My first instrument would have been a needle volt meter. My dad was showing me how to test if wires had electricity in them. Must have been 42 years ago.

Dale W

I agree not all the equipment I call useful requires electrons flowing through them.  And I still use my callipers.

Stay Well,

Gordon

Having started down my path in the field of electronic over 55 years ago there is a number of pieces of “gear” that claimed a spot of my bench.  It is hard to choose only one, because each one had a function and played a very important part on my “bench”.  Of course, like so many who have already posted, my analogue multimeter (yes, with a needle) would have been my first, unless you count the earphone on my cat whisker crystal radio.  Back to my multimeter, mine was a Radio Shack Micronta multimeter because I couldn't afford a Triplett.  Although it was very useful and took a lot of abuse, it was just the start.  The electronic equipment that followed was more specialized like my secondhand Eico tube tester.  Back in those days, if you wanted to “tinker” it usually involved an old tube TV set.  Many pieces of equipment were built from kits like my Heath Kit function generator or my Southwest Technical power supply.  Both companies are long gone.  Other “first” pieces weren't electronics, but just as essential like my drill or hand punches for building chassis.  A good vise also was a must.  Unfortunately after a number of work related, long distance moves not many are still on my bench.  Although I don't have any pictures, if requested I think I can find a photo or two to post from the Internet.  Oh the memories and thank you for allowing me to share.

I almost forgot my trusty soldering iron.  It was among my first pieces of "stuff" as my wife would say.  I hope it forgives me.

Stay Well,

Gordon

1. P.S.  Maybe E14 could add a MultiComp MP780402, LCR handheld meter to their equipment list (hint, hint)

Same for me, 1st tool was a multimeter. And after seeing all those needle-meters I feel really young, as mine was already digital with a whooping 3.5 digits. Does anybody know where all those grey hairs are coming from?

As you can see, it still works. The most important thing it taught me was, to turn off my gear when the work is done. It does not have an auto-shut-off, so if I forget it, I was buying a new 9V battery every week.

My first tool was also a DMM, way back many decades ago when I was active duty in the Marine Corps we had a tool kit that included one and it received much use!  The funny thing about the tool kit was our Gunnery Sgt ordering these awesome kits in and then went through and removed all of the hammers, telling us since we were working on computers and electronics the last thing he wanted us to use was a Hammer.  :-)

Since then the original DMM stayed with the Corps and was undoubtedly replaced many times.  I have had numerous smalls ones through out the years but I actually think right now I may not have one since I have had adult children back in the house working on their cars and I believe it was borrowed.

My first measurement tool was a Hioki 3200 analogue Volt-Ohm-Meter. It now rests in a black leather case on the top shelf, rarely if ever used.

I started Electronics Engineer Technology college in the fall of 1979. Three weeks into the course each student was given a personal meter. The test leads have been replaced and a few batteries along the way but other than that, just the same.

It has no protection circuits. If you screw up, the meter doesn’t forgive. You only get to do a voltage measurement using the resistive setting just once. A few students managed to do it in tech school. All the functions work the same as the day I received it.

Funny story, someone was commenting about parallax error the other day. I indicated the first meter I had was equipped with a mirror to reduce the parallax error.

When I left tech school in 1981, my first employer provided a digital Fluke 77. The meter was inspected and calibrated on a yearly basis. Working in the aviation industry all measuring equipment had to meet a calibration schedule.

The test leads on the Fluke have been replaced but other than that nothing has changed. Oh, it hasn’t seen calibration since 1996 when closures and careers changes took me in another direction.

I still have the two meter and surprising enough both are still working.

Probably an ArcherKit multimeter from RadioShack/Tandy. I couldn't afford the pre-built Micronta version so I had to buy the kit version (it had a blue case instead of black - not very cool apparently) at around half the cost and assemble it myself. Not sure what happened to it but I still have the digital Micronta one here, which was purchased a few years later once I had earned some cash in repairs from using the first one (LCD display - cool status regained).

There's a picture of one here:

https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2807403&sid=f56b99f5a693e268db9d87c125cf05de#p2807403

Nice! Mine was also the same which I bought for 2.5$ (180 INR) and lasted very long. Before, the very first tool was AA battery + Lamp with wires left open circuit and glows when both ends of wires are touched! (so called continuity tester)

Like many of uf my first measurement tool was a multimeter, in my case it was a cheap one, it was like $5, I was in high school and I started to learn electronics by myself and by burning circuits. I remember that I opened an old radio with the intention of fixing it but to my bad luck I was not able to do it, so I was more interested on learning electronics.

I don't have that multimeter anymore. I replaced it with a better one, now I have three, in that way I can use them to measure current and voltage at the same time.

John,

Once was enough for me - I was 16. Now, if the voltage starts to get above 15V I start to get a bit 'twitchy'.

Dubbie