Amazon Do Multimeters Now - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 12:14:41 pm
content: "AmazonCommercial" brandhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W3BXNMP/Looks like a rebadged CEM.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 12:17:09 pm
content: And if you go to the AmazonCommercial store page all you get is toilet paper!https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/20774717011

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 12:19:36 pm
content: $32.80https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Count-Compact-Digital-Multimeter/dp/B07W1BL1W6/ref=sr_1_1

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 12:38:34 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 11, 2020, 12:17:09 pmWell that is my very first prime time I see and advertiser making a hell of a sense...

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 12:55:53 pm
content: Three out of three stars from the Vine reviewers. "Amazon Vine invites the most trusted reviewers on Amazon to post opinions about new and pre-release items to help their fellow customers make informed purchase decisions. "https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Heavy-Digital-Multimeter-Display/dp/B07VX431NK/ref=pd_sbs_328_3/136-7519853-3866169?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07VX431NK&pd_rd_r=9a975092-d6ae-40bb-8479-6910d87a1800&pd_rd_w=hYM1k&pd_rd_wg=xCZcX&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=11K2R3DHT9VPGCG9DX4T&psc=1&refRID=11K2R3DHT9VPGCG9DX4Thttp://www.cem-instruments.com/en/Goods/detail/id/686/pid/767/pids/891

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2020, 01:25:45 pm
content: You could do a lot worse on Amazon than a CEM meter. I believe the original backers are still screaming for refunds yet these silly gadgets are now listed and openly available to the general public.https://www.amazon.com/Multimeter-Smartphone-Measurement-Electrical-Resistance/dp/B07Y7VSCQV

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 03:15:28 am
content: Interesting; it is a CEM DT-9915H, but I can't seem to find information on their page.IP67, 100mF and 0.5% basic accuracy at 4000 counts? It seems a reasonable product IF the input protection is done right. Well, if also the auto-ranging is reasonably fast (normally the case with such low number of counts).

author: DaJMasta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 03:19:06 am
content: I think this is just the "Amazon Basics" approach they seem to be taking with a ton of stuff. Probably all rebadges across the board because I can't imagine they want any part in actually manufacturing that variety of products, but it seems to be reasonable, standard stuff at sometimes above competitive prices, it's probably a half decent meter for the price.Can't speak to their massive portfolio of toliet paper, though.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 03:51:26 am
content: Someone buy one and put the IP67 rating to the testBefore you even test the Cat ratings.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 08:38:53 am
content: Quote from: DaJMasta on February 12, 2020, 03:19:06 amLikely, CEM make ok meters.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 12:19:17 pm
content: We need an EEvblog branded Gossen Metrawatt meter loll

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 06:56:28 pm
content: Next: Ikea multimeters. 😜

author: frogg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 09:46:46 pm
content: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX431NK?ref=emc_p_m_5_itech specs look a little weak compared to the ut181a, but i guess the price is lower. Only 10khz AC bandwidth? that seems unusually low.I can't tell what this thing is. It looks kind of like a CEM DT-989 but with added jazz.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 11:10:19 pm
content: Quote from: frogg on February 12, 2020, 09:46:46 pmNot for lower cost integrated RMS chipset designs, pretty standard.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 12, 2020, 11:11:10 pm
content: Quote from: coromonadalix on February 12, 2020, 12:19:17 pmI wouldn't like to see their OEM FOB price...

author: ArthurDent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 12:24:44 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 11, 2020, 12:17:09 pmNo sh!t

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 12:46:34 am
content: All I have to say is, back when I started school I broke down and bought a Fluke 87-V. The thing has been to hell and back in the last 15 years. Still works like new. Still has fluke's lifetime warranty. Finally took it in for cal and it barely needed adjustment, it must use semiconductor references. They define the warranty as 7 years past date of discontinuance of the model or 10 years from purchase date, whichever is greater. If you only have one meter, the fluke is worth the money. There is no replacement for a high quality tool!

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 10:27:26 am
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 12:46:34 amLots of people here can say the exact same thing about a really cheap meter, too.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 12:09:49 pm
content: Quote from: frogg on February 12, 2020, 09:46:46 pmIt looks like the price of the UT181A has gone up about $100 from when I bought it. Cheapest I saw on Amazon is not $400. Basically the same price of a new Fluke 287. If I had to choose between the UT181A, this CEM and the 287, I would go with the Fluke.This ad claims ETL and the EMC standards as well. So maybe they improved it, or ETL is meaningless. I am starting to lean towards the latter.https://www.amazon.com/Datalogging-Multimeter-Software-Function-Waterproof/dp/B07SHGKT3G/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=ut181a&qid=1581595692&sr=8-8

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 02:00:46 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on February 13, 2020, 10:27:26 amExcept that they would have to rephrase it to "There will be many replacements of a cheap tool if you use it!" LOL

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 03:04:17 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 02:00:46 pm"...can say theexactsame thing about a really cheap meter"

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 03:15:58 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on February 13, 2020, 03:04:17 pmI don't get itAre you implying that the cheap meter will last and perform like the Fluke? If so, this is a funny joke

author: GeorgeOfTheJungle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 03:20:01 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 02:00:46 pmSee the "MADE IN CHINA"?

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 05:45:37 pm
content: Quote from: GeorgeOfTheJungle on February 13, 2020, 03:20:01 pmYes. Are you aware of the great effort expended by Fluke (and others like them) to get the quality that they do from china? If they didn't do this, their meters would be just like all the other china junk. Same goes for Tek, Agilent, etc... this is not a secret.I highly doubt Amazon will expend such effort nor extend such warranties

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 05:51:32 pm
content: Congratulations, you own a Fluke. Would you like to contribute something other than banging on about how it's the only brand of meter worth buying?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 06:03:20 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 05:45:37 pmIt would seem you have a heavy chip on your shoulder and not one made from silicon.I own a Fluke too but not one available in the US but made expressly for the Asian market at far less cost at purchase than in the western world. If it was good enough for a technical school where they get abused by students it was gunna be good enough for my needs so I got a few extras to supply to friends.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 06:11:24 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 02:00:46 pmI actually have a cheap meter that I used for automotive (professionally) and it's 20 years old with no signs of giving up soon. Been dropped in oil, coolant, borrowed by new people(the hardest test of a meter), and been used with 1kV systems and 3 phase AC systems. I've never owned a fluke multimeter, I have owned their scopes though.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 06:52:58 pm
content: Funny how this thread has morphed...The fact is that the Chinese government's policies are at odds with many fundamental beliefs of most of us here in the US. I personally avoid purchasing products made in China whenever possible and I'm glad I have the freedom (and finances) to do so.But over the years I've still acquired a lot of stuff from China. I got what I paid for. These days I have a bit more disposable income so I shop differently.Speaking of:I couldn't resist picking up a new/return Fluke 287/FVF for $215 delivered just to see what I thought about it. Accuracy is near perfection. The selector switch is very nice. It does make graphs (slowly). But after that, the user interface leaves a lot to be desired as many reviewers have stated, and the stand is very weak and flimsy. Glare and screen visibility is a problem. The biggest disappointment is that Fluke could easily update the software running on the meter to provide a far better experience and even add/fix features. But obviously they can't be bothered.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 07:02:56 pm
content: Quote from: J-R on February 13, 2020, 06:52:58 pmAnd you would happily buy Japanese or German ?We each have a different perspective based on experience, nationality, memory of past injustices and national pride.Mine's French after they sunk the Rainbow Warrior while tied up at port in Auckland......wars have been started over less !

