Tiny $2 Multimeter with 1000V Range! Test with Smoke
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Testing a tiny Chinese $2.20 analog multimeter with 1000V AC / DC range. This little thing has very small probes, thin cables and loose plugs. There are tiny SMD resistors in it, about 0.6mm spacing between PCB tracks and no fuse! And this has to handle 1000V AC / DC. The scale and the screws are rusty and the battery doesn't fit into it properly. I also have an older version of it (about 15 years old). The only difference is that the old version had THT resistors, the new one has SMD ones (and this makes it even worse). If you really want to use such multimeter, use it only for safe voltages and low currents.
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I had the exactly thing as a child, 18 years ago. I asked an electrician, wow this thing can really measure up to 1000V? and he said: ``Maybe vietnamese volts``
it did measure right until he switched to lower range..
@@JanoyCresva66 LOL
HAHAHAHA! good one but unfair. of all the Asian countries I think Vietnamese products are well constructed. It is mainland China that is giving all the other Asian countrys a bad rap
@@professorparabellum that's a racist joke. Propaganda made by USA government. They did the same thing with Japanese because of the war. If he wanted to joke about how cheap it was then he would use a Chinese instead. But no. He is racist at heart that's why he made that joke.
Well, in all honesty, its so simple and with higher quality resistors, it'll be a good device to teach kids. Let your kids discover the world of electronics, without a 400€ Fluke or Metrawat Multimeter.
Just like you, I had one of those cheap toy multi purpose instruments my dad soldered a 1A fuse in series to the leads. It worked for 3 years and it reached me a lot about the value of good equipment.
Awesome smoke test. Dangerous small SMD resistor for the 1 kV range. and very close CCT board tracks. Keep up the good work.
I generally buy these multimeters to use the movement only (print a new scale and glue it to the existing panel). You tested the old multimeter and it gave out smoke - that's because these old models use smoke signals for high voltage :-)
Great observation... the Indian multi-meter complete with smoke signals... he-he
HAHAHA love your sense of humor. You should watch electro boom. He tests for high voltage by getting electrocuted
yes, i used those multimeter indicators as VU meters onto an amplifier, they are slow to move but if you cut away the needle and replace it with something more lightweight (the original seems aluminium) like a black brush hair it moves slightly faster, sadly they are becoming rarer bought locally
That was my first ever multimeter back in 83, and it was in kit form, I remember being so happy after assembling it that I kept it beside me when I go to bed, fix many of my relatives radios. I gave it to a friend whose into electronics also and boy was he happy, my parents bought me a sanwa 360tr for christmas. It is still a nice meter for newbies just like he said use it only for low voltages, but it can safely measure up to 220v ac and 500v dc
My favorite part of every video is when you say "you must be kidding me" 🤣
No its "Guys!... you must be kidding me! this is very dodgy!"
I would never try to use that to measure 1000 volts, probably not even 220v or 110v mains voltages with that particular meter. The looks of the build quality shows that it is questionable, and no fuse. But for someone needing to measure small DC voltages (perhaps 1.5v - 24v) voltages, and resistance, without need for high accuracy should be fine.
I know some folks that bought these just for the meter itself, to build custom testers, etc.
It's useless for small voltages as well. I bought one on a local store just for the lulz and it measures 5v right, but when I feed it 3.3v it measures 1v. It's just a toy.
Yes I would agree low priced multi meters have a place in low voltage testing, zero to 24 volts ideal but when dealing with mains voltages and above a good meter is paramount. Fluke models or similar and of course a digital meter would be a better option than an old analogue style meter. I have two meters a very expensive fluke and a cheap lasar branded digital type the lasar meter cost approx 6 pounds the fluke 260 I would not attempt to use the lasar meter on the mains supply but it's ideal for automotive electrical repair, and it's not to bad on accurate.
that is a meter you would give to your child as his first meter. But caution them not to measure high voltage with it
only batteries. I have an old Simpson meter and it states in the cautions, do not touch the meter while measuring high voltage. Turn off the power before connecting or disconnecting to the main power
I bought one, gutted it out and turned it into an ESR-meter :D Can't beat that for a price: you get the movement, the case, and probes. Probes are junk but you can change them no problem.
the meter electronics do seem to be well made. too bad the manufacturer doesnt offer two grades of quality for that meter for a higher price of course. I would love to see you post that diagram of your ESR-meter modifications. I have two commercial meters with ESR features and they dont agree with each other. completely different readings!
