hi there..
i'm asking for some help for multimeter..i'm budget oriented but don't want any crap multimeter anymore (the cheapo chinese one and Heles brand.they're freakin sucks!).my budget was around $150 but any lower than $100 would makes me happier
what i want is standard measurement like voltage, and resistance.capacitance is an additional.if there's temperature, i'll be happy.
i know Fluke still the best but they're pretty expensive for me.
i browsed voltcraft, they provide a good features.but what about their reability and accuracy?
some multimeter like Sanwa said "best accuracy :x,xx%" while Fluke and the other said "basic accuracy : x,xx%".does it means the Fluke and others can have better accuracy than Sanwa?
i don't have much choice here, but there's a family on Germany who can help me to buy a multimeter there.i do want a 2nd hand multimeter but i can't use ebay so i prefer the new one.
big thanks!
i'm asking for some help for multimeter..i'm budget oriented but don't want any crap multimeter anymore (the cheapo chinese one and Heles brand.they're freakin sucks!).my budget was around $150 but any lower than $100 would makes me happier
what i want is standard measurement like voltage, and resistance.capacitance is an additional.if there's temperature, i'll be happy.
i know Fluke still the best but they're pretty expensive for me.
i browsed voltcraft, they provide a good features.but what about their reability and accuracy?
some multimeter like Sanwa said "best accuracy :x,xx%" while Fluke and the other said "basic accuracy : x,xx%".does it means the Fluke and others can have better accuracy than Sanwa?
i don't have much choice here, but there's a family on Germany who can help me to buy a multimeter there.i do want a 2nd hand multimeter but i can't use ebay so i prefer the new one.
big thanks!
um..which fluke?..the 117 was too expensive for me
i looked at 115 they seems good
but i want another choice just in case
does BK Precision good?.
I have a BK Precision that I am very happy with. The accuracy is much better than the specificaions imply; it is generally within 0.01% (though rated at 0.1% basic accuracy). However, the model I have (5360) is older and no longer sold; it is in fact a re-badged Metrix made meter similar to their MX53C. BK often sells re-branded products, so although I am happy with my BK meter, any other one might have been designed and built by a different company altogether.
that didn't work for me. I own at least 6 flukes, just for personal home-lab use.
but seriously, stay with the name brand stuff if you value your time and your results. fluke, older hp/agilent, keithley, tektronix - the usual brands - those are the ones you should concentrate on, on the older used-gear market. in some cases, new import gear makes more sense, but most of my home lab is all older used gear and very little of it is new. so much of the new stuff is crap, no matter who makes it.
DC voltage and AC voltage are the most important for a first DMM.
All the other add ons add little value.
Try to get AC and DC voltage ranges for
199.9mV, 1.999V, 19.99V, 199.9V
and 1000Vdc and 600Vac.
Try to get at least some of those scales to better than 1% plus 1digit accuracy.
If you can get +-0.2% plus 2digits on the most accurate DC then go for it, But at a cost you are prepared to pay.
When you get into this hobby you will buy more instruments and/or build specialist instruments.
Don't try to buy an all singing and dancing single instrument and especially not for a first DMM. It will disappoint with it's limitations and poor value for money.
All the other add ons add little value.
Try to get AC and DC voltage ranges for
199.9mV, 1.999V, 19.99V, 199.9V
and 1000Vdc and 600Vac.
Try to get at least some of those scales to better than 1% plus 1digit accuracy.
If you can get +-0.2% plus 2digits on the most accurate DC then go for it, But at a cost you are prepared to pay.
When you get into this hobby you will buy more instruments and/or build specialist instruments.
Don't try to buy an all singing and dancing single instrument and especially not for a first DMM. It will disappoint with it's limitations and poor value for money.
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how about a used fluke 8060a? small, very reliable (once you replace a few aging caps) and very accurate. has enough features but not crazy, like many today are. super fast continuity function (an on-going joke, sort of, but also it does help to have fast beep ability).
should not cost too much, its portable and its fixable, for the most part. a real classic from an era that was not diy-er hostile.
should not cost too much, its portable and its fixable, for the most part. a real classic from an era that was not diy-er hostile.
ah..so basically tektronix also good?..i've been searching for DMM these day and google show me the tektronix
noted.and yea..i bought crappy chinese DMM and all of them disappoint me very well
i don't know where i could buy that oldie here since i couldn't reach ebay
i have some candidate :
Brymen BM857
Brymen BM257
Amprobe AM570
Tektronix DMM914
which one is good w/ their price range?.
I have bought 4 different "no name" handheld DMM.
The first is over 30years old and has never given any bother, although at the time it was fairly expensive (~£40 in the '80s).
The three recent ones have all been cheap and all perform surprisingly well.
The most recent has an absolutely useless hFE function, whereas the 10year old one has passable Capacitance and hFE functions.
I occasionally compare these to my bench DMM, to see if they are going out of calibration. Still no problems.
The cheapest was ~£3 i.e. <$5
The first is over 30years old and has never given any bother, although at the time it was fairly expensive (~£40 in the '80s).
The three recent ones have all been cheap and all perform surprisingly well.
The most recent has an absolutely useless hFE function, whereas the 10year old one has passable Capacitance and hFE functions.
I occasionally compare these to my bench DMM, to see if they are going out of calibration. Still no problems.
The cheapest was ~£3 i.e. <$5
Hi,
Buy a Fluke 179. It's expensive but good enouth and will perform well many years. Do not go to Fluke 11x series because have some problems (big problems) at low voltage measurement.
On the other hand, I have at home-lab some cheap Chinese multimeters and are still calibrated after many years of use. I compared with an Agilent 34410 and are still 5-10x more precise that are specified in there datasheets in most scales.
Buy a Fluke 179. It's expensive but good enouth and will perform well many years. Do not go to Fluke 11x series because have some problems (big problems) at low voltage measurement.
On the other hand, I have at home-lab some cheap Chinese multimeters and are still calibrated after many years of use. I compared with an Agilent 34410 and are still 5-10x more precise that are specified in there datasheets in most scales.
I've got a Fluke 73 modified with the 75 knob. Enables to select the range. It's over 25 years old and still working fine. Further a Fluke 87 III which is about 10 years old and works great. They are rugged and well protected, and thus safe. Other DMM's I've owned where cheap chineese products that all went to Nirvana, due to bad construction/materials....
Further I own an old Tektronics scope 2215 [60 mhz bandwidth] and a Philips desktop DMM, also some 30 years old znd still kicking.
So, yes, I'd also advice you to pick up a used professional DMM.
Further I own an old Tektronics scope 2215 [60 mhz bandwidth] and a Philips desktop DMM, also some 30 years old znd still kicking.
So, yes, I'd also advice you to pick up a used professional DMM.
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