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 07:27:58 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on February 12, 2020, 03:15:28 amOP's 90DM600 seems to be aCEM DT-9560with black accents.The pictures are hilarious, '%Hz' written on almost every switch setting and the plastic is cracked on the V jack.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 07:34:42 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on February 13, 2020, 07:02:56 pmOf course I "happily buy" products made in Japan and Germany. Things are different now.

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 07:40:04 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 13, 2020, 07:27:58 pmNo, no, you are mistaken! This is a high quality meter, better than fluke, according to other posters! Beware!!!

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 07:43:38 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 07:40:04 pmNow you're just being ridiculous.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 08:04:54 pm
content: Where something is designed/engineered and where it is manufactured are two different things. china can build good quality if you spend the extra dollars, just ask Fluke, Keysight etc.But sadly, they can't engineer a high quality DMM. Their race to the bottom gives us low prices with crappy PCB layouts, fake safety approvals and unreliable operation, buggy firmware. All their DMMs use the same copper rotary switch leafs. UGH. Screw on banana jacks? UGH. Protection circuit with auspicious bad fortune? UGH.Some of the CEM teardowns are not bad, other models are bodges and low quality.Is this one worth $80?

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 08:17:11 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 13, 2020, 08:04:54 pmIt's more than just the engineering. They can't manufacture quality without being supervised and driven by a non-china entity. This is why non-china engineers have to go over there and literally live at the manufacturing/production facilities to make this happen. You can't leave them alone, because they can't be trusted. Look at this blueskull character on here, calls himself "power electronics guy", cocky for days and yet brags about how china steals IP as if it's a good thing. Even being educated here in the USA wasn't enough to teach him some sense. If you don't babysit them, you get garbage. Period. This is more of a reason for production being moved out of china than anything else. There were high hopes for decades that things would get better, but they don't - As you and I both say, it's a race to the bottom with these guys and it only gets worse.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 08:25:34 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 08:17:11 pmYou're new here so don't know blueskull's history but all the other one eyed crap you post is just nonsense.FYI blueskull has a Masters in EE at least.You really should broaden your horizons.

author: Johnboy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 08:41:17 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 08:17:11 pmI disagree with this. Some of the arguably better designs on the market are currently being manufactured in Taiwan (Brymen is one multimeter manufacturer you might wish to investigate). That said, from an American perspective:When I was a kid, a guitar manufactured in Mexico was considered a toy, or a piece of junk. However, given the intervening decades of experience, the instruments Fender manufactures in Mexico today are as well-built as their American counterparts. I'm talking about fit and finish, not components. They might use pot metal where the American factories use a better steel, for example; yet the instruments would fool me in a blind test.Asia is the same way. Many years ago, anything that came out of China (or Taiwan, for that matter) was often of lesser quality. In contrast, Japan made fine tools at that time, but there are likely some aged folks who could tell you that Japan stood for "junk" in their day. The point is that it takes a number of years for any disadvantaged country with inferior technology and neophyte workmen to come up to snuff, and China has shown how they are willing to put in the time. Witness their contributions to innovation in the global shipping industry, among other examples. They just happen to produce a lot of things, and when you make things with an emphasis on quantity, as they must, quality is going to suffer. That's true of everywhere, not only China.As for the Fluke meters manufactured in China, I think they are proof that Fluke doesn't have to hold their hand to make sure it's done right. Like any product, there are considerations. The amount of attention to QA that goes into making a Chinese Fluke obviously isn't cost-prohibitive when it comes to the bill of materials, and perhaps the savings are at the employee payroll, but I don't think it can be persuasively argued that the Chinese Flukes are necessarily an inferior product.That said, I have owned USA-made Flukes, and I prefer them. But I also think there is a kinder way to express my preference than to simply dismiss Asian products wholesale, as you appear to be doing here.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 08:46:07 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 07:40:04 pmActually I'd say anecdotal evidence isn't worth anything so while it's good we've had meters last and function well it doesn't matter because no one company owns the meter market. Everyone has made their good meters and their duds.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 09:23:00 pm
content: Are we done with yet another meh chinese multimeter release/rebranding? The DT830B is already the clear winner in the race to the bottomNow they have to think on their own and add distinguishing features or god forbid, some better quality which they can simply copy- but do not. A person born and raised under CCP propaganda seems to not value quality and is more concerned with being hostile towards other countries and conquering the world.After WWII,W. Edwards Demingpreached quality to Japan which has given that nation some good stuff, many of their exports are the best in the world.I'm not sure what china's values are. They have finished their giant leap ahead with the single chip DMM. Now what?

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 09:49:53 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 08:17:11 pmPlease take your rubbish to another site! Your Generalization is for a start WRONG and before you continue to shove your flag into this thread again about MULTIMETERS specifically a range of rebranded ones think before typing.

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 10:41:07 pm
content: Quote from: beanflying on February 13, 2020, 09:49:53 pm

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2020, 10:45:33 pm
content: If you continue to flag wave on this site in particular and sledge other members who in this case are not even involved in this thread then you are out of order!The rest of the world quite frankly has had a gut full of US politics and pro US anti China crap. So yes go elsewhere to discuss that is the very very polite version of what I am thinking.

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 01:27:02 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on February 13, 2020, 10:45:33 pmWe are talking about overall quality and longevity of a multimeter and engaging in conjecture regarding whether or not there is a quality difference between products originating in china, vs. originating in countries that lead in engineering and manufacture in china.You are making this about politics, not I. I am stating facts when I talk about china quality issues and quite frankly, if you aren't aware of these issues, then you should take note!!! No more politics statements, go away!!!

