Uni-T launches the UT117C multimeter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: LeonR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2023, 10:13:05 pm
content: https://meters.uni-trend.com/product/ut117c/https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005712613626.htmlA bit more expensive their standard fare. Hopefully we'll get see PCB shots soon.

author: slavoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 08:03:28 am
content: At least they are trying to copy the good ones

author: CosteC
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 09:59:24 am
content: Strange instrument.I like mechanical design and ergonomy seems good. Nice large display. Nice 3xAAA power. Seems robust too. BT is nice too. Hope filter functions will work well.60000 display and 0.3% accuracy on DCV. What is the point? My old APPA 72 has 6000 display and 0.5% and last digit is meaningless anyway. UT117C has last two digits meaningless. Difference between 0.3% and 0.5% is negligible.Current measurement is also weak - only 6.0000 and 10.000 ranges. Not great.Wonder what will be the real price. Now it costs 130 euro/600 PLN - I think APPA/BRYMEN/SANWA are not far away.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 03:06:28 pm
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 12, 2023, 09:59:24 amThis is more like an error in the technical specifications, the real accuracy is most likely 0.03%I consider this particular model a real replacement for the 61E. Never liked the new 61E+.The only thing that has not been done is a signal about incorrectly connected probes.

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 03:52:22 pm
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 12, 2023, 03:06:28 pmYes, that sounds plausible when even a cheap AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3).Then again, it's not a simple typo. Also the ACV is ±(1%+30) (AN870: ±(0.3% + 3))

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 05:49:26 pm
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 12, 2023, 09:59:24 amThere are a couple of vendors selling it for $73 USD:https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805457726202.htmlhttps://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805466430596.html

author: CosteC
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 07:48:13 pm
content: Quote from: Aldo22 on July 12, 2023, 03:52:22 pmExactly. Datasheet is sensible for 0.3% DCV and 1% for ACV. It is "high resolution meter". Or maybe it has low drifts indeed and it is "high precision" in pure metrology sensePrice is then for speed, robustness, good fuses, Bluetooth and useless decimal points on screen. Very probable CAT III 600V is fulfilled also.Did anybody checked if AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3) after thermal cycling or bit less comfortable conditions than warm desktop? I do not doubt initial accuracy, yet for this price I doubt it lasts.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 09:59:14 pm
content: Still, I think that 0.3% is a mistake. Watch the video.https://m.elecfans.com/v/384643/

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 10:30:16 pm
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 12, 2023, 09:59:14 pmCould be' as that certainly aint too shabby an accuracy, in regards to the 5080A cal ref.

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 08:49:56 am
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 12, 2023, 07:48:13 pmI don't know of any such test for the AN870, but there is a temperature stress test for the AN8008.However, AN8008 only has a specified accuracy of ±(0.5% + 3) and the test (-20 and +60 °C) is well outside the specified temperature range.So, that doesn't really answer your question.Despite this, Joe Smith finds the results "pretty decent".https://youtu.be/TSGLA9heboY?t=1593

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 11:11:00 pm
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 12, 2023, 09:59:14 pmContinuity test is odd, the screen shows continuity but it doesn't beep yet. Seems much slower than it could be?Voltage range was fast and accurate, low resistance was slow to stabilize (~20s).

author: kloetpatra
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2023, 08:36:07 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on July 13, 2023, 11:11:00 pmReceived mine a few days ago. Continuity works without any flaws and is super fast. I like the meter in general. It's going to be my favorite one. Verified it against some Keithley 2000 with spot on measurements so far.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 06:29:44 am
content: kloetpatra, Please, do one test. What is the frequency range of TrueRMS? It is not specified anywhere in the characteristics of ACV Bandwidth. No one in the UT117C reviews measured the frequency range of AC V and AC mV. 1 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz? Or maybe 100kHz?Does the UT117C seem to have fast 5/Sec measurements?

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 11:49:16 am
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 18, 2023, 06:29:44 amI didn't find this information either, but since the frequency measurement according to the specification only goes up to 9,999KHz, I wouldn't expect miracles (AN870: Frequency 9,999MHz!)

author: kloetpatra
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2023, 01:42:40 pm
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 18, 2023, 06:29:44 amYes, measurements update rate is 5 Hz. Bar graph update rate is 20 Hz.BTW: User Manual (p. 20) says: AC * Frequency response: 45Hz~1000HzI did some frequency range tests: AC TRMS bandwith seems to be limited to 1 kHz for AC mV range and 10 kHz for AC V range. Still usable within 5% up to 1 MHz.

author: CosteC
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2023, 08:22:15 pm
content: Quote from: kloetpatra on July 19, 2023, 01:42:40 pmCan you test it on say, rectangular waveform instead of sine? 1 MHz is amazing, far beyond Keithley 2000, not mentioning UT117C!

