Multimeter Review / buyers guide: Part 1 - UNI-T UT61E

[Kiriakos GR]

What I found really helped was actually sanding the tips slightly with very fine (I used #800) sand paper. It made a world of difference!

This is unneeded, the frequent use of the test leads over the PCB soldering, keeps them always free of corrosion but eventually it takes some of their life cycle away too.
One iron sponge for dish washing with some oil, could be a safer approach about cleaning the probe tips from any oxidation.
The nickel plating is just a thin soft layer that protects the copper under neath from getting green or black,
It must be handled with care.
 

[Monkeh]

About the specific volt stick, UNI-T offers good pricing among the competition.
The U1272 is not expensive among the competition

Possibly UNI-T in multimeters, it should start offering and advanced solutions which they can stand against the competition.
But they do not do it.
Simple as that.

And the U1272 is not competition for this meter based purely on the price!

Competition is about performance first and the price comes second, at list for the professionals.
Some one send to me one Youtube response and described this UNI-T as industrial meter.. which is the joke of the day.

Excuse me, but reality would like a word with you. This is not a tool for professionals, this is a tool for hobbyists. It does not and cannot compete with tools from Agilent and Fluke which cost up to an order of magnitude more. Any expectation for it to compete at that level is idiotic.

I'm the one you're talking about on Youtube (as if the name isn't a clue), and I did not describe it as an industrial meter, I said it isn't an industrial meter.

[Kiriakos GR]

You are excused, reality was busy today.

[Torrentula]

Hey nice video Martin!

I noticed some things right at the beginning of the video when you talked about the input rating of the multimeter.

The UT61E I got here in Germany (so it's probably the European market version) has different input ratings from yours!

These are the ratings:

Volts:
CATIII 300V
CATII 600V

mA/ľA:
600V 0.5A

A:
600V 10A max (with the same "cool-down" time you mentioned in your video).

I am curious if they actually had to lower the CAT ratings printed on this meter because they somehow got in trouble with EU regulations or somebody found out and reported that it's not CATIV 600V or CATIII 1kV rated. 

[MJLorton]

Hi Martin,

I realize while you are filming it is difficult to see what is happening so I noticed a couple of things.

1) At 10:52 of your video, when the UT61E is switching past 22V, it briefly displays 91.04V. Hmm.

2) At 13:00 of your video, when you are switching between DC to AC, it looks like the UT61E goes crazy on the AC readings in the presence of DC V.  I watched it frame by frame and it seems the UT61E displays the following AC voltages.

2.916, 5.521, 55.21, 552.1, 0L, 809.3

Maybe you can redo this test?  Put the UT61E into DC V mode to measure 19.6V DC from your power supply.  Switch the UT61E to AC (leave it there) and watch/record the AC V readings.  Does it eventually settle down to 0V AC or does it go beserk trying to measure AC?

3) Good discovery of the hold function.  The UT61E manual clearly doesn't explain it very well.  I too thought it was the useless hold.

4) The manual says the measurement speed is "updates 2 ~ 3 times/second"

PS. Another great video.  Looking forward to parts 2 and 3.

Thanks very much, I will pick up on your points in part 2.

Cheers,
Martin.

[MJLorton]

Martin, with the true RMS meters, how about a little demo of the difference between a true RMS meter and a normal sine average meter with regards to waveform distortion, crest factor and such.

Great idea...I will park it until the scope is sorted.

[MJLorton]

Hi Martin,
Great review!  I do have one comment about the scratchy noise that is heard in the continuity check.  I also observed the same results when I reviewed the AM-140-A.  In one of the forums someone asked me to try and clean the probe tips to reduce or eliminate the noise.  I tried that and it made no difference in the scratchy sound produced when rubbing the probe tips together.  As we both know the Fluke test leads don't really have this problem.  I used my microscope on x40 and was able to see a noticeable difference between the Fluke and Amprobe test leads.  Both have some grooving in bands around the metal shaft portion but the Flukes probes were much, much less than the Amprobe probes.  I think when you drag one probe tip/shaft over the other one, the much deeper grooves in the noisier probes cause the scratching sound, ( a lot of make-break contact).  If this is the common case then cleaning the probe tips will probably have little to no effect on this problem.

Thanks John...very valuable feedback. I was inclined to think it was the quality / roughness of the tips that played a part.

Cheers,
Martin.

[MJLorton]

Hey nice video Martin!

I noticed some things right at the beginning of the video when you talked about the input rating of the multimeter.

The UT61E I got here in Germany (so it's probably the European market version) has different input ratings from yours!

These are the ratings:

Volts:
CATIII 300V
CATII 600V

mA/ľA:
600V 0.5A

A:
600V 10A max (with the same "cool-down" time you mentioned in your video).

I am curious if they actually had to lower the CAT ratings printed on this meter because they somehow got in trouble with EU regulations or somebody found out and reported that it's not CATIV 600V or CATIII 1kV rated.

Thanks.
You raise some very interesting points. I would be curious to see a picture of your meter with the rating and perhaps the inside showing the input protection.

Cheers,
Martin.

[SeanB]

Great idea...I will park it until the scope is sorted.

Went ot Makro today and went past the lighting aisle, and picked up the electronic ballast. Radiant 50W dimmable unit. 5 year warranty ( right, only if you have the original slip and the COC for it still) but it does say it is dimmable.

Will connect it up and show waveforms across the lamp, and later on when I dig out a dimmer will show that as well.

Will be interesting to see.

[Kiriakos GR]

I am curious if they actually had to lower the CAT ratings printed on this meter because they somehow got in trouble with EU regulations or somebody found out and reported that it's not CATIV 600V or CATIII 1kV rated. 

 
For those specifications it should have 500V Fuses.
Post some pictures if possible.
Regards.

[Torrentula]

Okay I have taken some pictures for you so you can see that the input ratings are different.

The first one shows the whole meter (to prove that this really is the UT61E)
The second one shows the input ratings printed onto the case and the third one shows the input protection circuitry.

It would be interesting if other meters' input ratings actually differed from the ones mentioned by Martin (in particular other EU countries)

[Kiriakos GR]

Your meter haves GS approval, the PCB tracks does not comply about 1000V, this is why they downgrade it.
I am 90% sure that this is the problem.

Does the 10A Fuse are labeled as 690V ?
Please report the detailed fuse rating which is written on the fuses.  (and their brand)   

[Torrentula]

The Amp range fuse is a Holly brand fuse rated 10A 690V~ and the ľA/mA range fuse doesn't even have markings on it, on one of the silver contacts it says 500mA 600V.

Cheers,
Elia

[Kiriakos GR]

It looks that even the proper fuse specifications was NOT capable to assist this meter so to pass the GS testing in any higher CAT rates.
This is a good lesson for all those who suggest to pop in an 600V fuse, so to make it safe.
 
Thank you Elia, those additional information's are truly valuable to me.   

[Rick Law]

Martin.

I would be remiss if I failed to thank-you.  Your multi-part review for the 61E are very informative and was very helpful in my choice of meter.


Thanks!
Rick