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 01:33:37 am
content: You sought to trash talk another member among other things. Back when I went to school statements like yours had a name 'rash generalizations' and like way back when you can not make all encompassing judgments with no evidence. Not ALL things from China are A,B and C lumped together. If you want to dump on China put on a Hat and go attend a Political Rally SOMEWHERE ELSE !As you are 'allegedly' a newbie READ THIShttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/forum-rules-please-read/

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 01:49:17 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on February 14, 2020, 01:33:37 amNo, no, no. You are totally misunderstanding. The Fluke meters are made in china. But they do not originate in china. Fluke implements quality control and various other measures to ensure a much higher level of quality than you get from a china-origin product.My comment about blueskull was about his blatant statements about stealing IP, and he is proud of it, so this does not qualify as trash talk and I don't think the statement would bother him one bit.You need to chill out, dude.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 02:01:59 am
content: Rash Generalization 1QuoteProvide evidence that this holds true in ALL cases!verging on racial attack but lets just call it another Rash generalization 2QuotePersonal attackQuotePut down someone on a forum you 'allegedly' have been on for a week and don't know IRL or have extended contact with.If you want to make blanket all encompassing attacks on entities be it personal, company, or country then either put up evidence or don't make them.

author: KaneTW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 02:25:29 am
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 14, 2020, 01:49:17 amI'm extremely tired of seeing your prejudiced rants in half the recent threads. Please have some basic human decency and etiquette.

author: dcac
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 02:36:49 am
content: Is that input jack cracked or what's going on here? this is from the Amazon pic BTW.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 02:57:57 am
content: It could be either a mockup or a pre-release product that went through some abuse. If such thing is seen in a final product, Amazon will probably accept the return.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 03:06:11 am
content: Quite likely being on the cheaper end of quality it is actually a split socketBottom of the barrel clamp meter you can see the split on one of them in particular.

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 03:07:26 am
content: Ok so I am really sorry to trigger you guys (HA! SCOPE JOKE! GET IT!!!) but some people really need to chill out. The quality issues I mention are well known everywhere and yet you're trying to grasp for ways to discount this claim without actually providing any evidence, while at the same time asking me to provide evidence of this common knowledge. This is literally a meme. Now stop pretending to be vicariously offended and let's get back to talking about multimeters!!!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 04:21:49 am
content: Thread cleaned up.Now, how about those Amazon brand meters hey...

author: jake111
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 05:12:59 am
content: The 90DM890 looks interesting with data logging features. I wonder how the screen looks in bright sunlight.

author: gnavigator1007
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 05:24:40 am
content: Not seeing any rebadged meters that strike me as particularly good deals so far. Interested to see what other products may be sold down the road.If it weren't for all the Amazon Vine reviews on their products I'd think that AmazonCommercial has no real affiliation with Amazon and was just another storefront like Naroote or Rosvola. Weird that search results page layout changes from grid to list depending on what department you're looking in. The number of results shown per page is even different between 2 departments both in grid arrangement.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 08:50:31 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 13, 2020, 07:27:58 pmYes, I thought of that as well, but Amazon claims the meter has 6000 counts while the DT-9560 has 4000.(edit - actually, I think Dave edited the original post. The link takes you to the 6000 count but there is a cheaper version with 4000 counts as well).Yesterday I found the information on CEM's 2020 catalog about the DT-9915H, but they carefully removed the PDF catalog from their website. Fortunately I had downloaded it and you can see it at:https://drive.google.com/open?id=1G6Cz8l92F08k2F4kwCzwQUQ_oXmkQHfFQuote from: floobydust on February 13, 2020, 07:27:58 pmHehehehe... I hadn't noticed that.

author: bc888
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2020, 09:06:59 pm
content: Quote from: jake111 on February 13, 2020, 08:17:11 pmI think I might know you. HP engineer?I've heard that before near word for word, which I found shocking at the time. Regardless, nice to have options at various price ranges.

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2020, 12:31:28 pm
content: Currently $179.78 (dropped from $346.00).https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Heavy-Digital-Multimeter-Display/dp/B07VX431NK]https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Heavy-Digital-Multimeter-Display/dp/B07VX431NK] https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Heavy-Digital-Multimeter-Display/dp/B07VX431NK

author: frogg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2020, 02:31:25 pm
content: Holy cow, that's a bargain for a 50,000 count datalogging meter. TFT no less.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 08:38:28 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 12, 2020, 08:38:53 amBetter than UNI-T ?

author: sb42
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 02:36:00 pm
content: Quote from: frogg on February 27, 2020, 02:31:25 pmAnd the very generous towel storage

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 03:54:53 pm
content: Quote from: skander36 on February 28, 2020, 08:38:28 amThe CEM meter I have (a rebadged Reed 5001 LCR Meter) lacks on quality control. In other words, its design and features are quite alright but the build lacks the finish I saw on the Uni-T meters I own/owned (UT61E, UT136C, UT123): slanted blades, uncleaned boards with flux, especially around the manually soldered elements (jacks, blades, etc.), some grime on the board, etc.A few years ago Extech was in hot water due to severe build quality control issues with their CEM meters.I would put them a notch below Uni-T.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 06:51:41 pm
content: I asked because I still have a balance between CEM DT9979 and UNI-T UT181A .I know Dave's opinion about UNI-T : they suck .Personal I am impressed by UNIT 181A but I am still catched by CEM. Speciffications are ok .Now come this Amazon DM 90DM890 ...

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 07:47:18 pm
content: Quote from: skander36 on February 28, 2020, 06:51:41 pmAgain, not all Uni-T meters are bad. Dave did a video of the UT71E which is very expensive and functionally lacking - nobody quite understood why he was so surprised with quality when purchased that particular model (thread).Other models are much more reasonable: for example, the UT61E is quite reasonable for low power electronics if you can find it at a good price (I got mine for about US$30 new) - the major issue is the lack of decent input protection and there are reported issues with its long term stability (thread). Mine has been going strong for about three years.The UT181A is one of the favourite (in features) of an expert resident (joeqsmith), although it is the same story as the UT61E: it lacks input protection (thread).The UT136A/B/C/D are great compact meters - again completely lacking input protection (thread).

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2020, 11:55:07 pm
content: Quote from: skander36 on February 28, 2020, 06:51:41 pmThe by invitation only, five star vine voice reviewers don't mention about pulling that logged data into something useful, like a PC. You may want to download and read the manual first to make sure it fits your needs.I am not sure if the wireless interface protocol for the DT9979 is open. The UT181A is not but it has been reversed engineered if that is important to you.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 01:58:50 am
content: Quote from: skander36 on February 28, 2020, 06:51:41 pmThey have gotten better in recent years, some models even UL tested.The UT10A pocket meter for example won my $20 pocket meter shootout.And the 61E offers great bang-per-buck.The problem with Uni-T is that models can vary from great to awful, even in the same series (eg. the 61 series there are A through E models, all very different)

author: bobcat2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 03:41:15 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on February 12, 2020, 03:15:28 amThe page says the Amazon 90DM600 is a CEM DT-9560.The Amazon 90DM890 is a CEM DT-989The CEM models are all listed in the Specifications next to the pictures.

