'Professional Multimeter on table top' - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 10:14:06 pm
content: Welcome O0!Pl rate some of the industry standardMULTImeter/s on the scale 0~10 Pts.If you can bring to light some of the issues like bugs, poor firmware, latency issues (if any or applicable anywhere), battery life, life expectancy, fail to keep the specifications, daily METER*, blah, blah, while rating, it would be highly appreciated as this can be a TRUE guideline and considerations for some one who has never seen one in real-time before they finally buy and get trapped into poor selection :-/& wasting some $$ in vain. So, I encourage & request everyone to have genuine review/sYou can add any meter provided it's an industry standard one and can compete big giant like FLUKE 87-V, to name one..I initiate a few names like... and leave rest to my viewers' choice/s...Fluke 787 ||| Basic DC Accuracy+/-0.01% + 1 Count |||Fluke 87/vFluke 289Keysight U1272AKeysight U1253B.........................................................................................Pl read my post#15 on this forum...Can an Oscilloscope be an Alternative choice to DMM?? Share your thoughts & views!!Hope this forum turns to be a REAL guide for beginners | hobbyist | engineers | technician | Rest all !!!Sunny regards,Raj_________________________________________________________________________________________________________*Which CAN behandy,fast responsive on many scales,fast start up,can note reading faster,good accuracy,good battery life hours,usable in rugged environment,good quality probes (Safety First!),wide range of parameter/s, blah, blah...Not necessarily all points will tenacious to one meter, its jst a guide for reference..My other blog/s:Buying FLUKE meters:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/where-to-buy-genuine-fluke-multimeter/Microscope Selection:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/microscope-i-need!/msg736051/#msg736051

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 10:24:16 pm
content: 87v is kind of dated in features (for electronics) but is reliable and is pretty famous in the electrical world.the 289 display is blurry as hell when viewing fast changing values.the brymen 869 should be considered as well.there are also a ton of threads on multimeters. there's even a spreadsheet:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/multimeter-spreadsheet/

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 11:18:24 pm
content: Before making any Chinese Multimeter comparable to Fluke 87/V, have the story in Dave's lips

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 11:35:23 pm
content: Fluke 287/289How to add (Solar) Power to a Fluke 287 / 289 multimeter - Part 1

author: Muxr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 01:22:22 am
content: There has been a lot of discussion on this topic. Fluke's reputation is unmatched. But I will give my rating.Fluke 87-V - 10Best ergonomics, battery life, build quality, reputation. Best day to day go to meter.Fluke 289 - 7More features but at the expense of ease of use, battery life and ergonomics. Also an annoying leaky supercap issue, that keeps cropping up.Keysight U1272A - 8Poor ergonomics, annoying loud beep when you turn it on. Off position switch isn't at the dead edge. Firmware bugs in the past, but I think these are resolved now. Still I think if you want a featureful meter this is the one to get.Keysight U1253B - 3OLED display is not well suited for handheld DMMs. Wouldn't even bother.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 05:21:39 am
content: @ MuxrThanks for your vote!yea, rightly said, OLED, a selection, buyer needs to think many a time before getting one....ONLY 8 Hrs of battery support once charged fully. Even no support for on daylight reading. Think think think

author: LaurentR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 06:16:00 am
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 05:21:39 amI have had a 87-V, a 289, a U1272A and a U1273A. As mentioned by Muxr, the 87-V is "basic" but totally solid, reliable, incredibly easy to use and deserves all the praise it gets. The U1272A/U1273A has plenty more features (including logging and dual-display) but is a bit more finicky and is an acquired taste. Out of all those, the one I kept is the U1273A. On this model, battery life is actually reasonable despite the OLED and the OLED is just fabulous indoor (and the UI works better than the LCD). However, it is indeed not-great-to-unusable outdoor.I would skip the 289 regardless and pick the 87-V for a great basic meter or the U1272A/U1273A for more features (and the screen type choice based on preference/use). The Brymen seems great but I have never used it so I can't comment.Note that if you're willing to go used, there are plenty of cheaper new / near new 87-V on EBay US, so if you have a friend in the US traveling, you can probably get a good deal.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 08:26:50 am
content: "Note that if you're willing to go used, there are plenty of cheaper new / near new 87-V on EBay US, so if you have a friend in the US traveling, you can probably get a good deal."Any Non-US guy interested in buying BRAND NEW Fluke 87-V, US made from Fluke's US-Authorised Distributor? Well Fluke 87-V/E2 can be your choice! It's also reasonably priced!!No local WARRANTY issues!!http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TKPRFO?p;redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00;sc=1&

