but every time I step off into a new project I find out just how much I don't know.

Right now I'm trying to troubleshoot my sprinkler system. We were lucky enough to find a house that already had one installed several years ago when we moving back into the area, and it worked just fine for a while. Then the controller went out so I had to replace that. Then a couple of sprinkler heads busted so I learned how to work with PVC pipe and replaced those. But now I have a whole new issue that started last summer and I'm finally getting around to an attempted fix.

It quit working altogether! What a pain!

The main problem I have now is I don't know where all the pipes are buried, much less the all-important box where the valves and solenoids are. So I have some searching to do in the shrubs I guess.

Along the way though I discovered another thing I don't know much about, how to use that stinkin' multimeter. There are a few settings I knew, but not many and certainly not enough to track down my issues with the sprinkler system.

Hello YouTube!

I have been going to YouTube.com for the last couple of years or so to learn just about everything you can think of when it comes to DIY projects. From breaking down and cleaning my firearms to gardening and now learning the basics of a multimeter.

There may be better examples on YouTube or other sites, but this guy held his multimeter up at an angel and closeup enough so I could see what he was doing. I like that.

Keep your eyes out for good DIY videos like this and be sure you share them with the rest of the class please. Or at least send them to me and I'll be happy to share them.

For now, enjoy what I like to call, 'Multimeter 101'.