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 04:50:53 am
content: I just got my 90DM890.A few quick impressions, in no particular order.1. It looks and it feels good, like a quality product, nice grip. “Amazon commercial” splash screen at power up. Boot up time about 2 sec. Nice and bright screen, easy to read indoors. Haven’t checked outside in bright sunlight.2. It’s smaller than I expected (for some reason).3. It *seems* very accurate (within published specs or better), on par with my more expensive meters (Fluke 279, Agilent U1272A) - when compared against my newer Keithley DM6550. Update rate is slower (about 3 readings/sec on mV range).4. Limited AC bandwidth – AC voltage OK-ish up to 20KHz (the voltage reading drops to about 98% at 20kHz, 90% at 22 kHz and to 73% at 25 KHz). Even my Fluke 87v does better.5. Continuity check: OK, but not impressively fast buzzer.6. Data logging is neat and easy to use. You can record and save traces (update rates between 0.2 sec and 10 sec) and inspect them later (hop from data point to data point with a cursor) but you can’t export the data out of the meter. Neither wired nor wireless connectivity implemented (unless I’m blatantly missing something)... You can check the firmware version but you’re not supposed update it or calibrate the meter yourself (though there is a password protected calibration menu). You can offset the temperature reading though (to match a particular thermocouple; the one that came with the meter was about 4C off).7. R/C auto range measurements – accurate, but kind of slow. It takes about 3 sec to measure a resistor on auto range and about 1 sec on manual range. Capacitors take longer (about 4 sec for a 1 uF capacitor, on both auto and manual range). Capacitor measurement display update rate is about 1 s. Unlike other meters that only display the stable measured value (and the display stays blank until then, e.g. my Fluke 87v), this one displays some intermediate meaningless values during auto-ranging. It’s up to you to decide when the value stabilized (that adds another 1s cycle to the total measuring time...).Overall, not bad.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 03:38:41 pm
content: Thanks for the brief overview. Pretty interesting.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 04:33:26 pm
content: Quote from: Caliaxy on February 29, 2020, 04:50:53 amVery helpful. Thanks for the post. I would invite you to become a vine voice reviewer if I could.Normally if I am logging, I include the data in a report. I'm nothing thinking taking pictures of the meter's LCD would be very good. Many times I will also post process the data I collect.The DT9979 looks interesting. Maybe Amazon will carry it at some point.

author: Grandchuck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2020, 05:19:30 pm
content: Indeed, the DT9979 looks very interesting. Anybody know any details about the logging software?

author: talcite
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 19, 2020, 11:16:09 pm
content: I made an account just to comment...I looked into the product page here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G6Cz8l92F08k2F4kwCzwQUQ_oXmkQHfF/viewand the meter is listed on page 60.It looks like the DT-989/988 have bluetooth data transfer. It uses the meterbox pro app (android and iphone both). Can someone with the meter (Caliaxy?) give it a shot please? I will probably buy it if it works.

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2020, 01:00:55 am
content: I’m sorry, I can’t, I just returned it. The UPS guy just picked it up from my front door about two hours ago... I new that the CEM DT-989 version has Bluetooth, but it never occurred to me to install the meterbox pro app to check, I should have done that....What I did do was to look carefully through the menus for a Bluetooth option. According to the original CEM DT-989 manual I found online (page 25, see link below), there should have been a Bluetooth ON/OFF option in the menu that was simply missing in the Amazon version of the meter (other than that, the menus looked identical). I also checked (without success) for any Bluetooth device in range of my iPhone (though, without installing the app, I realize this doesn’t mean much). It occurred to me to open it upbut I resistedThat, plus the fact that bluetooth was not advertised anywhere in the Amazon description (or on the meter itself, as on the CEM version) made me believe that the Amazon version was, very likely, a stripped-down version without Bluetooth. So I returned it. Too bad because, in any other respect, it’s a very nice meter.https://fccid.io/WIGDT-989/User-Manual/User-manual-pdf-2858098

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2020, 08:31:19 am
content: I just bought CEM DT 9979 from Amazon as a cheap alternative to Fluke 289 . I like this meter (Fluke289) but I don't think it worth the money as I got 6,5 digit bench DMM at this money .After buying I wasn't so happy with it so I wanted to return but transport fee is half of his price (is not sold by Amazon but CEM onAmazon). Display is the biggest problem and about precission is easy beaten by Brymen 867s. Brymen is more liniar along with Siglent 6,5 digit DMM.If you want more info let me know .L.E. - It use Meterbox which is a crappy software . On Android I can't connect (two versions try) . On PC there is Bluetooth Multimeter app wich connect fast but it crash very easy. Not too much help .

author: bobcat2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 04:06:40 pm
content: I was checking out 2 meters before I bought the Greenlee which was made by Allsun. One was from AmazonCommerical which was a CEM DT-9915H. One was from Kaiweets which was a Habotest ht118a.The price of the Amazon meter goes up and down but still about the same as the Kaiweets. The interesting thing is that the Amazon meter only has a hand full of reviews. The Kaiweets has close to 600. I check the date for their first review. The Amazon was from 1/2020. The Kaiweets was from 8/2019. So, not that far apart.There is no way the Kaiweets can out sale this many meters. Are the reviews all fake?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 07:46:46 pm
content: It's a no-name Chinese meter at a low price being sold on Amazon - you think they're real?

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 07:52:30 pm
content: You think Amazon itself commissions fake reviews?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 07:53:54 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 12, 2020, 07:52:30 pmNo, I think it's probably the biggest selling platform and fake review target in the world, and many Chinese businesses do not remotely share the same view of ethics we do.

author: bobcat2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 08:56:51 pm
content: Not the review I am wondering the most. I am wondering what the business process is.So, I am selling a meter. I want good review. So, I pay a company to have people buy my meter and write review. What do these people do with the meters they bought? Mail them all back to me and I ship them all back to Amazon?One way I can guess is to check the review date. I still see active reviews being post as of 4/2020. If I guess correctly, the review will stop after June. (for a 1-yr contract).For the Amazon meter, it actually says Amazon sent the meters free to the VINE people to review.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 12:56:33 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on April 12, 2020, 07:53:54 pmYeah but it’s not a Chinese vendor, it’s an amazon branded product, so no third party sellers.It strains belief to think the OEM would go and spam its customers’ pages with fake reviews.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 01:01:42 am
content: Quote from: tooki on April 13, 2020, 12:56:33 amErr, 'KAIWEETS' is an Amazon brand now?

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 03:45:58 am
content: Every time I see adjectives like "heavy duty", "professional", "precision", and "recommended", I immediately look at the price. They just don't make any sense.Sure, they are quick to replace "defective" products and fast, but frustration, time, and parts cost more then offsets savings. Also, counterfeit products are rampant. I've got what appears to be a copy of counterfeiter products, too.I just don't trust them for anything important anymore.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 02:53:18 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on April 13, 2020, 01:01:42 amOh, sorry, I thought it was in reference to the Amazon meter. Mea culpa!

