scope meter or separate scope and meter?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Perrin21
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 01:35:00 pm
content: I am looking into. multimeters and it appears that I can get a very decent meter for £250 but my question is if I paid upto £500 would I be able to get a good combined unit that does both functions in one? space is an issue for me, as is my limited budget (happy with used) but I want whatever I get to be capable of lasting a long time and genuinely useful. I can't justify more then £250 for a multimeter but if paying extra got me something worth the extra I may be swayed. what do you recommend for electronics repair (hifi, amps, displays). what features should I be considering, this is my first meter and I'm learning as I go. As this is 2019 I was expecting to see loads of new technology and crazy systems available but from what I can see many meters appear to be very old designs in new cases. am I missing something special I should be seeing? who is cutting edge these days?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 01:52:26 pm
content: Quote from: Perrin21 on June 29, 2019, 01:35:00 pmNo.Quote from: Perrin21 on June 29, 2019, 01:35:00 pma) Get aBrymen BM869Sfor £200 so you can measure AC/DC/frequency simultaneously (that meter will last you forever, basically, so no point in skimping.b) Save up for an oscilloscope. If you can find a knackered old one for 50 quid in a car boot sale then buy that to keep you going while you save - there's no substitute for actually seeing waves on a screen.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 03:20:46 pm
content: Quote from: Perrin21 on June 29, 2019, 01:35:00 pmQuoteIf best is no longer a goal, I would say yes. I picked up a couple of vintage Fluke 97s from a local shop. You may be able to find something used in your area. Have a look.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/old-philips-fluke-97/

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 03:23:09 pm
content: I would recommend having separate instruments. What happens when you need to use a multimeter and a scope at the same time on two different points in a circuit?

author: ogden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 03:29:01 pm
content: Quote from: 0culus on June 29, 2019, 03:23:09 pmThis. Better scope and *two* multimeters. At least one DMM with proper cat ratings for safe mains measurements.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 03:32:33 pm
content: Just remember grandma's wisdom, never buy a fridge that has a kitchen sink included.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 03:52:00 pm
content: The scope meters are a compromise to get a really portable scope. However most of them are very limited and relatively expensive. So they are rather special instruments to provide a very portable scope. The DMM functions usual miss a decent CAT rating.The main downside of a real scope is the extra space - modern TFT screen ones are not that large anymore, but usually much better performance than a scope meter. Especially for repairs I would not really consider a USB scope, which could otherwise be a low cost scope option. Used older scopes tend to take up quite some space.For me it would be more like £300 for a scope and maybe 50-100 for a DMM.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 04:04:17 pm
content: Quote from: 0culus on June 29, 2019, 03:23:09 pmI presume if your concern, that the scope+DMM are using shared common ground between the scope inputs vs DMM, that may create short circuit hazard when probing, at certain handheld scopes they are galvanically isolated between the scope's channels and DMM, for example like Tektronix, not sure about other brands.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 04:23:05 pm
content: QuoteIt's difficult to have a dialog on YT. I had ran a poll a while back asking for input on if people wanted to me to continue or not. I would say the participation was maybe a third of what it was when the channel was about a quarter of the size. Based on this lack of interest, I see no reason to continue. I'm sure my Patreon's and other sponsor's will be upset, oh wait....A few exceptions I can think of are Dave's 121GW, if they ever come out with a new revision. If UNI-T came out with a UT181B that addresses some of my concerns. If Fluke would release their new "Classic" series which includes a new 189. If Gossen wrote me and said they had corrected all the problems I found with their Ultra. If Brymen decided to make an improved version of the BM869s. Imagine a shootout with all of the above. I may need to go back to the anechoic chamber for that.There are several channels making reviews. You could check with them or perhaps Dave would be interested.

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 04:27:16 pm
content: Quote from: BravoV on June 29, 2019, 04:04:17 pmYes, without proper isolation that is also a concern. However, I was coming from a more fundamental level. It's highly likely to find yourself in a situation where you will be having to move the scopemeter probes around to do different measurements. It's far nicer to have multiple separate instruments

author: DaJMasta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 04:30:27 pm
content: As a general rule, I'd also go with separate instruments. While you can get a scope with a competent meter, by the time you really do, you're probably paying more than for an entry level scope and a meter. I think the one good argument for combined instruments is a portable workbench where getting a lot of equipment in a small/simple to setup package is important... but I think fairly few hobbyist applications really require this.For the kind of budget you're talking about, you may actually be able to find an entry level scope and a 5 digit used bench meter, unless you're looking for a really high spec meter, you can probably get a very capable one for a lot less than you're currently budgeting.... something like a Brymen BM235 and a Rigol DS1054z is probably about your total budget new and offers a lot of capability.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 05:36:12 pm
content: I would go with separate instruments even if it means spending less on the handheld multimeter. Save the extra accuracy and resolution for a bench multimeter.

author: BillB
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2019, 06:37:23 pm
content: I agree with all the previous advice, a scopemeter is a nice tool to have in a limited number of situations, otherwise it's mostly a compromise in features and performance. Mobile industrial, automotive, and remote toubleshooting are good examples of these situations. Saving space for bench repair of hi-fi, amps, displays is not.

author: Perrin21
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2019, 11:19:13 am
content: I have just ordered the Brymen 869S

author: Perrin21
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2019, 11:43:06 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on June 29, 2019, 04:23:05 pmlol the irony of reading this whilst watching one of your channel videos now (happened to be on when I saw this) . it's a good channel, you should stick with it

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2019, 04:00:33 pm
content: Quote from: Perrin21 on July 02, 2019, 11:43:06 amYou could start a channel.Making the videos is really not my area of interest and I don't get off on the idea of people listening to what I have to say about it. It took me a fair amount of time to run so many tests. Even the long term tests, like life cycling the switches and vibration, may not take a lot of my time but they do tie up my equipment. Then I can't use my lab for my own electronics hobby.The upside for me was running the tests and seeing for myself how the various meters performed on a level playing field. It sure wasn't a money maker!

author: Perrin21
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2019, 01:46:25 pm
content: Thanks, I'm working on it at the moment. I dont expect it will make me rich or famous but it documents my experience at least. I'd like to say thanks for your videos, they helped me a lot.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 08:23:50 pm
content: I love my (used) fluke 867B for beeing such a versatile multimeterbut I rarely use the scope mode, it has a too low bandwith to be a scope (around 1MHz)in mixed mode it's very nice (and you see a small view of the waveform shape)