Everyone in their right minds know this is a very basic multi - meter. And no no one is trying to ripoff anyone. Things written in it is just for show. And when you buy it most sellers will tell you it is for basic use only. I really get frustrated when people belittle this things. If someone wants to make a video criticizing products than it should be products from companies that are really scamming their customers
Hahaha loving the way he talks
Your not alone
I had one of these as a kid. Memories...
On the board it says in Chinese: Wei Zheng Technology, do not counterfeit. (6:52)
What a waste of perfectly good copper foil.
Right! Do not counterfiet the Conterfiet goods!
"Are you keeding me?" Lol
I love your videos. They not only show how cheaply things are made nowadays, they also expose over priced products that should not cost what they do because they dont cost much to make.
11:56 made me laugh out loud! You got your way! It smoked! :p
I have this meter's big brother the MF-47 which is rated for 2.5k. No smd, is also sold in a kit form, for 13.50usd. I tested it and it worked just fine. The accuracy is pretty good and it will test capacitors, and transistors. I think this one could be modified to work fine.
The "MuthaFukin 47" XD
I googled the MF-47 to have a look and the input socket of that model is marked "2500V, 10A"
sounds like that meter is the one that should be sold
The vibration before smoke was the result of the diode exceeding its peak inverse voltage. It fused short, passing AC to the meter, just before the series resistors "went up in smoke".
Am I still the only one whaiting for part 2?
6 years later, and still no another video with a high-voltage test of the new multimeter.
Also, those "questionable" pin plugs were the industry standard on Japanese multimeters up to roughly the early 1980s. And the westerners happily bought all those Japanese-made, rebadged Micronta, Radio Shack, Tandy and Sears multitesters.
I received an identical looking meter when I was a child about 50 years ago. I still have it.
Still waiting for the 1000 V AC test of this one
So it handled the 1kV when correctly used... impressive
The problem with this is there must be a hole in it. Because its letting the smoke out. These things work using smoke because when it all escaped it will not work.
It seems common for cheap chinese products to be rusty. I think they store things in really humid environments.
Benjamin Esposti there shipped in containers on boats thats why they rust
I think it sits on the shelf for ten years until they get a notion to reduce the price from 100 dollars to 3 dollars
Humid climate warehouses, shitty alloys, recycled components, sea shipping in unsealed packages.
The PCB reads: "Imitation is prohibited" Regard for copyright is suprisingly high in China xDD
i used those multimeter indicators as VU meters onto an amplifier, they are slow to move but if you cut away the needle and replace it with something more lightweight (the original seems aluminium) like a black brush hair it moves slightly faster, and there's room for some SMD LEDs, sadly they are becoming rarer bought locally
Thank you very much for your practical analysis this device clearly isn't meant to work at the ranges you're pointing out thank you so much
You monster. You killed that poor little multimeter. I love cheap multimeters.
UNFAIR he tested it on a 100,000 volt Microwave transormer
Honestly im surprised that that tiny thing handled 1000v xd
The fault is not with the meter. It is with the idiotic manufacturer to not be able to handle the English language and properly instruct the user for safe operation. Putting a fuse safety label and fuse ratings on the back of the meter THAT HAS NO FUSE, is wrong
Its been 2 years and WHERE IS THE NEW $2 MULTIMETER'S VIDEO??
You have to hit this multimeter with a hammer and then say - "Oh, he has no protection!"
Funny , my thinking was "omg a 2$ multimeter should NOT have that kind of protection" . It didn't . I remember eev testing the aneng 8008 and me being surprised that it did passed torture tests a 25$ MM should have NOT passed .
One day I tried one day to measure amps on my 220v socket using one of these. The result was a small explosion, smoke from the meter and the circuit breaker for the room falling down.
KCTV Programme 'Recording you put the multimeter directly in the mains ?
Yes, but I’ve used it before for voltage counting and it worked fine on the mains.But when I switched it to Amps, BOOM
KCTV Programme 'Recording it's normal, Never put the multimeter in amp mod directly in the mains because amp is I = U/R, you need to put a resistor between the multimeter and the plug
You are supposed to connect a meter in series with a load to measure amps. When you put a meter into an outlet you are shorting it out. There is a wire shunt inside the meter that the current passes through. The meter just measures the current across the shunt. Outlets can deliver a lot of amps instantaneously before a breaker trips. Enough current to blow stuff up. But I guess you know that now.
you had it on the correct setting?