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 02:57:29 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on April 13, 2020, 03:45:58 amOnly tangentially related rant: the local fleabay equivalent is full of shitty local vendors who use the word “profi” (“pro” in German) on everything. Except that I’d say there’s an inverse relationship between the likelihood that they apply “profi” and the actual likelihood of it being a professional product. It’s so bad that if I see “profi” in the listing, I automatically assume it’s junk, and I’d say that 95% of the time it is. True professional stuff is just listed by name/model, since actual pros know which brands and models are professional or not.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 04:59:44 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 13, 2020, 02:57:29 pmFor professional useonly. On the shelves of every DIY store known to man.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 10:22:33 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 13, 2020, 02:57:29 pmOh, it's like the Pro'skit brand or the "contractor grade" or "pro line" specifiers at the hardware store.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2020, 10:47:41 pm
content: There are some exclusions to that label. Sometimes "PRO" has a different warranty. If I buy Craftsman tools and use them to do work professionally there is no warranty. Some other brands also have a lackluster warranty but the "PRO" label confers a much better one although you do need to check this, it's not a rule but when you have a standard and pro it's typically the warranty being the real difference.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2020, 05:33:26 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on April 13, 2020, 04:59:44 pmI can't say I've ever seen that, actually, and I've spent plenty of time in DIY stores in USA and CH. Could it be a UK liability thing, masqueraded as advertising?Quote from: rsjsouza on April 13, 2020, 10:22:33 pmIf only... the crap those local auction site hawkers are selling could only aspire to the quality of the things you mention.Oddly, it's not even only for new things: it's also what some professional sellers of used crap do. So they might take a dirty, old rebadged Mastech meter, itself only worth $50 new back in the day, and label it as "profi" and ask $80 for it. Absolutely nuts, and makes the site way less useful than eBay.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2020, 06:02:11 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 14, 2020, 05:33:26 pmThis happens with the local ad sales here, but with anything automotive. A crappy SnapOn manual range multimeter with 2mm thick grease layer or a 2000 count 7106-based M830B clone from Greenlee selling for ridiculous prices - I have no idea who buys these.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2020, 06:55:00 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 14, 2020, 05:33:26 pmSeems to be related to REACH, so not a UK thing, but yes. I hadn't realised that.I will continue to non-professionally purchase products which contain hazardous and effective chemicals regardless. Perhaps they actually enforce that over in CH - they surely do not here. At least in adhesives, sealants, foam, and so forth, real paint is becoming harder to find.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2020, 11:03:27 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on April 14, 2020, 06:55:00 pmOh, gotcha. REACH is also a thing here, but they tend to not even have the pro-only stuff in regular retail stores. Switzerland is a place where actual professionals have dedicated outlets and don’t overlap with consumers very much.The only place I’ve really run into it is mail-order companies that do sell to consumers, but whose main market is industry. Like the local electronics distributor, which recently blocked nearly all chemicals to consumers, even just plain IPA. (That is no doubt an error, but dumb nonetheless.) And yet another distributorowned by the same parent companywill happily sell it to me...And of course in that case, exactlynotthe same thing as the crappy auction site vendors, who are taking the polar opposite of professional products and slapping the word “pro” on it.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2020, 11:36:41 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 14, 2020, 11:03:27 pmYeah, I hadn't realised it was REACH. I'm pretty sure there are DIY crap products labeled the same way for marketing, but it's a bit hard to go find them at the moment.

author: sam[PS]
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2020, 03:44:58 am
content: Has anyone here really tested the thing ?Or is it just a post to bitch about amazon without much regards for the actual product ?

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2020, 02:52:56 pm
content: Quote from: sam on April 15, 2020, 03:44:58 amI did (see above) and concluded that it is not bad at all (though you never know how it ages and how well it takes abuse). But Dave mentioned at the beginning at the thread that CEM makes decent meters, so it might really be a score.Meanwhile, Amazon USA dropped the price with another ~$30. You can currently get a 50000 count meter with logging (but with inability to export data, crappy AC bandwidth and slow capacitance measurements) for ~$146.Not bad, if you accept that you can’t have everything for a given price.

author: sam[PS]
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2020, 03:20:58 pm
content: Ok so that's the useful information. All in all good value for money for a mid/low price range.All the rest is just

author: TheNewLab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2020, 07:05:17 pm
content: found a YT Channel review link of the Amazon Commercial meter

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 12:57:07 am
content: Quote from: TheNewLab on April 15, 2020, 07:05:17 pmThat was the person pointing at a quad op-amp and explaining how it was an LCD controller. Not thinking I would take much stock in their review.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 01:29:28 am
content: Yea, he's an odd one. He talks about teaching people but he seems seriously in need of some education even on the things he says he knows about.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 01:31:29 am
content: Quote from: Caliaxy on April 15, 2020, 02:52:56 pmAt that price range I would rather get a BM857 or BM867 with true data logging to a PC, the same 50000 counts (with 500000 hi-res mode) and quite good reputation, protection and robustness. Yeah, the 90DM890 is begging to be bitched about.

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 03:21:45 am
content: Wow, that is one painful review to watch.Not sure if that’s due to his lighting, but that meter is almost unreadable most of the time.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 12:18:01 pm
content: I skipped to where he opens it up. Looks at C67, calls it a MOV. But the best part was when he looks at the Hycon IC:https://youtu.be/hC_uERtTilk?t=1390

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 01:50:53 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on April 16, 2020, 01:31:29 amYes, those are nice ones, but can you get them in US for that price? In the ~$150 price range I only found (quick search...) BM235, which is a much lower spec’d meter.

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 02:34:01 pm
content: Quote from: NoisyBoy on April 16, 2020, 03:21:45 amMust be his lighting, mine was the brightest thing on the bench (as far as handheld meters go). Outdoors in direct sunlight it was really hard to read, which is a bummer for “professional” use (if the profession requires measuring anything outside).

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 04:30:09 pm
content: Joe, the idea of Internet truth is a constant threat in our modern society. On one hand, there is true experts like you sharing your findings and recommendations, on the other hand, there is self-proclaimed "experts" trying to help others but sometimes peppered their messages with unintended (and sometimes intended) errors due to a lack of education and experience.Because everyone can have a voice nowadays with zero cost, discerning the truth becomes a required skill for the general population. Unfortunately, in electronics, getting this skill is not easy. I don't want to waste time watching anything else from his channel, but the fact that he has 78.5K subscriber is perhaps an indicator of the magnitude of the problem. When his AC current generator died, just looking at how he tried to measure AC current from the main with a lightbulb and bare wires hanging out, can potentially get some of his subscribers killed.Just imagine what could have happened if Jim Jones were alive in the Internet Age.Quote from: joeqsmith on April 16, 2020, 12:18:01 pm

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 04:32:27 pm
content: Quote from: Caliaxy on April 16, 2020, 01:50:53 pmWell, theBM857S as tme.euis US$135.36 and they say theexpress saver shippingwill set you back US$9.90 more. TheBM867is going for US$146.20.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2020, 11:27:30 pm
content: Quote from: NoisyBoy on April 16, 2020, 04:30:09 pmWhile I wasn't impresses with what I saw the few times I watched, many people find his videos entertaining and possibly helpful. I started watching Dave's videos for the same reason, good entertainment.There are some really good technical channels out there as well that I personally enjoy. That's what is great about the internet, you have so much information available at your finger tips, you can always find something that suits you.I will say after having made a few videos it,s not zero cost. There was a lot of time involved. In my cast, a fair amount of out of pocket expenses as I refuse to advertise or take donations. It was a lot of fun but I don't plan to quit my day job.