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 08:38:45 am
content: I have an Agilent U1273A for some timeI have it for use in an electronics lab and i quite like it. The OLED display is nicely readable and it runs from two AAA batteries so battery life is not too terrible and you can easily stick rechargeable cells in it (Even has a menu option to correctly show the battery gage for those). As people said the OLED screen is useless outdoors, but indoors its much more readable than LCD as well as has a quick response time to complement the fast update rate of the meter. The LowZ mode thats on the other side of the OFF location needs slightly more force to get in to so once you get used to it you can reliably turn it to the off position without looking.But it it has its quirks. The autoraging on Ohms could be a bit faster and range switching between the 3V and 30V range clicks a relay and takes a long time to do so i often put it in to fixed range 30V. Also it beeps when you turn it on and push stuff, but when you turn off the beeping the continuity buzzer is silent too! In that price range i think you can get something better.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 08:56:01 am
content: Yea, Fluke 289 is not a Everyday purpose general work meter. But, again if anyone interested in Accuracy. Accuracy wise 0.025 % on DC Volt range. It's Fluke's Claim! Most ACCURATE handheld meter in the market. Since most of us work on DC circuits most of the hours, so very accurate reading can be taken, if your need be!Other things of importance, yea, you caught me rt! Trend capture & infra red (IR) connectivity PC interface. Even no need for PC all the time or similar. It can also be seen in the meter screen itselfAgain, it's a Fluke quality!starting from ergonomics to life expectancy......all prop/s intact!!

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 09:10:16 am
content: Quote from: McCarthy on August 20, 2015, 07:52:07 amWhat a great surprise! Are they distributed in Europe too?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 09:21:40 am
content: @ Bernipl cast more light on Continuity Check.......... like its response (how fast it catches the touch), Beep sound it delivers, On-screen flashesWe would also love to know more on capacitance test on the meter....how accurate or within domain of specifications....??

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 09:35:17 am
content: Guys, guys, guys!!Don't forget the VINTAGE Meters...dB guys very badly need an ANALOG stuff though!What you reckon on Simpson 270 series and more............noting, dB readings on DMM.............??

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 09:45:46 am
content: I have a Fluke 83 that I bought new 30 years ago; it has spent a lot of time knocking around in my toolbags and chests and has seen a _lot_ of use. I did experience some fading segments in the LCD some years back, but applied the cleaning procedure to the contacts and it is back to 100 percent visibility and still works perfectly after all these years and all that abuse.And just a few days ago my "new to me" Fluke 87-III arrived, a gift from a friend who bought it on Ebay. He cleaned it up for me and it is like new, even still has a calibration cert on it from "US ARMY" with an expiration date in October 2015! I already love it...But there is one strange difference I've noticed. When the 83 is set to "delta" or Relative mode, the Bar Graph goes to center, so that changes in the numerical reading go to either side of the center on the bargraph depending on whether they are increases or decreases from the reference level existing when the "delta" button is pressed. I find this very intuitive. But the 87-III doesn't behave this way, the bargraph stays where it was and this becomes the reference point. I think this is a little weird.By the way, I think that there is an error in the Ebay description of the Fluke meters linked earlier. The 83 certainly does do duty cycle measurements, as does the 87-III. This function is accessed by pushing the "Hz" button once again, once it is in "frequency" mode. The display changes from Hz to % and gives the signal "HIGH" percentage.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 09:56:36 am
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 09:21:40 amContinuity check is very fast and catches the shortest of glitches, but it sometimes latches on for half a second (Seams like a bug to me). The display reflects the continuity near instantly. There is also a variable tone mode for continuity where the lower the resistance the higher the tone frequency. That mode is slow and wont catch short glitches, never found it useful. However the diode test mode has a slightly different flavor of the continuity buzzer, in that one it filters out the really short glitches but still provides a fairly responsive buzzer (I still prefer the first mode). Additionally in diode test mode it will emit a short beep when it sees a 0.6V diode drop and i found it quite helpful. There is also what they call auto diode test where the dual display on it will show both the forward and reverse drop at the same time and it will make the short OK beep even if you put your probes on a diode backwards (Its not as instantly reacting as regular diode test tho). So in this respect this meter is very good.No problems with the capacitance range if you ask me. It measures 10s of picofarad caps fine and autoranges lightning quick up to 10s of uF. For very large caps like 10 000uF the auto ranging and update rate slows down a lot but it can still measure them fine.If you are a fan of flukes touch hold feature it has that too calling it "auto hold"Oh and the auto power off feature is adjustable in minutes and also can be conveniently turned off temporarily until the next power cycle by holding down the Min/Max button while powering the meter up.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 11:03:11 am
content: Very Happy U1253B owner here, also have Fluke 87V and 8060. I almost exclusively use DMMs indoors and the viewing angle and contrast issues makes me grab the OLED first.Battery life has not been a PITA as I will use a bench DMM if I need a DMM on for a few hours.Gossen make some nice gear but get expensive by the time they get to AUSI might quote Wytnucls aka the "DMM Spreadsheet God" "There is no absolute best. Everything is a compromise. Go through the list and see what features are important to you and how much you are prepared to spend."

