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Writer's picturePaul Taylor

Radio Shack 22-174B Multimeter Specifications and Verification Testing



Image from the 1995 Radio Shack catalog


4,000 count Auto-Ranging Digital Multimeter with Bar Graph and Hold.


Specifications

 

Note: minimum of shown range is the smallest "count" digit appearing in the lowest range.

% is mid-range accuracy, count adder not shown)

  • DCV 100μV - 1000V (input impedance 10MΩ), 1%

  • ACV 100μV - 750V (true RMS), filters DC on AC setting, 60Hz-1kHz 3%, 30-5kHz 5%

  • DCA 1nA - 400 mA (0.5A fuse); 10A (unfused), 2%

  • ACA 1nA - 400 mA (0.5A fuse); 10A (unfused), 4%

  • Resistance: 0.1Ω - 20MΩ, 1%

  • Capacitance: 1 pF - 400 μF, 2%

  • Diode: 2VDC, nominal current 0.5mA @0.6V

  • Transistor hfe: 0 - 39.99K; Emitter current ~0.5A, V(C-E) ~1-3V

  • Continuity threshold: 50 ohms

  • Temperature (probe) -50C to 150C, +/-2C, 10kΩ thermistor +/-1C

  • dBm +/- 60 dBm (input impedance 1 MΩ)

  • Frequency measured 1 Hz - 2 MHz, 3%. No duty cycle.

  • Low battery warning: 3.8V (uses 6 AA cells)

  • CPU fuse: 63 mA


Measurements of Intrinsic Parameters, Paul T., 2024

 
  • Test Lead Resistance (with hook clips) 36.3 mΩ Red, 36.4Ω Black

  • Resistance during DC current measurement 17 mΩ 10A range; 1.524 Ω in mA range.

  • Resistance range test current 0.92 mA

  • Diode test V(open circuit) = 2.587V, A(closed circuit) = 0.59 mA

  • Beeper: 95.7 dBA, 12 inches away, aimed at unit. 6 kHz pure tone from piezo speaker. (Label covering hole removed)


Verification Testing against standards, Paul T., 2024

 

Voltages:

  • 0.180VDC calibrated power supply = 1.816mV (0.9% high)

  • 1.800VDC calibrated power supply = 1.807V (0.4% high)

  • 10.00000VDC transfer standard calibrator = 10.00V (NOTE: recently set the device adjustment potentiometers to this standard)

  • 18.000VDC calibrated power supply = 17.98V (0.1% low)

  • Mains AC (USA) 122.5AC = 120.9V (1.3% low)


Current DC:

  • 15mA process calibrator = 15.33 mA (2.2% high)

  • 0.150A power supply = 150.5 mA (0.3% high)

  • 1.500A power supply = 1.542 A (2.8% high)


Resistances:

Compared to Keithley 4-wire measurements of precision resistors

  • 0.09913 Ω = 0.1 Ω (0.9% high)

  • 0.99280 Ω = 0.9 Ω (9.3% low)

  • 9.99110 Ω = 9.9 Ω (0.9% low)

  • 100.0012 Ω = 99.6 Ω (0.4% low)

  • 0.998775 kΩ = 1.000 kΩ (0.12% high)

  • 9.999935 kΩ = 10.00 kΩ (0%)

  • 100.0170 kΩ = 100.1 kΩ (0.1% high)

  • 0.995375 MΩ = 0.994 MΩ (0.1% low)

  • 10.11300 MΩ = 10.20 MΩ (0.9% high)


Capacitance:

* = starting reading of 150 pF manually subtracted from result

(REL is not a feature of the meter)

  • 31 pF = 30 pF* (3.2% low) [mica]

  • 209 pF = 220 pF* (5.3% high) [ceramic disc]

  • 684 pF = 684 pF* (0%) [mica]

  • 2.014 nF = 2.025 nF* (0.5% high) [poly]

  • 7.980 nF = 8.14 nF* (2.0% high) [poly]

  • 10.06 nF = 10.22 nF* (1.6% high) [poly]

  • 32.20 nF = 32.42 nF* (0.7% high) [poly]

  • 128.4 nF = 129 nF*  (0.5% high) [poly]

  • 1.021 μF = 1.072 μF (5.0% high) [MLCC]

  • 10.17 μF = 9.94 μF (2.3% low) [tantalum]

  • 99.2 μF = 96.4 μF (2.8% low) [tantalum]

  • 1,004 μF = OL (MAX is 400 μF) [electrolytic]

  • 6,560 μF = OL (MAX is 400 μF) [electrolytic]

  • 21,770 μF = OL (MAX is 400 μF) [electrolytic]


Diodes:

Reference values are average of all other devices I track

  • Schottky 0.18V = 0.168 V

  • Silicon 0.59V = 0.551 V

  • Red LED 1.78V = 1.764 V

  • Orange LED 1.84V = 1.830 V

  • Yellow LED 1.86V = 1.855 V

  • Green LED 1.89V = 1.881 V

  • Blue LED 2.59V = OL

  • White LED 2.62V = OL

  • UV LED 2.91V = OL

  • 3.3V Zener = OL


Transistor:

2N3904 (300 max) = 278 hfe after correct identification for NPN and EBC


Temperature:

Verified operation, but not Tested for accuracy.


Frequency:

I was able to verify from 10 Hz to the max I could generate.

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