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2020, 12:29:38 am
content: And to that, I am always thankful for all the great information you shared, I especially love the series you did on the VNA. Dave's videos are also superb and a great source of information.I created some training videos in my early career for one of the largest IT company, I probably spent 10 min of work for each min of video created. So I absolutely appreciate the time you spent in putting the videos together, and I can’t begin to imagine the amount of work required for all your and Dave’s videos.When I mentioned the zero cost, I was referring to creating a voice and outlet for what we have created. In the past, one has to find and convince a publisher to get our voice out there, self-publishing was almost unheard of. Now, all we need is a phone, and we can post anything we want. No barrier of any kind, no reviews, it is a different world.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2020, 03:30:36 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on April 16, 2020, 12:57:07 amWell, he's definitely wrong, but the chip in question isn't a simple op-amp, it's the entire DMM IC, with the analog front end and ADCs.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2020, 09:05:16 am
content: Quote from: tooki on April 17, 2020, 03:30:36 amRather than assume I'm the one without a clue, you could have asked what I was referring to as it was obvious that it was not this specific video. The video in question was on the UT210E. The following link is for where he starts to pull it apart. Pay attention as he is confident with guessing at the parts he is looking at. It's pretty funny, but sad at the same time.https://youtu.be/0WLpc0mfYi0?t=1033

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 04:14:29 am
content: Quote from: Caliaxy on April 16, 2020, 01:50:53 pmI'm getting a sample of a new $150 class meter next week:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/us$150-class-multimeter/

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 11:28:45 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 21, 2020, 04:14:29 am$150-class-multimeterLooks like you have yet to release any information. Hopefully it's a step up from UEI / Finest. Maybe a nice UNI-T?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 12:05:46 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on April 21, 2020, 11:28:45 amOn the contrary, there is plenty of info in that thread.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 01:01:08 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 21, 2020, 12:05:46 pmPlenty?? Like the 121GW early on, no mention of the brand and very little information. After seeing the 121, it's hard to get too excited.From your posts, we know it will cost about $150, may have some sort of UL rating, may have Bluetooth for some additional cost. Will have autohold and the normal min/max and average. We also have some sense of resolution and accuracy.Sorry but your last post seems like click bait at best. Wait to get the meter and be honest this time with a full on Dave review! If it's shit, say it's shit.Quote

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 02:07:20 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on April 21, 2020, 01:01:08 pmYes, plenty enough for anunreleased meterfor those interested. Normally you'd getnoinfo about new meters before release.QuoteI don't care if you are excited or not.QuoteNo such thing as "some sort of UL rating" it's either UL tested or it's not. CAT III 1000, CAT IV 600V is you want to know.Quote"Click bait" on my own forum? GTFO, someone was talking about looking for a $150 class meter so I pointed out a thread on that specific topic they may not have known about.If you want to discuss the meter go over to the other thread.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 02:36:37 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 21, 2020, 02:07:20 pmThere is a 61010 safety standard as well as the 61326 EMC standard. Meters that have been certified typically are tested to the safety standard only. The better meters I have looked at have also been certified for EMC. Personally, I have more interest in the EMC side of things than safety.If/when you get the meter and start releasing basic details, I would be more than happy to join in the discussion. For that matter, I would be willing to put another meter to the test to see how it fairs against the others. For now, there is not enough to comment on.***Looks like UL does offer EMC cert as well as safety.https://uk.ul.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2015/03/EMC_in_the_UK.pdf

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 21, 2020, 11:47:33 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on April 21, 2020, 02:36:37 pmIt will almost certainly be tested to 61326 EMC

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2020, 01:34:01 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 21, 2020, 11:47:33 pmRight, ".. may have some sort of UL rating ..."I don't believe any of the meters I tested were damaged by the little grill starter that were certified to 61326. It's not a guarantee. After seeing Intertek certifying a meter that can't seem to display potentially lethal levels because of what appears to be an autorange problem, I have less confidence in these certs. Hopefully UL is thorough.BTW, did you ever go back and look at what was breaking down in the 121 when you had your electric fence controller attached to it? Was it the switch contacts for the two series PTCs?

author: sequoia
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2020, 03:47:49 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 12, 2020, 08:38:53 amDecided to get one of these (90DM600), as wanted a "cheap" but decent meter that can be used outdoors (snow or rain)...Build quality is surprisingly good, could say that it is built like a brick dunny... Rotary switch has zero "play", but in turn requires quite a bit force to turn. Unit seems to have been tested by Intertek, while probes have UL markings. Fits a lithium 9V battery just, and seems to come with good quality fuses from the factory (RU markings). Not bad for about $40 (with free shipping).Quick test showed meter to be up to spec (based on quick measurement results comparison against a GW-Instek GDM-8251A that is a 120,000 count DMM...)UPDATED: meter is based on DM1106EN chipset pictures of the board found here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/amazon-commercial-90dm600-multimeter-hacks/

author: sequoia
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2020, 07:46:41 pm
content: Looking (US) pricing of these 6000 count meters (90DM600 and 90DM610) something is not "right:90DM600 $41.51 (https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Count-Compact-Digital-Multimeter/dp/B07W3BXNMP/)90DM610 $116.37 (https://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Count-Digital-Multimeter-CATIV/dp/B07W1BL3RH/)Meters appear to be pretty much identical, except "610" has temperature measurement and ships with temperature probe...Price for 90DM600 seems really good, so perhaps there is pricing "error"....

author: Caliaxy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2020, 04:25:18 pm
content: [ Specified attachment is not available ]Quote from: sequoia on April 29, 2020, 07:46:41 pmI got my 90DM610 at the time when it was $52.78. $116.37 is indeed a crazy price when you can get DM600 for $41.51 (and DM910 was $138 at one point...).I never understood exactly Amazon's price change strategy, but I know for a fact that prices go up and down over time and what they advertise as "reduced price" is irrelevant (they might offer a great $29.87 price allegedly reduced from $39.99 for an item they actually sold yesterday for $19.37).I am using a third party Firefox plugin that monitors the Amazon prices for (almost?) every single item they sell and it displays it in a chart right on the Amazon page of the item. You can't predict how the price is going to change, but at least you see the price history and if you notice it was much cheaper not long time ago you can wait for the price to go down again. That's how I get most things from Amazon.The downside is that the items I buy show as ads on totally unrelated web pages I am visiting (or in my Facebook feed), so I guess the third party sells my Amazon shopping/browsing history, but who doesn't these days....Yes, 90DM610 is a great little meter (and probably 90DM600 too).

author: sequoia
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 01, 2020, 06:35:33 pm
content: Quote from: beanflying on February 14, 2020, 03:06:11 am90DM600 (and 90DM610) seems to have machined sockets (don't see how these could be IP67 rated with split barrel sockets...)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2020, 08:32:09 pm
content: Quote from: sequoia on May 01, 2020, 06:35:33 pmWhat’s so confusing about that? Form the two contacts, then put them in a mold and injection mold the plastic around them.

