I know you work with small generators but dirty power has nothing to do with the number of poles a generator has. Almost all commercial generators are either 2 or 4 pole. Hydros and wind turbines are the exception but those have nothing to do with the quality of the power but instead the ability of the driver to make required speed(RPM).
Almost any pabnel or hand held meter these days will read RMS. Peak-peak voltage would mean nothing to the average person.
In my opuinion, the most important measurement on small generators gets overlooked. My monitored reading when I start up my PTO driven gen is frequency. Obviously freq and voltage are directly proportional but the voltage ban on most equipment is very broad compared to the frequency tolerance.
I dont agree. Simple test is to put oscilloscope on a 2 pole, then a 4 pole Generator. Major difference.
also, heres a great discription i found awhile ago
An average-responding meter uses averaging mathematical formulas to accurately measure pure sinusoidal waves. It can measure non-sinusoidal waves, but with uncertain accuracy.
A more sophisticated true-RMS meter can accurately measure both pure waves and the more complex non-sinusoidal waves.
generators do not put out true waves. And number of poles on a generator greatly affect quality of power. An oscilloscope on utility power shows a very clean sine wave, especially compaired to a generator.
and all meters do not work great on smaller generators. I have in field, actual knowledge of this fact.