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2023, 09:44:56 pm
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 19, 2023, 08:22:15 pmThe posted test result at 1 MHz shows the Keithley 2000 slightly better than the UT117C: less than 2% low for the Keithley while the UT117C was 2.5% high.The Keithley was far better at 1.5 MHz (5% low) than the UT117C (35% low).

author: shakalnokturn
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 12:49:47 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 19, 2023, 09:44:56 pmDon't forget that this is a simple comparison of the readings of 2 multimeters, while the Keithley seems reputable enough and frequencies low enough (at the that point) to stick with kloetpatra's statement that the uni-pee is good up to 1kHz (mV) and 10kHz (V) (sine), we don't know enough about the test setup nor have a known reference to say that one meter or the other is reading high or low into the MHz...

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 04:20:27 am
content: kloetpatra, Thank you very much for taking measurements and building such informative graphs. Very good work. Apparently, UT117C turned out great. If suddenly you have some other comparison results with keithley 2000, for example DCmV, DCV, R, etc. I will be very grateful for the opportunity to see them.Very good work. How do you create such charts?

author: slavoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 05:22:07 pm
content: Quote from: kloetpatra on July 19, 2023, 01:42:40 pmApologies for going off-topic...may I ask what software did you use to create these charts?

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 06:18:36 pm
content: .3% on a 60000 count meter? That's just silly. +/-180 counts?I guess it's really just a 2.5 digit meter with cheap lipstick.

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 07:31:45 pm
content: Quote from: BillyO on July 20, 2023, 06:18:36 pmI guess the advertising about a high-precision meter, as opposed to a high-accuracy meter, is correct. Unlike Siglent with their 6.5 digit meters that drift due to lack of selection and burn-in of their references

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2023, 07:40:53 pm
content: Quote from: alm on July 20, 2023, 07:31:45 pmCan't say much about the SDM3065X but I just checked and my SDM3055 has not drifted in 6 months. Unless, of course, my calibrators have drifted by exactly the same amount as the meter on all the various ranges.

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 04:33:36 am
content: Presumably the UT117C is designed to compete with the Fluke 117 and the spec sheet for the Fluke:https://dam-assets.fluke.com/s3fs-public/flk-2793260b-en-117-extended-specs-ds-w.pdfstates that it is only a 0.5%+2 count meter for DC accuracy so in that regard the Uni-T is better.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 05:15:47 am
content: Quote from: BillyO on July 20, 2023, 06:18:36 pmAs they say, it's written on the fence. Reality is different.I see that UT117C has 0.02%-0.03% accuracy.

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 06:13:01 am
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 21, 2023, 05:15:47 amSorry for going off topic, but I don't recognize that idiom. Is that a literal translation of an idiom from another language?

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 06:59:41 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 21, 2023, 06:13:01 amI was curious too so I did some investigating. Given that the poster was from Ukraine I had Google translate "it's written on the fence" into Ukrainian: "На паркані написано".Doing a web search for that phrase resulted in a lot of hits so it appeared that it was indeed a common expression / idiom. Translating some of those search results gave me a sense of what it meant but nothing definitive.Finally I decided to ask Google Bard (i.e. Google's ChatGPT) for an explanation of the idiom and it responded with:Quotewhich translated is:QuotePerhaps native speakers can comment on the accuracy of this explanation.

author: CosteC
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 07:21:41 am
content: Quote from: sonpul on July 21, 2023, 05:15:47 amNO.UT117C has 0.3% DCV accuracy.https://meters.uni-trend.com/product/ut117c/It is stupid high resolution, 0.3% DCV meter. Well build, with couple of nice features like BT. Extra digit or two does not make it more accurate.Short term accuracy and staiblity is far better than 0.3% - but same is true for any decent meter.Possibly Uni-Trend is planning other model in same box with increased accuracy, even on "the same" hardware. Thier sweet secret however will be how they select and age references or exact tolerances and quality of components.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 07:51:31 am
content: Quote from: mwb1100 on July 21, 2023, 06:13:01 amSorry for initiating an offtopic. The phrase “It is written on the fence” says that you can write anything without any responsibility and correspondence to reality.There is also a vulgar definition. When hooligans write in large letters on the fence the word for the sexual organ, and behind the fence they will not find either the sexual organ or sex, even if you believe it. “***** is written on the fence, and there is ordinary firewood”