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 12:34:49 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 19, 2015, 10:14:06 pmI can answer that one: NO!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 01:32:33 pm
content: " Can an Oscilloscope be an Alternative choice to DMMs?? Share your thoughts & views!!I can answer that one: NO!"Sure??Think again! A debugging engineer counts heavily on an Oscilloscope as it is the waveform that matters a lot!!

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 01:50:48 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 01:32:33 pmWell yes an oscilloscope is a crucial tool on a proper electronics workbench, but it is not a replacement for a multimeter. It cant directly measure current, resistance, capacitance, check continuity etc. Also most scopes are grounded to mains earth making them problematic when you want to measure something thats floating.A good electronics workbench should have at least two multimeters on it so that you can have one monitoring the current on voltage of a power rail while poking around or when trying to measure power. Nice to have different multimeters at hand since some are better at certain tasks and also if one multimeter starts giving you strange readings you can quickly check it if the other one agrees. Its very unlikely that two meters would simultaneously drift out of spec.They don't all have to be shiny new Flukes or Gossens. Cheep shit meters can also be useful for just quickly checking if something is within ballpark or for just a quick continuity test. Just that at least one of them should be a decent one that you can trust.

author: 5ky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 02:05:26 pm
content: I have the U1253B OLED and 87V. The OLED is awesome--battery life not so much. Despite the crappy battery life, I really like that multimeter. I imagine the U1273A with its better battery life would be even better. The U1253B has better accuracy IIRC, but accuracy isn't that huge of a deal to me as long as it's "acceptable". I have my 6 1/2 digit bench meter for when I need crazy accuracy.I love the 87V, but I find myself using my OLED meters more often due to the awesome displays (the other one is the Voltcraft VC890 which has a much better battery life) I never use it anywhere other than my workbench, so the crappy visibility outdoors doesn't matter to me.The only thing I'm curious of is lifespan. We'll see!That Hioki looks sexy and I'm looking to add one to my family in the near future.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 03:57:34 pm
content: How many of you would love to see Fluke 87/V with OLED in the future up-gradation with good battery back-ups???

author: Muxr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 04:16:09 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 03:57:34 pmI wouldn't one of the best things about 87-V is the incredible battery life. When you grab for the meter, you know it's always ready to be used. You don't have to manage battery but maybe once a year.Current OLED technology also suffers from burnout. So the life of the meter would be shortened as well.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 04:45:34 pm
content: Quote from: Muxr on August 20, 2015, 04:16:09 pmThere is no date on this Fluke article so they may have changed their opinion, but seehttp://www.fluke.com/fluke/caen/community/fluke-news-plus/articlecategories/electronics-news/tech-tips-better-displays-are-here"And for test tools from simple to advanced, users expect long life from their Fluke investments. Ferrante said that’s why Fluke has steered away from organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology. It’s impressively bright and crisp, he said, but “because it’s organic, its operating life is limited. If you kept your meter for five years, one of the colors in that display would drop out.”"

