Absurd chinese meter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2013, 10:26:37 pm
content: HiI've seen this meterhttp://www.goodluckbuy.com/prova-801-digital-multi-meter-rs-232c-interface-bandwidth-of-10khz-max-.htmlLook at this thing!!! It's 2 60000 count meter in one!If it has good internal quality, it will be a fantastic merer...Anyone has it?

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2013, 10:37:29 pm
content: Holy Karp!That looks a little (read: a whole freaking lot) too good to be true. Look at the AC accuracy! And it comes *with* the RS232 hookups and software?!Feel free to buy, test and let us all know(jk)

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 26, 2013, 10:55:36 pm
content: PROVA are very nice stuff (I've used their TrueRMS Clamp Meters) .. but is this genuine or a copy?While I was looking at that page, I did drool over the Rigol DM3051 :-) grrrrrr

author: iloveelectronics
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2013, 11:09:43 pm
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/prova-903-discussionI have the 803. The 800 series is not True RMS. The 900 series is but they are quite a bit more expensive.Oh and BTW, this is Taiwanese, not Chinese. There's a difference thereQuote from: ddavidebor on March 26, 2013, 10:26:37 pm

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2013, 11:33:18 pm
content: I suspect that the specs are a bit "optimistic", at that price.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 04:26:05 am
content: Quote from: madshaman on March 26, 2013, 10:37:29 pmIt saids "Application Software (Option) ", I suspect the "(Option)" there means optional and you have to pay extra for it.EDIT - missed this when I cut it just before Save:I like the meter, particularly the dual channel part.I hope this meter lives up to its billing here. Looks like a nice data collection device.

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 05:15:54 am
content: Quote from: Rick Law on March 27, 2013, 04:26:05 amGiven that and that it's not true RMS (somehow missed that) brings the specs vs price back into reality. If Brymen is any example (own two 867s, which are awesome), Taiwanese is very different from Chinese. If the build quality is good, these look like a sweet deal.As an aside, Brymen's the only company who's data acquisition and interface option for a DMM is actually reasonably priced (that I've encountered), other brands, even the Brymen rebrands are practically theft imho

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 07:06:06 am
content: Yes, you're right. The specs are too good to be true.In fact, is still a nice datalogging dmm with a computer.I'm these days looking at various strange dmm... There's also in this site some nice mastech.

author: LaurenceW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 09:01:03 pm
content: Hmm, a bigGOTCHAfor these types of "dual" meters is the fact that they must share a common ground connection. So it is not immediately easy/possible to measure both the current and voltage in some circuits, for example. Not as flexible as two separate meters.No mention of CAT ratings? Not sure I'd believe them even if they were given, at this price. I see it includes a "10A Fast Blown Fuse" :0 That would save me the trouble of blowing it...I would also generally avoid ANYTHING with the name "Pro" embedded anywhere in the description or part number, because it usually gaurantees that the item isn't...Second channel accuracy looks to be somewhat nobbled? Hey-ho. Maybe OK for amatuer use, provided you never drop it.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 09:17:43 pm
content: Quote from: LaurenceW on March 27, 2013, 09:01:03 pmGood point! I didn't think of that.

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 10:01:25 pm
content: Quote from: LaurenceW on March 27, 2013, 09:01:03 pmWhy must they do that?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 10:07:14 pm
content: Because otherwise you would need to build two complete meters inside one case.

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 10:16:57 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on March 27, 2013, 10:07:14 pmWhich is what they ought to. If they were serious about it, that is.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 10:31:02 pm
content: Quote from: LaurenceW on March 27, 2013, 09:01:03 pmDual? How about Quad? Daetron makes some but with same limitation of common ground.http://www.ko4bb.com/Manuals/11)_Stuff_Not_Sorted/Daetron/Daetron_General_Catalog.PDF

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 11:39:37 pm
content: Well, if they're going to put two meters in the same case, then you might as well buy two meters and skip paying the novelty price.FWIW, even my Fluke bench meter (Fluke 45) has a dual display mode, and it's even more limited because not only do the two channels share ground, there is still only one V input. You can display V/mA, VAC/Hz, VDC/VAC, and a few other combinations. Still, I've found it useful.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2013, 11:44:45 pm
content: Quote from: LaurenceW on March 27, 2013, 09:01:03 pmI can't think of many cases where having a common would be a major problem - OK you'd probably end up seeing -ve voltage & current with common + source connection, but that would be a lot more useful then the normal either-or configuration on most meters.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2013, 12:32:31 am
content: Quote from: Tepe on March 27, 2013, 10:01:25 pmGuess work only on my part: I suspect they also share the A to D converter since the accuracy drops - rather, the error doubles in dual mode according to the spec. So I suspect they are time sharing the A to D and with shorter sampling time, it is shorter on accuracy.

author: skipjackrc4
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2013, 01:45:50 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on March 27, 2013, 11:39:37 pmI've got a Fluke 45, and I find it useful to display the max voltage on one display and the real time voltage on the other. Or use relative mode to monitor the real time and the change. Otherwise I'd just use two.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2013, 07:07:59 pm
content: I wonder if they will let Dave tear one down, if its for real, he can't call it a wun hung lo, or can he !!!!!!!!!!