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 08:13:05 am
content: Quote from: ledtester on July 21, 2023, 06:59:41 amMeaning of that phrase in this context is "I don't care what they wrote I see meter doing much better than that and that is empirical proof instead of some irrelevant writing on the paper", as in "The proof of the pudding is in the eating"...@sonpul insists that despite published 0.3% accuracy, meter is actually performing better and that because of that performance he considers it to be in 0.03-0.02% class.Which is not the way it works. It might be (and usually is) that some product perform much better that spec. But fact that manufacturer specifies very low accuracy of 0.3% means that they deserve right to ship meters as bad as that. It could be that they devised very fast calibration fixture that can calibrate thousands of meters an hour but has wide variability or drifts during day... Even if you guarantee only 3 sigma variation in calibration there will be some perfectly calibrated meters in a population... And some as bad as spec allows.Or they are just reserving right to put any quality components in there, or meter has large tempco or long term drift, so even after all this it will still perform inside specification.Best way to guarantee that you will deliver up to spec is lowering expectations...And you never know which one you're getting.My Metrix and Brymens are almost an order of magnitude better than specification on some ranges and at the room temp.....And if the planets align.. But I would not trust them for more than specified for serious purposes.That being said, 0.3% is good enough for most handheld use scenarios.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 08:23:53 am
content: 2N3055, Totally agree with you. It makes no sense to require an accuracy of 0.03%, but it can be obtained with a high probability. Now the price for this multimeter is about $70. And if the accuracy that we see in the reviews continues, then this is a very good choice.

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 09:53:35 am
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 21, 2023, 07:21:41 amThat's true of course, but not everything is about accuracy. Say you are adjusting a trimmer for reading closest to zero. Or you want to see if a value is going up or down with ambient temperature. For that you need resolution, short term stability and linearity, but not accuracy. Quite a lot of measurements are like that. Matching resistors for a differential amplifier for example. Actual value doesn't matter much, as long as they are equal.Of course more accuracy is better and it's to be proven if the short term stability is there or if the extra digits are just noise.Quote from: CosteC on July 21, 2023, 07:21:41 amThat would make sense to me. Could indeed be selection or just the accuracy of adjustment.

author: kloetpatra
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2023, 11:14:45 pm
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 19, 2023, 08:22:15 pmYes, but I am not sure how well the Keithley will perform as a reference. Also I don't want to consider crest factor errors.Quote from: shakalnokturn on July 20, 2023, 12:49:47 amTrue! Unfortunately I do not have any calibration standard. I only have two Keithley 2000 and one calibrated Keithley 2015. The Keithleys should be in spec up to 300 kHz. As AC source (sine) I used the 2015 source output up to 20 kHz (Accuracy: ±(0.3% of setting + 5mV)). For higher frequencies I had to use a Rigol DS1074Z source output which is specified as ±(2% of the setting value + 1 mV), but also seems to do better than specified according to the readings. Due to relocation I only had access to banana leads so higher frequencies can not be tested. Anyway the UT117C AC V reading drops to zero for frequencies > 1.5 MHz.Quote from: sonpul on July 20, 2023, 04:20:27 amThe chart was made quick and dirty using anychart javscript libraryhttps://playground.anychart.com/h4rynMDsI also did some DCV mesaurement comparison of the Keithleys using a AD584KH precision reference.The shown deviation is in regard to the AD584KH chinese factory calibration values written on the back.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2023, 05:46:04 am
content: It seems to me that soon the dissatisfied will write a petition to the manufacturer so that they spoil their Uni-T UT117C to the 0.3% declared in the specifications.

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2023, 06:00:46 pm
content: Mine just arrived -- order was placed on the 12th so technically it took 15 days.The package was wrapped in Uni-T tape so it stands to reason it came directly from Uni-T -- i.e. the Aliexpress seller simply placed a drop-ship order.My bundle of the UT117C + clamp meter also came with an oversized mouse pad -- not sure what I'm going to use it for.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2023, 08:09:03 am
content: My ut117c have a precision above 0.1% (compare with philips pm2525). Resistance readings also overestimate on precise resistors (+ 0.1%)

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2023, 06:47:07 am
content: comparison measurements of devices

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2023, 01:34:00 pm
content: Quote from: ledtester on July 27, 2023, 06:00:46 pm

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2023, 04:25:51 pm
content: Hi! Just joined the forum.I received my UT117C from Aliexpress a couple of weeks ago. Played with it before leaving for a vacation.I backed up its 24C02 EEPROM. I tested it against an AD584KH, a pile of 0.01% resistors, a VREF-01, my handmade 1-5-10V reference, and some low-cost reference gadgets (e.g. LB06). When testing voltages, I didn't trust the voltage reference, and instead compared the UT117C's reading to that of my Agilent 34401.To make a long story short, it seems to be uniformly inaccurate. I mean, voltage ranges are reading roughly 6 digits high and resistance ranges are about 6 digits low.I want to figure out how to access its calibration menu. Unless someone has already solved that topic and can offer a quick reply, I'll eventually ask that question in a separate thread. I found an unusual menu by holding buttons during power-on but didn't go further.I've calibrated a small stack of meters using my materials, and been pretty pleased with the result. My ZT-102 is basically perfect (and unlocked to 9999 count using AN8008 EEPROM's limit settings). One of my RM303s is quite good (and its EEPROM stores individual calibrations for each resistance range, unusual for a 12P65-based meter). My Owon B41T+ had the worst rated accuracy but it is a newer revision with a multiturn pot for DC and its DCV is good after a lot of tweaking.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2023, 05:51:28 pm
content: Quote from: geb on August 20, 2023, 04:25:51 pmWowNice first postWelcome to the forum!Looking forward to seeing your new thread(s).