author: 5ky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 06:24:04 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 03:57:34 pmAs much as I like OLED displays (and my OLED meters), I don't think OLED is a good fit for the 87-v. The world still needs a simple, rugged, reliable, safe multimeter that has incredible battery life, and OLED would ruin a few of those things.Perhaps a new down-market multimeter for EE hobbyists from Fluke would be a better fit for an OLED. But you'd want it to be easily replaced, because they get burn-in much like plasma TV's.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 07:50:08 pm
content: I have a Samsung Galaxy S3. Besides it being a general piece of unreliable crap, the screen is also fading very fast. Two years and it looks shitty. Two more years and it is junk. Yes I know this is a cell phone, and it is on much more than a multimeter might be, but still. OLED is a technology made to fail. I will not buy anything again with OLED. I now have a new phone with a normal IPS screen and I know it will not fade and change color over time like the OLED. There have also been many reports of people who have had their OLED display meters fade to unusable. Stay away from OLED for something you want to last.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2015, 09:19:27 am
content: Fluke 787 A Process Calibrator Multimeter: where will this fitTechnical SpecsVoltage Measurement Range0 to 1000VAC/DC Accuracy+/-0.5% + 2 DigitsVoltage (AC | DC)400mV/4/40/400/1000 Voltage Basic DC Accuracy+/-0.01% + 1 CountAmps AC1AAmps DC30mA/1AResistance (Ohms)400/4K/40K/400K/4M/40MFrequency Range (Hz)0.5 Hz to 200 K

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2015, 12:00:12 pm
content: Quote from: McCarthy on August 20, 2015, 09:24:23 amIf you don't mind posting it, what did that run you shipped?I ask, as importing it from your UK seller would still be less expensive than TEquipment.net after the discount & free shipping (here).

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2015, 07:26:41 pm
content: So, how you define professional multimeter?

author: Frost
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2015, 10:06:10 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 08:56:01 amBehind the Gossen Metrawatt METRA HIT 30M, of course.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2015, 10:25:16 pm
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 20, 2015, 05:21:39 amThe modern OLED Keysight meter has much better battery life than the old design.But still LCD for a meter is the only way to go.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2015, 10:29:43 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on August 20, 2015, 12:34:49 pmAs scope is no substitute for an a basic DMM.The DMM in near instant to turn on, is small and compact and can moved anywhere for convenient display, has proper safety features (and floating), and can do things the scope can't, like current, continuity, diode, capacitance etc.Silly to even compare the two, both are essential instruments.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 23, 2015, 05:16:14 am
content: Dave,Can you pl suggest us an industry standard very Accurate and WIDE range LCR meter?? Cost no bar!!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 23, 2015, 09:51:20 am
content: Quote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 23, 2015, 05:16:14 amThe E4980 is about as industry standard as it gets:http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-2279116-pn-E4980AL/precision-lcr-meter-20-hz-to-300-khz-500-khz?nid=-34124.1057653&cc=US&lc=engBut you really want one of these:http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-2405177-pn-E4990A/impedance-analyzer-20-hz-to-10-20-30-50-120-mhz?nid=-33831.1089074.00&cc=US&lc=eng

author: Rupunzell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2015, 06:00:01 am
content: Another possibility would be the hewlett packard 4194A. This is a impedance-network analyzer which does more than just LCR.Measuring LCR, impedance is not as simple as it may initially appear. There are many factors that can easily affect measurement accuracy and expected results. For this reason, no single instrument is ideal for all conditions. Spend some time with this hp app note:http://kripton2035.free.fr/Resources/Impedance%20Measurement%20Basic.pdfBerniceQuote from: rotnoraj_kanungoe on August 23, 2015, 05:16:14 am

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 09:35:57 am
content: My personal issues...- I often forget to power of the devices, so I accidentally use the DMM in resistance mode when the circuit is powered on. This means most DMMs end broken or need constant fuse replacement, very often both things happens.- I need autorange, because ranging drives me insane most of the time.I tried to change my bad habits, but it's a PITA to change them. I'm very absent minded...Would I need a good DMM + Transistor Tester project be a good combination for me? I can learn whatever is needed, but I need inattentive-proof equipmentKind regards.