Multimeter safety, certification, injuries, etc.. > Multimeter safety, certification, injuries, etc...

Re El Cheapo Multimeter video

(1/3) > >>

steve30:
I watched this video with interest as I have a couple of these cheap '830' style multimeters. One is from about 2002 and one is from about 2005. Both have been used quite heavily and both still work fine. Only the probes are a bit rubbish and broke quickly.

If you can't afford to have numerous Flukes etc, I can highly recommend that you keep some of these around for the less important measurements. Personally, for high voltage and high current, I prefer my Avometer Model 8 :D.

All my current multimeters have calibration issues, but I think at some point I may get a new cheapie and test it against some reference chips which I have, do some testing of the mains* and high current, be a bit careless with it, maybe do some drop testing, and see how long it takes to drift. This would be fun  8).

Cheers
steve30.

*(no, I'm not scared of the mains).

Kiriakos GR:
There is moms who pay 80$ at their hairdresser every week, and sons who nag that they are incapable to pay 100-130$ US for just once,
so to have in their hands something acceptable and reliable like those small Agilent U1230 series. 

The advice of the day:  Keep your mom away from the hairdresser for a week, and ask from your dad 40$ as loan.

steve30:

--- Quote from: Paul Collins M0BSW on May 08, 2013, 11:03:05 AM ---I watched a video where they gave the VC99 a real good beating, so not believing them I bought one just to see if they were that bad. tested  it on my calibrated 5volt standard, it read 5:02, I thought well that's ok, I left it in the draw for a couple of months approx, measured it again,now it reads 3:02, volt,1 volt drop per month I thought this can't be right, so in went a fresh battery still 3:03, yet on my Fluke75  30 years old & the New boy in here Uni T61 E , both read 5:00 V dead on.
Paul

--- End quote ---

Got a link to the video? I watched a video of someone who thought the VC99 seemed pretty decent, so I guess there is some variation.

Dropping 2 volts in two months is a bit excessive though. Any idea what kind of reference ICs etc your particular one has?

retiredcaps:

--- Quote from: Paul Collins M0BSW on May 08, 2013, 11:03:05 AM ---I left it in the draw for a couple of months approx, measured it again,now it reads 3:02,

--- End quote ---
Since I'm trying to learn more about how a multimeter works and if you are willing, post a clear photo (so I can read the codes on the smd chips) of the front of the pcb and maybe I have some suggestions for you to fix the VC99?

I'm pretty sure the VC99 uses a FS9922-DMM4 IC and since I have already read the datasheet a few times, I might have some insights?

classicmacintosh:
@Steve30:
I've had the opportunity to play with a VC99 for a couple hours and I wasn't a big fan myself - whilst if you are starting out, on a tight budget or just don't need a fancier meter it might be okay, I just felt that it was well, cheap and nasty. The one I played with had been used maybe 15 times and the probes were already falling to bits (although I do not know how the owner used it) and well it was what I could best describe as 'Meh.'
@RetiredCaps
Would you be the same retiredcaps from the badcaps.net forums? I thought I'd seen the name somewhere!

-Ed

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page