When the smoke is coming, my screen is smoking too. xD
that really happened to me using the hantek computer Oscilloscope. I had to buy and replace the monitor power supply
Rather impressive multimeter. For price well worth buying.
not the meter at fault its the lousy attitude of the manufacturer and labeling it correctly
You meter murderer LOL :-D
Have you tryed a yellow "830B" digital on your transformer of death?
It’s a mot
I had a lot of these meters when I was a kid, I probably had one about 10 years ago, I always destroyed them after getting bored or angry with them. I just saw one at a China shop, I was tempted but I resisted temptation 😂
I'm a little wary of Harbor Freight digital meters on 120VAC, but I've never been bit. I'm pretty careful, since I used to measure 40-50,000 volts using a big Tektronix probe with SF6 insulation.
A high voltage probe is the only way to measure high voltage and be safe
If you must measure high voltage shut off the power connect the meter then turn on the power. do not touch the meter. That is what my Simpson meter instructs you to do on my old model 260
Analog multimeters should stand still on a table (horizontally) when measuring, as the needle is affected by gravity.
1:52 That's the darkest smoke I've seen in my life.
Well , chinesium material is very strange
11:52?
1:30 he forgot his accent
Found one in my local electronics shop, it cost 30.500 rupiahs (INA) or about 2 USD.
I hope it works well for you. I prefer to buy my equipment on line and reading the reviews. With Amazon if it is a piece of junk you canm return it... no questions asked.. even get a warrenty on the product
Fantastic test & video! I just ordered several of these meters in 2021 for beginning students. Where is the followup video promised here where you smoke-test this featured new $2 meter? I could not find that on your channel, searching "multimeter".
They work great with 5V! ua-cam.com/video/ZSt7On4vmY4/v-deo.html
Had one almost the same onr as my first multiplier, like 15 years ago or so
I have two of these and have used them for 20 years or more and they work well !
Yeah it's cheap, but for $2, that's pretty impressive. I only use my multimeter on 1.5, 3, 9, 12, 24, 120 volt stuff and check resistance. I think I might get one just for kicks. :)
why are there no dedicated ESR meters out there? I only see meters designed by viewers and no schematics?
Its 2 bucks for a clearly used already cheapo multimeter.
Well, to be fair it ONLY smoked, and didn't actually catch fire. There you go, protection achieved :-)
the meter was the built in fuse
It only smoked and didnt burn the house down
that is the real magic smoke
I used this type of multimeter when I was in 11-12 class. I was an electronic hobbist. Also I saw every street wrist watch, calculator, torch light repairers using this type of multimeter. They actually used it for dc low voltage and they used to fixed the small ends of the probs with the pcb board by soldering. It was enough for their work. I bought it for 80 taka= 1 dollar. Still I have the red prob.
I have such a thing for a long time. On the bench, I mainly use it to measure voltages when ordinary digital voltmeters cannot be used due to high ripple levels (such as DC power supply from cheap halogen bulb driver) and I never use it to measure 1000V at 50V range. I think that's common sense.
When measuring resistance, you need to calibrate the meter for each range - you will have much more accurate readings.
For me, this is a profitable item stored in the pocket on my motorized bicycle, exposed to all the risks - theft, loss, impact, wetting, overheating, etc. For $2 I have a bold multimeter that survived for over 7 years and is still alive.
Thank you, Chinese people!
P.S.: It's not meant for stupid people!
I still have an old Micronta that looks a little bit like that, except no knob, just multiple holes to put probes into to select the voltage/current/ohms/etc.
I have a totally automated Micronta, auto off, auto ranging, but a cheap phenolic board that cracked and broke many of the fine lands/traces, a really nice meter when it worked
Lol the screw is rusty.
That happens on the slow boat ride from China.
Its rusty from the salt air as it was shipped out on a Chinese Junk to the world market
This multimeter is very useful for somebody who want to learn electronics not for labs or something hi tech.
yes it is a beginners first instrument. something you give a 8 year old child. anything better they might destroy it by plugging it into mains while on ohms scale anyway. a very common error even among professionals
that thing is a lot of poop because i tried to measure 32 millons of volts and it exploded
@@gerardog1349 How you measure 32kV ? Which tool or machines need that voltage ?