author: sequoia
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 02, 2020, 08:10:53 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on May 01, 2020, 08:32:09 pmI don't recall seeing IP67 rated devices that don't have rubber (or equivalent) flexible seals between joints, especially between dissimilar materials, where (large) temperature change likely will yield tiny "cracks" allowing water/moisture through....But maybe that is not issue with IP67 level of water ingress protection (?) It's been long time since I looked into the actual specifications of these ratings, maybe I was thinking IP68 rated stuff....

author: karamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2020, 02:29:19 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on April 16, 2020, 01:31:29 amSee the attachment: amazon left, BM867 right. Amazon clearly looks better protected to me. Looks ( and sounds from the reviews) very robust. It does not log to a PC but logs on the screen,which in many cases could be preferable.[ Specified attachment is not available ]

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2020, 06:53:47 pm
content: Quote from: karamba on May 06, 2020, 02:29:19 pmThe 867 (and proabably the 869) has three beefy MOVs, one (perhaps two) PTCs surrounded by shrink plastic, a blast shields near the fuses, 2~3 high voltage resistors in the V range... All that backed up by robustness tests made by one joeqsmith and one report of a dead dodo in the field.That is a track record that is quite promising.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/brymen-bm-867-teardown-pictures/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/brymen-bm869-meets-high-voltage-in-real-world/msg953499/#msg953499The Amazonlooks decent(edit, see below), but looks can be deceiving - a while ago I did a review of a Surpeer AV4 that looked quite similar to the Amazon, only to go completely haywire when a somewhat low voltage (about 60V) was applied to anything other than the V scale. Sure, the Amazon may have its place but its value proposition is not great at all.(edit) Actually, I withdraw that. From a protection standpoint, I don't see any MOV and what it seems to be a PTC it is using the resistor network as the blast shield - a transient and your meter blows a very expensive part.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2020, 09:53:44 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on May 06, 2020, 06:53:47 pmI've not yet developed the ability to simply look at a meter with my eyes and be able to tell how robust it is. There are a lot of reviewers who claim to have such a talent. Sadly many can't seem to tell the difference between disc capacitors, PTCs or MOVs.Actually, just had a recent discussion like this:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/uni-t-ut-181a-what-am-i-doing-wrong-(big-bandwidth-on-ac-volts-range-)/I can run the Amazon meter if people want to see it but I have not ordered anything for the last few month as I see no reason to put a driver at risk for my hobby. So you would have to wait.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 05:08:13 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on May 06, 2020, 09:53:44 pmIf you look with more attention you can see clearly that in photo of a UNI-T there are in left down side MOVS (varistors) and PTC(Termistors) . These was meant to be part of input protection circuit . From here was start the discussion , that UNI-T 181A lack input protection .

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2020, 03:55:37 pm
content: Actually, what Evava wrote was:Quote from: evava on May 03, 2020, 09:50:08 amI took this to mean deficient or inadequate, which it most certainly is. You then start in with the assumption that his statement meant there were no components in the meter that were part of this circuitry and proceeded to argue that point and continue to do so.From a protection standpoint, I would say every meter I have looked at has some level of protection circuitry (again, I am not referring to safety). Maybe it's just a current limiting resistor or maybe it has 6 MOVs. My tests don't care what parts are sprinkled into a design. It only cares how they all work together. We have seen time and time again that these design by part sprinkling may at times look impressive but will fail miserably at very low levels.Many reviews will open up the meter and say something like look at all that protection... MOVs!! (while pointing at caps) PTCs!! (while pointing at MOVs) .... That's a five star meter!! You are impressed with the pictures of the UT181A. Again, so be it. But I ran these test to see how they actually hold up, not to provide my opinion on how I feel they will hold up based on what they look like. As I have explained many times, but sadly it doesn't sink in, that the 181A could use some improvement in the layout. It should have been caught in the design review. It should have been caught when Intertek subjected it to the 61326 standards and approved it.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2020, 05:35:31 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on May 08, 2020, 03:55:37 pmYou should have written this in your first post in that thread and I would have considered ok .

author: MattK
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 07, 2020, 08:20:08 pm
content: I noticed this in the manual for the 90DM600/610AC voltage bandwidth:45 Hz to 1 kHz (sinusoidal);50/60 Hz (all waves).That seems a bit odd.

author: Artur.
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 07, 2021, 05:10:37 pm
content: Hey, would you go for the Amazon 90DM150 for some basic DC stuff its just 25$ here.Or is there anything reasonable that is better in the 30$-50$ range that would make sense to spend more as the maximum I will be doing is check caps and resistors and do some basic voltage and current measurements on my DC cars.

author: GigaJoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2021, 05:03:58 am
content: with resolution 20000 or 22000 it would be the most universal , sometimes you really need to see it, like battery discharge 12.000 to 11.999 or so ... 40000 - kinda unless on the cheapest side HP770D

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2022, 10:11:57 pm
content: I just noticed Amazon Commercial axed their entire multimeter line up, and no longer have the CEM store. One expensive model 90DM890 remains USD $290. The products were on the website March 2022.Ahh the politics of multimeters.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2022, 01:18:34 am
content: They also have a couple of clamp meters in their Scientific & Industrial section. The one for under $40 seems like a bargain.Good to see another 6502 fan over here.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2022, 09:20:31 am
content: 90DM890 is available on Amazon.es at 117 E.https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B083V7S3ZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Sometimes there are promos at half of the price on the other sites in EU. I didn't checked US or CA.

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2022, 06:08:22 pm
content: 90DM890 is now 72$ on amazon.com. 213.20$ or 75% rebatehttps://www.amazon.com/AmazonCommercial-Heavy-Digital-Multimeter-Display/dp/B07VX431NK

author: uski
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2022, 08:26:34 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on October 11, 2022, 06:08:22 pmYup, can confirm, I snatched one ! It seems like they are destocking and they might no longer be available after that, seeing what happened to the rest of their multimeter line.50000 points, data logging, some graphing features at $72, definitely worth it !

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2022, 10:06:10 pm
content: Decent price for the specs.Is the battery a standard battery? It would be shame for it to go dead a few years down the road and then not be replaceable.

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2022, 11:02:18 pm
content: Quote from: BillyO on October 11, 2022, 10:06:10 pmThe specsheet says a NEDA 1604 battery, so it should be a standard rechargeable 9V battery.Just looked at a disassembly video and it look like a custom battery.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2022, 07:38:45 am
content: This is the battery.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2022, 09:00:12 am
content: It's gone!Currently unavailable. At this price was a real bargain.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2022, 02:35:53 pm
content: Quote from: skander36 on October 12, 2022, 07:38:45 amSo, it looks like that battery has multiple source manufacturers. It may be around for a while.I missed out .. you snooze, you loose.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2022, 02:46:34 pm
content: Quote from: BillyO on October 12, 2022, 02:35:53 pmIndeed. This battery seem that it is used also in other CEM products.Hope it will be still available when we need it.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003444414839.htmlhttps://www.batteries4pro.com/en/Tooling/measuring-device/3,19148-74v-12ah-li-ion-battery-for-cem-particle-counter-dt-9880-4894128168553.htmlhttps://www.amazon.ca/PT603450-2S-Replacement-DT-9881M-DT-9880M-DT-9883M/dp/B09JFSPVMZhttps://www.walmart.com/ip/Synergy-Digital-Equipment-Battery-Compatible-CEM-PT603450-2S-Equipment-Li-ion-7-4V-1200mAh-Ultra-High-Capacity-Replacement-Battery/871799700

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 02:30:59 am
content: Small detail about the 90DM890, the Bluethooth module is missing and the option is not in the setup menu. So, there's no way to connect to meter to phone or PC.

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 08:41:41 am
content: DMM 90DM890 does not advertise bluetooth connection.The original (CEM DT989) and the Peaktech P3440 have bluetooth connection.So no BT, no IR, no TFcard for 90DM890.Instead you can realtime plot the trend on device screen, which is a rare feature. The others meters need to be connected to a PC to do that. They can log (record) values and they can plot trending only on the end of the recordng. This meter also have recording function, along with graph (realtime plot).

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 11:05:53 pm
content: For 72 bucks, it's certainly "bang for the buck" and if you're in the market for a new decent meter, it seemed like a steal for that price.I was quite close to jumping on this deal, like a week back at that 72 USD price, as there suddenly out of the blue was 1 unit left in stock (from otherwise being outsold) and with a fair shipping cost to Denmark +14USD (EU) .-- and a notice about no extra VAT or tariffs at delivery to Denmark (I highly doubt that)and had it in my basket, and almost finalized/paid - but it does seem to add VAT (at least some estimated) and the final price seems to summon to around 109 USD, so quite a bit more. (+50%)Though' after going through a few reviews and the fact that it seemed kind of slow to get a reading, and I was not even sure if it were a handicapped downgraded version where certain features, like Bluetooth, etc, were removedI came to my senses - and if I really need yet another common multimeter, that does more or less the same thing.- the 50k count and the onscreen graphing appealed to me and a cat-rating that seems loyal, but all my use cases is mains (230v) or low DC.Decided to pass on it, and instead made an order for a Pico 4 VR, to try the world of this VR that some people seem to be fond of, as other parts of the household/family can also try that..at 72 bucks for US residents for 90DM890, it was certainly a solid purchase, even with the lack of Bluetooth etc..but that wireless feature is pretty nice to have, though not sure how well implemented it is with the org. CEM BT app which I recall were some "of the shelf third-party app" that is being used under quite a few other brands.2016 - 38 USD Owon 35series meter is using a somewhat halfbaked-app, though the update rate is pretty fast with its BLE signal with 2 or 3 times update per second //https://tinyurl.com/49v4avcuand kind of nice you can graph out numerous graphs in different colors to compare values..but the X-Y interaction leaves a lot to be desired on that Owon app, though still a shame they have removed the Bluetooth-chip / UI-interface for the Amazon 90DC890 variantJudging by Youtube videos about the Bluetooth app on these relative high-end CEMs' it's using an app called Meterbox BLE, which seems way worse than even Owon's old BLE app, so your not missing a lot, not having that BT module...

author: elias87
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 25, 2023, 08:47:36 am
content: Hello.. looking to buy my first multimeter and i am between this (or rather similar 90dm610) and aneng 870 or 8008.which one would you recommend for a beginner. I might need to measure mains. so I am looking something safe for maximum 40-50euro.any other multimeter to recommend? thank you.

author: PatrickB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2023, 03:22:25 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on February 13, 2020, 07:02:56 pm

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2023, 09:40:13 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on October 19, 2022, 02:30:59 amWhy is there glue on the protection diodes?

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2023, 12:56:58 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 25, 2023, 09:40:13 pmTo stick the electrons in.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2023, 01:25:04 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 25, 2023, 09:40:13 pmThey ran out of solder?

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2023, 01:29:39 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 25, 2023, 09:40:13 pmCheap corona dope substitute ?

author: JOSM
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2023, 06:47:27 am
content: Quote from: Kosmic on October 19, 2022, 02:30:59 amTo compare against my RND 355-00010 (also a CEM DT-989 twin):

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2023, 04:21:34 pm
content: Quote from: JOSM on April 04, 2023, 06:47:27 amI wonder if this one is made by CEM too. The board is somewhat similar but clearly not the same. Can't find any reference to DT-9589. Maybe a clone ?

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2023, 04:24:30 pm
content: Talking about the Amazon 90DM890 (CEM DT-989), if someone is looking for the password for the calibration menu and calibration procedures, poke me. I was able to get my hands on everything.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2023, 06:40:16 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 25, 2023, 09:40:13 pmThe diodes look like the clamping diodes for the current ranges. With overcurrent these diodes can run quite hot - worst case this may be enough to unsolder them, which would be bad. They are supposed to fail (if at all) short, not open. The glue may be there to keep the diodes in place even of the solder gets soft. The part where the glue is applied is a connection anyway. So it would not be so bad as the glue later on turns a bit conductive when old.

author: aeberbach
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2023, 08:33:40 pm
content: I have one of these but the LCD is not quite right:Figured I would open it up one day and reseat a cable and all would be well but it is not a reseatable cable:The nearest pair of contacts are blobbed together but I don't think it could be that, could it?Anyone know what the LCD is? No markings. I might replace it if it is cheap.

author: KungFuJosh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 10:51:16 pm
content: Quote from: aeberbach on May 09, 2023, 08:33:40 pmCheck if the blob has continuity to ground; that might be on purpose. Or a big sloppy mistake. 🤷

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 12:34:08 am
content: Dave did a video a couple years ago about why pins might be intentionally shorted (24 minute video!) . Might help you determine if that's the case here.

author: JonnhyK
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 20, 2024, 05:01:37 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on April 05, 2023, 04:24:30 pmMODELAMAZON COMMERCIAL 90DM890BOARDDT-989-V1.5-A1-M4FIRMWARE1.10S/N220111833CALIBRATION PASSWORD FOUND:ONE ZERO ZERO ZERO1 0 0 0please kindly quote my reply adding if ur calibration password match or if u found different pwdPLEASEadd your board version - fw version - rebrand model or original CEM DT-989

author: skander36
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2024, 05:53:52 pm
content: Thank you!Password works.FW. ver. 1.10Board is not clear - DTD989 V1.5?Amazon Comercial

author: JonnhyK
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 21, 2024, 03:22:48 am
content: Quote from: skander36 on December 20, 2024, 05:53:52 pmcopy.PLEASE ADD IF YOUR MODEL IS AMAZON COMMERCIAL OR CEM OFFICIAL.and share with other owners the result of my efforts :-)