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2023, 07:03:13 pm
content: Thanks! I'd borrowed an occasional tip from the forums to use in my work up to now. But it was last year, when I found myself single (widowed) and bored, and I idly wondered whether there was anything interesting I should know about my ZT-102. One thing led to another... I've spent about USD1500 at eBay and AliExpress and DigiKey so far. It's been educational, and I'm a bit less bored.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 03:09:05 pm
content: So, how to calibrate ut117c?

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 04:05:00 pm
content: QuoteThat *is* the question.I can't find my note at my workbench about which keypresses launched the hidden menu. And the menu merely shows "0" through "9", which advances by a keypress.I could swear that I'd reached a sign of success once. I pressed some sequence and reached a DCV range, though I'd started the meter in ACV. Never reproduced that since.The meter has a separate MCU driving Hycon chips. If it was 100% Hycon chips like the HP-770D I last played with, I'd expect a calibration experience like ZT-102 and RM-303 and so on, because the Hycon MCUs have very little space and their firmware never seems to vary much. But with the separate MCU, anything goes.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 05:13:02 pm
content: this combianation of sel+rel+ multimeter on. But what this 0 is mean

author: LeonR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 05:35:19 pm
content: The backlight on those is a pretty poor (couple LEDs around main LCD). Does yours behave the same?

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 05:49:47 pm
content: Quote from: geb on August 20, 2023, 04:25:51 pmwhat error did you end up with in comparison?

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 06:39:09 pm
content: LeonR, agreed, the UT117C's backlight isn't great. I reached for my nearest DMM, an HP-770D, for a side-by-side check. I'd guess the UT117C had about 60-70% of the lumens of the other.makz, SEL+REL sounds right. As for comparison, I'm not sure what you're asking.Out of the box, all the DCV and resistance ranges I tested on my UT117C are about six digits off. This is oddly consistent and made me think they copied the EEPROM from another unit without recalibrating.As for some of my other calibrated meters...The RM303 is rated for better accuracy (0.05%+-3 in DCV) and is now within a digit or two on multiple DCV and resistance ranges after a brief warmup. It's the best resistance accuracy I've seen in a cheap meter so far. I modded the voltage reference but it was nearly as good before this. (Changed ICL8069D to a handpicked ICL8069A with low drift and added a 4.7uF cap across it per datasheet recommendation. Was hoping to get rid of its wobble, 10.000V is 9.999-10.001 every second or two, but the mod only helped a little. Paralleled caps in a few spots also didn't help. Didn't want to try adding a VLCD supply as another modder did.)The B41T+ is only accurate to 1-2 digits on a short range of DCV. Its linearity as tested across its 2.2-22V range seems a bit off (several digits IIRC) and some other modes don't have their own calibration (no EEPROM, just a few pots). The B41T+ is a good performing meter otherwise, with a fast-responding analog bar graph and fast auto-ranging.Incidentally, the bar graph on the UT117C is responsive but "noisy", at least during a quick check of around 5.0VDC.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 08:51:50 am
content: Quote from: geb on August 24, 2023, 06:39:09 pmsix digits off - 5.0006 instead of 5V? I understand correctly?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 09:29:00 am
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 12, 2023, 09:59:24 amI'm disappointed that Brymen didn't release the Bluetooth option in the BM786It was supposed to be ready for release but it never happened.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 09:34:14 am
content: Quote from: CosteC on July 21, 2023, 07:21:41 am0.3% 60,000 count meter, seriously?It's marketed at "High Precision", so seems like the wrong choice of wording here, it should be "High Resolution"

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 09:52:50 am
content: No mA/uA range is limiting.Basically marketing a high resolution electrican meter.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 10:08:33 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 25, 2023, 09:52:50 amreview is not planned?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 10:57:54 am
content: Quote from: makz on August 25, 2023, 10:08:33 amWithout a mA/uA range I wouldn't even consider it an electronics class multimeter. So no review from me, I'm not that interested in electrical targeted stuff.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 11:01:30 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 25, 2023, 09:34:14 am0.3% 60,000 count meter, seriously?Nobody confirmed 0.3%. I insist that this is a mistake in the description and many have already confirmed that the characteristics on paper have deteriorated by more than 10 times. Maybe in order not to spoil the sales of UT61E+.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 11:12:57 am
content: Inside