3:54 its vintage 😂
Amazing video!
That's one way of reducing the population!
You let the magic smoke out
OK on low voltage, low energy sources.
In conclusion, the battery would be an added guarantee for greater risk when the multimeter burns up to cause a greater fire due to exploded battery.
hi, are you still plan to make a high voltage probe out of it?
I never subjet my meters to high voltage. I use a high voltage probe that is properly insulated and calibrated
Thank you I was about to buy it
first
video i watched of you
He is testing a multi-meter on the 50V AC range and supplying it with 1000V AC! And he expects it to work normally! And he seems to be so surprised when he sees smoke coming out of the poor little thing. How absurd can that get? Moreover, the multimeter he tests at the end is different from the one he shows in the beginning.
He was seeing if it could wistand being put in the wrong range, because a good meter would protect against that
I would expect my meter not to smoke if I accidentally have the wrong range.
How does an analog meter protect against that? There is no over range limit on analog meters. They expected people to be smarter back then.
I got into electronics around the same time. DMMs are certainly daily drivers today but there's still a place for a good old analog meter occasionally. Now in those rare moments you do have to take extra care with what range you are in. It is like the difference between driving a manual and an automatic shift. You have to start high and work your way down.
A proper analog meter will have fuses, PTC thermistors and metal oxide veristors. If theses meters had these than the meter would had properly survived; at least long enough to test.. since the current would be limited appropriately by the ptc thermistor.
I think the fuse is built in on the probes, maybe the current rating is to high?
In over 50 years of electronics experience, I have NEVER seen a fuse built into a multimeter probe.
@@johnc8910 , the probes's cable IS the fuse.
that is an interesting observation
Hi,I love this channel! Keep up the work! Are you from europe? In my country they sell those Varta batteries.Im from finland and Varta is popular brand in finland.
He is from Czech republic
Hi thanks for your videos. I have one exactly the same as yours except it is labelled Samwa. Mine is tacking readings not so much bad. So the potentiometer inside is not connected to anything??
I like smooky videos
I had one of these when i was a kid
I was measuring a 12v 18 ah battery and the smd resistors burned
1960s technology (and leftover boards, apparently) with 2010s Chinese sweatshop cost cutting. What could possibly go wrong?
For $2, it's a good deal. When being used correctly, 1000V couldn't destroy it, even 1000V in 250V range. It's 1000V in 50V range destroyed it. No instrument can survive such kind of abuse. What a waste!
11:20 whait wasn t it a single sided board with only smd components??
Damn I was stupid, watch the whole video, then comment.
Where did you get this microwave transformer from
6:48
And in the top right the Chinese text reads “As a genuine craftsmanship, imitation is prohibited”
GENUINE CRAFTSMANSHIP??
Where to buy such a small multimeter
It’s funny I just order one, that exact one
no not funny if you use the meter with common sense it should be fine
Mr Diode is a brilliant man but seems to lack common sense
I use these multimeters just for testing motor winding
Very funny, thank you.
Very simple meter for physics class.
Microwave oven transformers are kind of shocking⚡️😳🤣
they are in eccess of 100 thousand volts! Why on earth would he test a 1000 volt max meter on that transformer???
And now I'm a afraid of my multimeter (which doesn't _look_ dodgy, but I haven't analyzed it)
Are you poland? Cuz i have seen the brand on the battery in poland before
Mohl bys mi dát link prosím? Nebo do popisku videa, 1000 V do toho pouštět nechci, jen potřebuju co nejlevnější měřič na chatu....
Uhhh amazing multimeter i will order 1 tomorow 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
It's good for small voltage Max 50volt
I tried it :D, cheap with a medium range? I think its good
lots of SMOKE ACTUALLY!!!
I always had problems with the probes of this meter
The meter is ok but don't have high voltage protection
are you crazy. there is 1000volts and you just turn to 250v. range test
Simplified Chinese on on circuit board and traditional Chinese on the wrapping...
I have a multimeter that looks almost identical to that, it's made by GB instruments. GMT-312
I never use it. Mine only goes to 10 V....50 V.... 150 V. & 300 V. