Multimeter Masterclass · EPISODE 3 · 2:39

Resistance + the Continuity Beep

Is that cable broken inside? Learn the two multimeter tests you'll use the most: measuring resistance (ohms) and the continuity beep. Colour codes vs the reading, what OL means, the wiggle test, and why parts on a board can fool your meter. For beginners, in under 3 minutes.

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What you'll learn

Ohms mode sends its own tiny test current, so the power must be OFF. Black lead → COM, red → VΩ, dial to Ω.
Probes on the two legs — which way round doesn't matter.
Brown-black-red = 1,000 Ω; the meter shows 987 Ω. Gold band = ± 5 %, so 950–1,050 Ω is fine.
Don't pinch both metal tips: your body (≈ 100 kΩ) becomes a second resistor in parallel.
Probes in the air → OL = overload: too big to measure, no path. On a manual meter, OL can also mean the range is too low — turn it up one step.
Continuity (the sound-wave symbol): tips together → beep, ≈ 0 Ω. One probe on each end of a cable: no beep = broken inside. Wiggle the cable: a beep that cuts in and out = a loose break. Works for fuses, switches and plugs: beep = a path, silence = a gap.
On a board, parts in parallel fool the reading (two 1 kΩ side by side read 500 Ω). Lift one leg, or measure before soldering. Big capacitors can hold charge — let them drain first.