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 11:19:57 am
content: Quote from: sonpul on August 25, 2023, 11:01:30 amIt's not a mistake, the accuracy spec is primarily determiend by the voltage reference used.This a 60,000 count meter with 6,000 count meter reference.The fact that it's calibrated to be way better than 0.3% is not the point, the reference will be a cheapie. Will probably vary a lot with temp.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 01:13:16 pm
content: Maybe. But UT117C is built on the basis of HY3131 which is 50000 counts. I saw the same in table Owon for 55000. On the same is made UEI EEvblog UE121GV. Is he 6000? And declared for 50000.As for thermostability. My BM789 for how much I know, not the best thermostability.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 01:38:01 pm
content: The resolution of the chip used is one thing, the reality the other. I own 2 meters, one is based on LD120+LD121 which is 20000 (aprox 40y old), and the other one is based on MAX134 which is 40000 (30y old). The reality is the first one is implemented as 2000 and the second one as 4000 max resolution. It seems the designers decided to show a stable reading instead of more digits with noisy last digit. And the reference used is pretty important indication as well - for 60000 (almost 16bit) you would need something like LM399 to make the meter happy..

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 02:00:47 pm
content: QuoteWhat iMo said.A lot of popular lower-end meters for a few years have been 6000, 9999, 19999 counts, all seemingly based on HY12P65 single-chip solution which is officially 5000 counts but has a 19-bit ADC. It's possible to get more out of the chips. It's more a question of the limits/quality of the ADC, voltage reference, ...I think UT117C shows promise for my day-to-day use. It's more responsive, the LCD contrast is better, and its readings are more stable, than my RM303 and HP-770D. It sounds like it has better handling of resistance ranges than HP-770D as well. EEVBlog's point about the lack of current ranges is valid but I usually need to casually check 1-500ma and I have other meters for uA. And I see more protection on its board than in a ZT-102so I'm a little more comfortable reaching for it to test mains voltage. I'd like to see a formal review covering its protection.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 02:14:11 pm
content: Quote from: ledtester on July 12, 2023, 05:49:26 pmI just placed an order, 65 US dollars ship to Australia.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 02:23:53 pm
content: I've almost pulled the trigger, but the message on the mA/uA ranges stopped me.So what is the "resolution" on the DC current then?PS: and the DC volts "resolution"?

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 03:15:43 pm
content: I paid US$74 at Aliexpress. The same store has $72 now, and there are $64 listings in the "Related items" section.The lowest DC current range is 6.0000A, 100uA resolution. The lowest DC voltage range is 600.00mV, resolution 10uV. I didn't check mine to see how far off these are.Belated followup to makz:QuoteYes, basically 5.0006, 500.06 mV, etc. And reading a 0.01% resistor goes in the other direction, 50K is 49.995 and so on. And 1.0V and 10K are off by a smaller amount, and so on up to 5.0V and 50K. My takeaways from that were... 1) I'm hopeful that the readings across each scale will have better linearity than my other 4+ digit cheap meters. 2) Not an offset issue (FYI 0V is 0.0000V). 3) They might have copied the calibration EEPROM from a known-good calibrated unit, and this unit's voltage reference is off by '6'.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 03:40:51 pm
content: The lowest 6.0000A AC/DC current range will be the show stopper for many, I am afraid..Having it 600.00mA I would order 2-3 for the $65-75/unit price..

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 04:23:43 pm
content: I found the picture on a Chinese website "数码之家", the voltage reference is MAX6190https://www.mydigit.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=401149&highlight=UT117

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 04:35:53 pm
content: Quote from: geb on August 25, 2023, 03:15:43 pmIn my opinion, the accuracy of your multimeter is very good. mine is much worse

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 05:40:04 pm
content: Yes, basically 5.0006, 500.06 mV, etc. And reading a 0.01% resistor goes in the other direction, 50K is 49.995 and so on. And 1.0V and 10K are off by a smaller amount, and so on up to 5.0V and 50K. My takeaways from that were... 1) I'm hopeful that the readings across each scale will have better linearity than my other 4+ digit cheap meters. 2) Not an offset issue (FYI 0V is 0.0000V). 3) They might have copied the calibration EEPROM from aknown-good calibrated unit, and this unit's voltage reference is off by '6'.My results are similar. My main 'Likes' are the strap w/magnet, and the blue tooth, but I wish the software worked on a windows laptop.The manual says the current clamp can read DC current, but I couldn't get any DC reading. And I could get no AC amperage readings below 1.5 ADC. Also, the current clamp, (UT-CS06A), works with some of my other DMMs, in mV mode, like my Brymen 869S and Fluke 189.I paid $72 USD for just the meter, which took exactly 20 days to my doorstep, but I see it adv. now for $64.Overall, I'm happy with the resolution and accuracy, and I'm glad I got it

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2023, 08:36:53 pm
content: Quote from: BILLPOD on August 25, 2023, 05:40:04 pmYou might be able to run the Android app on a Windows system:https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/3-free-ways-to-run-android-apps-on-your-pc

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 26, 2023, 10:01:20 am
content: Quote from: sonpul on August 25, 2023, 01:13:16 pmThe 121GW is 50,000 count, as per the HY3131 spec.The accuracy and stability is primarily determined by the external voltage used, and the external voltage divider, not the chipset.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 26, 2023, 10:08:14 am
content: Quote from: gamalot on August 25, 2023, 04:23:43 pmThat's the best A version with 5ppm tempco. This should be pretty good.Perhaps they have divider drift issues or something.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2023, 05:33:50 pm
content: can someone upload a dump of EEPROM P24C02A?

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2023, 07:24:16 pm
content: QuoteOk!

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2023, 12:51:47 pm
content: Exactly what I got.The mousepad is relegated to the dust bin.Quote from: ledtester on July 27, 2023, 06:00:46 pm

author: Jon.C
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 02, 2023, 01:41:20 pm
content: the problem is that Aliexpress has already doubled the price, I saw it at 61 € shipping to Spain

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 02:06:27 am
content: with Fluke 117

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 03:05:28 am
content: Quote from: gamalot on September 04, 2023, 02:06:27 amI was planning to pass up the 117C. I obviously don't need another handheld multimeter. But between Darren's review and the size comparison to the Fluke 117, I'm greatly tempted. The ergonomics of the 117 are great, it fits my hand perfectly, and is a pleasure to handle. While not a great bench meter, the 117 is my go-to general purpose household meter. Not too small and fiddly like a pocket meter, and not too bulky like my Brymans and 87V. It's pretty clear the 117C was intended as a clone of the Fluke 117. The only real gripe is same as for the Fluke 117 -- no mA range. The Fluke 117 is intended as an electrician's meter so it kinda makes sense for such a 6K count meter to have no mA range, so putting 60K counts in a clone of said electrician's meter but still with no mA range doesn't make much sense to me. So really the extra counts are a gimmick, but otherwise it does look like a great meter for the money. I may just have to add it to my collection...

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 07:48:49 am
content: If you have the opportunity, time and desire, or someone else from the owners, please do a TrueRMS test on a non-sinusoidal signal. Earlier (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/uni-t-launches-the-ut117c-multimeter/msg4969246/#msg4969246) we saw a courtesy result on sine. 117C is not bad at all. The measurement was even at different limits. But it looks like it was only a sine.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 09:35:14 am
content: I did a simple test of the frequency response of UT117C, all my meters have not been calibrated, it is for reference only.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 12:16:59 pm
content: Pictures of PCBA, high resolution pictures can be found here:https://github.com/gamalot/UT117C-Pictures

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 12:30:53 pm
content: Some other pictures.

author: myf
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 02:46:27 pm
content: Hello everyone !This DMM ut-117c has a BlueTooth driver. I like the USB interface of the ut-61e (and ut-71).Does this ut-117c have a usb interface?Thanks you !

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 06:28:14 pm
content: Quote from: myf on September 04, 2023, 02:46:27 pm1. Do any of UNIT-T blurbs about this meter make any mention of USB?2. Do any of the photos a few posts above show any signs of a USB connector?Answer those questions and you have the answer to your question.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 07:32:19 pm
content: Not to beat a dead horse, but on the subject of milliamps....granted, the UT117C does not have a dedicated mA selection, but I have been making accurate measurements down into the single digit mA range, using the A setting on the dial.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 10:00:12 pm
content: Quote from: BILLPOD on September 04, 2023, 07:32:19 pmIt's just a copy of the Fluke 117 which is the same, it's an electricians meter, not an electronics meter.The Fluke 17B is the electronics version with mA and uA.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 10:08:28 pm
content: Quote from: Veteran68 on September 04, 2023, 03:05:28 amYes, it's a gimmick, with Uni-T not really understanding the market. They were better off with a bigger fatter 6000 count display.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 10:08:43 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on September 04, 2023, 10:00:12 pmYep, hugs his old 15B close.

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 10:38:46 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on September 04, 2023, 10:08:28 pmAgreed. I've decided since I have a 117 for electrical work, I'd favor the 17B Max over the Uni-T 117C for a similar sized meter. In fact I just ordered one.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 06, 2023, 02:41:01 am
content: Quote from: Veteran68 on September 04, 2023, 10:38:46 pmThe 17B MAX looks like a really nice general purpose meter. I've only got the old 17B, it's been through thre 17B+ and now MAX version.

author: ilkinandr92
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2023, 07:08:36 am
content: Doesn't the following function technically mean it does have mA just not uA?

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2023, 07:45:39 am
content: Quote from: ilkinandr92 on September 06, 2023, 07:08:36 amTechnically yes but think about the accuracy spec.

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2023, 03:40:12 pm
content: I understand Dave's point about the marketing of this meter, but I think UNI-T wanted something they could differentiate from Fluke's 117C, and wanted to grab some of the "I NEED a lot of counts" market. Some non-electrician might see the 60000 counts and grab it.This meter has felt like it has a lot of potential to be my daily grab-and-go DMM, which lately has been a calibrated B41T+. The LCD is more readable than my other cheap meters. The input protection seems good enough that I could loan it to a non-technical friend and get it back in one piece. It's cheap enough that I don't mind abusing it.I'm starting to compare it to UT181A, having seen N8FDY's review. I saw his AD584KH readings. When you pay USD350 for a UNI-T 60000 count meter, apparently they remember to calibrate it to within a digit.I could get interested in hacking the MCU and adding a mA (and possibly uA?) mode. I didn't try reading out the firmware. I have limited time for playing with it at the moment.I'd like to see more samples of dumped EEPROMs from other UT117C owners. I'll note that my EEPROM contents don't look like DreamTech's usual work (DTM0660 and whatever modified stuff is in my RM303). A bit of side-trivia, partially unconfirmed: DTM0660 seems to store a master voltage value, referenced to 500mV, at offsets 22H-23H in EEPROM. I changed a shunt voltage reference in a meter, recalibrated only its millivolt level, and the rest of the modes became as accurate as they'd been before the change. It would be nice if such a thing existed in UT117C. I could recalibrate one setting and all of my 5-digit-off readings might fall into line. One can dream, right?[Edited to remove quickly-typed sloppy wording that might have been construed as insults.]

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 08:43:42 am
content: I just tested the power consumption of UT117C.---Update: Turning on the backlight will increase the current consumption by about 2mA.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 07:12:22 pm
content: Quote from: makz on August 26, 2023, 05:33:50 pmHere is mine.

author: ilkinandr92
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 10:25:52 pm
content: I was thinking of getting a new multimeter. Would you recommend ut117c or Brymen BM789

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2023, 12:35:44 am
content: Quote from: ilkinandr92 on September 07, 2023, 10:25:52 pmI'd say that's a no-brainer. Brymen BM789 for nearly any use case I can think of. Especially if your use case if primarily bench electronics work.You might also consider Dave's eevBlog branded BM786, which you can get fromAmazonin the US. Otherwise you're looking to import from an EU dealer since Brymen doesn't authorize their branded meters to be sold directly in the US. Greenlee is the main US seller of rebranded Brymen meters with good US warranty & support, but at a premium cost compared to the OEM Brymen models. I can recommend the German retailer Welectron if you choose to buy other Brymen models. They have great prices, low cost & fast shipping to US, and no sales tax. But you'll get no warranty or support from Brymen.

author: sonpul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2023, 05:35:54 am
content: Quote from: ilkinandr92 on September 07, 2023, 10:25:52 pmIf you are immersed in choosing a DMM, then of course choose BM789.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2023, 01:25:39 pm
content: Quote from: ilkinandr92 on September 06, 2023, 07:08:36 amThat setting on the dial is for the amp- clamp accessory, which utilizes mV.The clamp works well with most of my DMMs on the mV range. But it won't work on DC. Also, I couldn't get a reading below 1.5 Amps AC/

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2023, 04:06:57 pm
content: Pricing on Aliexpress had previously decreased to about USD64 for the base UT117C without the clamp. Now it's USD105. What happened? What did I miss?

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2023, 04:23:31 pm
content: Quote from: geb on September 09, 2023, 04:06:57 pmAiexpress noticed the jump in numbers being ordered.

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2023, 04:26:15 pm
content: Quote from: geb on September 09, 2023, 04:06:57 pmDemand increased, I expect. I may have still bought one had it not shot up $40 since it came out, but the full kit price is now just a few dollars shy of a Fluke 17B Max which is a much better electronics meter even at only 6K counts. And a few bucks more than that will get you a BM786, which is arguably one of if not the best electronics DMM for the money. So IMO they've priced themselves out of competition.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2023, 01:20:29 pm
content: Quote from: gamalot on September 07, 2023, 07:12:22 pmI tried to upload yours firmware, my device greatly underestimates the voltage (- 0.1%). I noticed that I have a soldered eprom, so the firmware may be from another unit

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2023, 01:21:57 pm
content: Quote from: geb on August 28, 2023, 07:24:16 pmI've uploaded yours firmware, it's a little more accurate than mine. If someone else posts the firmware, I can choose the optimal one))

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2023, 02:14:27 am
content: QuoteAre you saying your EEPROM appears hand-soldered? Anything's possible, but the rework could be for a more innocent reason.

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2023, 06:22:20 am
content: Quote from: geb on September 14, 2023, 02:14:27 amMy unit was used and sold as new. So, its was deception. There are components on the board that are not yet factory, I’ll try to restore its accuracy. I hope eeprom from my deviceI think I've found a calibration constant for DCV. Now DC voltage correct. I'll check other functions later

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2023, 04:28:31 pm
content: Hmm, how do you know it was used? Reworking a board is normal, especially in early production. Was there other evidence besides the EEPROM?QuoteExcellent! Does the change affect all DCV ranges, or just one? And if it affects all DCV ranges, do you notice any change in resistance ranges?

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2023, 05:18:00 pm
content: Quote from: geb on September 14, 2023, 04:28:31 pmDCV all ranges more accurate now. I will compare with pm2525. Resistance range without any changes, im not sure

author: makz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2023, 06:03:10 pm
content: old eeprom and new eeprom

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2023, 03:28:33 pm
content: It's been a busy time, but I revisited UT117C briefly.EEPROM offsets 01 and 02 are an overall DCV calibration value. 01 is the MSB, 02 is the LSB.I discovered that my unit's DCV range isn't zeroed perfectly. So, as I calibrated DCV by manually updating the value in offset 02 of EEPROM, I checked both +5V and -5V. I updated offset 02 to a level where +5V is shown as three counts too high, and -5V is two counts too low.Linearity is okay but not perfect when I check 1VDC, 2V, ... up to 6V. The 5V is a bit off and the 6V is off by quite a bit more.

author: ru_tash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2023, 09:58:54 am
content: Hi, nobody mention capacitors measurements, sad surprise for me - the resolution 1nF, so to measure 10000pF will display 9nF ((.Other than that all ok.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2023, 12:31:12 pm
content: Mine reads 0.01uF......go figure.

author: ru_tash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2023, 03:39:30 pm
content: I don't have reference voltage but I have set of resistors with 0.01%, is it reasonable to make conclusion regarding accuracy of VDC upon result of resistors measurements accuracy?ps. update, it seems like my assumption correct, the resistors measurement of my specimen within 0.03%, and voltage taken from AD588AQ was 10.000V

author: geb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 03:27:45 am
content: QuoteThe VDC and resistance calibration values seem to be stored separately.My UT117C's VDC ranges are "bang-on" accurate at their low end such as 1.0V, 2.0V, but are off by 5-6 counts at 5.0V and are off by many more counts at 5.9V. In comparison, the 60K resistance range with my 0.01% resistors is off by the same amount throughout. My readings are typically five counts below the resistor's rated value at 10K, 20K, 30K, 40K, 50K.

author: ru_tash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 12:50:20 pm
content: Quote from: geb on October 25, 2023, 03:27:45 amit looks like nonlinear ADC

author: scale
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 03:50:29 pm
content: What do you think about UT117c and UT185A which multimeter will be more accurate for measuring currents less than 2mA?

author: ru_tash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2024, 01:48:52 pm
content: Quote from: scale on January 29, 2024, 03:50:29 pmUT117c resolution for current 0.1mAUT185A - what is this?

author: smokehead
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 26, 2024, 03:38:15 pm
content: Does anyone test 117c vs 161e(61e+)? Any significant differences?which one better for the bench DMM?

author: rej
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2024, 04:36:57 pm
content: Comparison between UT117C, UT61E+ and a Fluke Calibratorhttps://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1b8411f7pP/?spm_id_from=333.788.recommend_more_video.1

author: Purvirs
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2024, 02:56:11 pm
content: Quote from: wasedadoc on September 04, 2023, 06:28:14 pmin terms of USB connection to a computer, actually I've verified that using an USB-BLE dongle, the UT117C can be connected to a computer.of course, need to install an app on computer called "TsDMMViewer", this app can discover and make connection to a lot of DMMs (bench type and handheld).currently connecting to DMMs by BLE to the app on a PC, the only compatible dongle is called "BLED112-V1", with this dongle, data can be pulled and logged on the PC, charts and curved based on the pulling data are also available.I've tried connecting to UT117C and F289 (need an IR3000FC adapter), both of them are working fine.hope this can be helpful.

author: ru_tash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2024, 03:09:38 pm
content: Quote from: makz on August 24, 2023, 03:09:05 pmhere is post from Chinese sourcehttps://www.mydigit.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=393114&page=1#pid14696150what is that SW1 jumper?

author: valcher
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2024, 11:58:18 am
content: Quote from: ru_tash on August 01, 2024, 03:09:38 pmThis is probably the MIN/MAX button.