yes I wouldn't rely on this for testing accuracy of current shunts etc but close enough is OK most DIY tasks / trouble shooting. its not a reference class instrument at all. (BTW I think it helps if the test lead resistance to zero out is kept low too)
the thing I really dislike about this meter is AC measurements with DC present, ugh. complete FAIL
the thing I really dislike about this meter is AC measurements with DC present, ugh. complete FAIL
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THis meter is a good meter, most of the functions work well enough, especially out of the box. My favorite thing is the clarity of the display. It has one of the best quality displays of any meter I have encountered. VERY crisp, very easy to see from most angles you will have the meter in.
My test info on this meter from a few year ago:
UNI-T UT61E Multimeter teardown photos. - Page 9
As for the necessity of Kelvin clips, under 10 ohms when you want real sub-1% accuracy they become much more important (especially if you want fractional percent accuracy). It becomes even more important when you want to measure milliohm range resistances with appreciable accuracy every time.
I had forgotten about that, I have a Brymen BM869S that I use now which has AC+DC True RMS.
I wonder how UT got that so wrong E.g. cant use a DC block must subtract the DC component?
Hi Sync,
On the low range, the 34401A outputs 1 mA and reads the voltage across that. To give you anything else I'll have to grab the manual.
Hi PedroDaGr8,
Thank you. I was interested in what else he carries in his store and have a look around.
-Chris
On the low range, the 34401A outputs 1 mA and reads the voltage across that. To give you anything else I'll have to grab the manual.
Hi PedroDaGr8,
Thank you. I was interested in what else he carries in his store and have a look around.
-Chris
lucky?
well I measured a large 400-500VA EI transformer and I didn't see any bad behavior at all on ohms. ~1.0 ohm primary and 0.05 secondarys. IDK bout "high inductance resistors" don't have any do you? BTW my test leads ~0.05 before they zero'd, so I think that helps out my accuracy at low ohms. makes sense if using probes that measure 100% of your intended, It aint going to be accurate on deltas. I think there is bad info/users out there. FWIW if one or two internet folks say something i'd take it as a grain of salt, at least until you see it too.
edit >measured a iron core 3mH DCR looks fine
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The voltages have to be low, the current has to be high.
I use Kelvin measurement techniques for short speaker cables and the high powered wiring in power amps.
Hi infinia,
Just to balance the idea.
-Chris
However, if you do a lot of work where the right tool is used, there is no excuse to not have it. The right tool can also prevent damage, so there is always a balance between having the right tools, but not going overboard. If you need a tool, get it or have someone else with that tool do the work.
Just to balance the idea.
-Chris
I really like Pedros clips! good bang for buck if you have 4 wire and need it.
I wouldn't mind freshening up my test lead collection with some quality wire tho.
Pedro any advise on silicon wires /heatshrink? 'HobbyKing' is on my radar. they make no claims as to wire diameter. I asked their technical service about diameters of insulation etc and they gave me nothing, if its not on the schedule for website updates they don't move.
Probes are important! all my best are DIY.
I wouldn't mind freshening up my test lead collection with some quality wire tho.
Pedro any advise on silicon wires /heatshrink? 'HobbyKing' is on my radar. they make no claims as to wire diameter. I asked their technical service about diameters of insulation etc and they gave me nothing, if its not on the schedule for website updates they don't move.
Probes are important! all my best are DIY.
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I have to catch myself from having a tool fetish, you know it's a problem when the job /project takes a backseat to acquiring new or better tools. If jobs are taking longer than they should, then its time to stop and make a list giving them weight / priority. Re-organizing the bench and tool box from clutter might make it to #1 rather than having the "best" tool. Sell or donate the less useful or even unused tools to folks that may use them daily. update the list after each job or keep it in a journal with what went right as well as what went wrong. I agree using bad probes can be a real show stopper (damage).
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Hi infinia,
Very true. You have no idea as to how many amplifiers die each year for the want of sharp, insulated probes. I see my new meter has wonderful silicone leads and probes with sharp tips that are insulated down to the tip. Keysight / Agilent / HP finally got it right!
Given the price of good test leads, I think I'm going to have to replace the others one by one. The new leads even have a right angle bend to lay down close to the meter. Nice.
As for old tools, I keep them. They were picked for good reasons and I find myself continuing to use them along side of the new - whatever.
-Chris
Very true. You have no idea as to how many amplifiers die each year for the want of sharp, insulated probes. I see my new meter has wonderful silicone leads and probes with sharp tips that are insulated down to the tip. Keysight / Agilent / HP finally got it right!
Given the price of good test leads, I think I'm going to have to replace the others one by one. The new leads even have a right angle bend to lay down close to the meter. Nice.
As for old tools, I keep them. They were picked for good reasons and I find myself continuing to use them along side of the new - whatever.
-Chris
I wonder if they fixed it. At the time when I first started using the UT61E it was well known that this was an issue. Even mine showed that issue (well one of the them did, I haven't tried the other newer one). Basically, the meter would freak out and not be able to properly autorange.
Hobbyking prices are quite good. The only downside is their prices don't include shipping. On the other hand, my seller has higher prices but his include shipping. There is likely a break even point between the two but I don't know how many meters of wire that is (since I don't know their shipping prices). I have no personal experience with them, but I have seen good reviews online. It seems that they cater to the robotics crowd a lot. I can say that the sell I use has some great quality wire. He has it in 18, 16, 14, and 12AWG. It is VERY VERY soft and flexible. I ordered an extra two meters of each color of wire to make my own patch cables (two 0.5m pairs and one 1m pair). A few things to note, I don't see the voltage rating for the HobbyKing wire. With any sort of test lead wire, you want it to have a reasonable voltage rating. You also should ask about the strand count of the wire. You would want a high strand count in the wire (the wire is much more flexible). Higher strand count wire is more expensive though.
Interesting probes. You basically made a diy version of these:
The new insulated tips is a requirement of the CAT IV rating to help prevent arc flash. They also help prevent shorting pins. THough I also like using grabbers that I keep in place and hook up as needed.
A really nice decently affordable set of test leads are the Pamona 5519A, these occasionally go on sale for $13-15 at a few places (including Frys). They are literally identical to the Fluke TL-71 (which is usually $25-35). Pamona is a Fluke subsidiary so this is not surprising. They are nice with sharp tips and a soft 1m silicone cable. Very good leads. Right angle banana plugs are great for hand held meters and very annoying for bench meters.
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Hi infinia,
My bench meters are on shelves, and the HP leads are very long. For me - perfect! I find them annoying on hand held meters. Just about opposite to you.
-Chris
My bench meters are on shelves, and the HP leads are very long. For me - perfect! I find them annoying on hand held meters. Just about opposite to you.
-Chris
Chris I'm with you on banana jacks w/ right angle lead exit, its more useful all around, for both bench and hand held.
I rarely use the included DMM probes I do tend keep them with the unit when not in use. theyre all a bit crappy for precision PCB work, so I typically use an alligator or larger ez-hook on ground and a small ez-hook on either my probe or a component lead. I'm generally not a fond of holding two probes while moving my gaze away to look at instruments.
I'm interested in making a half dozen new lead sets to replace both OEM probes and power supply leads using flexible wire in both light and heavier gauges. I'm thinking 22 AWG and 16/14 AWG, if I knew what the outside diameter was. I wonder what the perfect length is = bench width + shelf height?
I rarely use the included DMM probes I do tend keep them with the unit when not in use. theyre all a bit crappy for precision PCB work, so I typically use an alligator or larger ez-hook on ground and a small ez-hook on either my probe or a component lead. I'm generally not a fond of holding two probes while moving my gaze away to look at instruments.
I'm interested in making a half dozen new lead sets to replace both OEM probes and power supply leads using flexible wire in both light and heavier gauges. I'm thinking 22 AWG and 16/14 AWG, if I knew what the outside diameter was. I wonder what the perfect length is = bench width + shelf height?
I did see that video from the German fellow in your linked thread, not sure, but he did have a couple of other issues going on at the same time, I wonder if he ever resolved it to the meter itself. On my end ive never seen that kind of "freaking out" at any time. so yeah check your new one out.
YEA the old "free shipping" hook I like it ! as I said before HK silicon wire only gives AWG , no copper purity, strand count, or diameter is claimed. They seem to have 2 sources /prices, not sure. They do have a reputation to hold and keep so the "trust" bar is a lil higher than an ebay acct. What does the voltage ratings mean, is that verified by an a safety agency? probably just an estimate anyways. that I'm not so worried. I'm not going to supply these to customers, , since I'm usually inside the circuitry anyway \ test only E.g. not in a fixed install. call me "certified dangerous", whatever. hehe
this whole silicon wire is a strange biz to me! no traceability or standards. the OEMs / suppliers pass silently in the night
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Hi infinia,
The new leads for the Keysight meter are silicone, and they are great to use. Every Keysight / Agilent / HP meter I have came with excellent leads. I have always repaced them with the same ones, or a set from Pomona. Those can get pricey. The leads from HP .... were priced lower than the Pomona lead sets. Therefore I have been using the exact leads that come with the meter.
I also have some test lead wire made from rubber. The actual wire looks to be 18 gauge. The new leads are far more flexible. I think I'll make some HV banana yest leads from it rather than test leads. As you know, rubber can hold a set, then crack and break up after a "short" time (to a tech who uses equipment for 20 years or longer).
Test leads are normally rated for 600 VDC or even higher for special lead sets. Silicone should be very good in this regard, but that will be assumption. I would not expect there to be any safety information available for the ends or the wire - given how things seem to work over there. If it is really critical that this be determined (and it certainly could be), a tank of water and an HV power supply would be needed. Now I wish I had picked up one of those insulation testers I had seen going cheap. Darn!
-Chris
The new leads for the Keysight meter are silicone, and they are great to use. Every Keysight / Agilent / HP meter I have came with excellent leads. I have always repaced them with the same ones, or a set from Pomona. Those can get pricey. The leads from HP .... were priced lower than the Pomona lead sets. Therefore I have been using the exact leads that come with the meter.
I also have some test lead wire made from rubber. The actual wire looks to be 18 gauge. The new leads are far more flexible. I think I'll make some HV banana yest leads from it rather than test leads. As you know, rubber can hold a set, then crack and break up after a "short" time (to a tech who uses equipment for 20 years or longer).
Test leads are normally rated for 600 VDC or even higher for special lead sets. Silicone should be very good in this regard, but that will be assumption. I would not expect there to be any safety information available for the ends or the wire - given how things seem to work over there. If it is really critical that this be determined (and it certainly could be), a tank of water and an HV power supply would be needed. Now I wish I had picked up one of those insulation testers I had seen going cheap. Darn!
-Chris
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