Agilent U1242A? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2011, 03:09:42 pm
content: Hey guys! New user here at the forum who has been very inspired by EEVblog as of lately and I'm really starting to get into electronics right now. So, hi to you all!I feel that I really need to get a decent meter that will last me a while and that I can be somewhat confident in. Right now I have a $10 UNI-T meter which is not very good.I'm afraid that a Fluke 87V costs more money than I'm willing to spend on this hobby at this point (maybe in the future if the interest sticks). And since I live in Sweden, finding one on eBay for a good price including shipping is very hard and nobody around here seems to want to sell theirsI've heard a lot of good things about the Agilent U1242B and the specs seem really good for the price. I will mostly use it for working with electronics at my desk so it doesn't need to be ultra rugged though I do want a good quality meter.What do you say, should I get one or are there other alternatives which are better for a similar price?

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2011, 11:40:04 pm
content: Hello SwedenYou look truly confused ..Well get a big breath , and just say the max amount of money,that you are willing to spent.The UNI-T are one respectable brand,Fluke has also lower priced models,and so there is lots of options.Agilent looks promising, but I have not live with any of those,so to share any likes or dislikes.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2011, 10:50:41 am
content: Is it this?You can't go wrong with quality from Agilent's meter, and as far as its specs, it rivals the 87V nicely. If the price is right, go for it, especially for just personal use.Prices depend on your country because of different importation taxes and laws, all things being equal the only tie breaker is price.We get Flukes in the US discounted, because its a local brand here, so Agilent meters have tougher competition.Fluke has established a reputation among service techs over 20+ years, while Agilent DMMs have been around ~ last 3-5 years, so folks are easily able to recommend Fluke 87V without much thought.

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2011, 12:41:12 pm
content: Exactly, that's the one I mean. I actually meant the B-version.And you're right, Fluke is more expensive over here and since Sweden is a much smaller country than the US, the used market is not very large so finding a used 87V is not simple at all.But I think I'll go with the Agilent.

author: orbiter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2011, 05:29:20 pm
content: The one in the clip is the B version also.As mentioned it's a very good meter & compares well when put against the likes of Fluke etc. I use the 1252B version of the Agilent which is this versions bigger brother, however if you don't need the extra accuracy, IR USB or square wave output, the 1242B is a great buy.

author: PetrosA
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2011, 03:03:08 am
content: I can't speak specifically to the U1242A or B, but I have two other Agilents (U1272A and U1211A) and I'm very happy with them. Build quality is excellent and accuracy is very good - way more than I probably need as an electrician.

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2011, 12:04:29 am
content: Got my U1242B today and so far, I'm very satisfied! It has a very solid feel to it. Comes with two different sets of probes and the test leads has a nice rubbery feel to them. It seems pretty fast and accurate (as far as I can tell... which is not very far to be honest). Display is very clear and backlight is great. Only thing I can think of right now is that the continuity buzzer is a bit slow and the sound is a bit quiet but it's not a very big deal.

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2011, 08:16:43 pm
content: Quote from: shadewind on February 26, 2011, 12:04:29 amAll my life so far (41), I was not had in mind the continuity buzzer response , as performance indicator.Dave as reviewer it does well to explore and compare such details.The bottom line from my view , are that very few they will find in praxis , the continuity buzzer response as "a problem".But the continuity buzzer volume and sound frequency , it does matter especially if you work in noisy environment.In such at test , I bet that the 98% of all of them, they will fail to offer satisfaction.

author: zaoka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2011, 10:36:26 pm
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on February 26, 2011, 08:16:43 pmIf you do few troubleshooting from time to time its OK, however, if you every day do electronic repairs continuity beeper response is very important.

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2011, 04:55:39 am
content: Quote from: zaoka on February 26, 2011, 10:36:26 pmI am not going to debate about that , the truth is that some technicians , they like to work at high speed,some others they take their time , and they are cautious .Its all a matter, of how you use your self and tools.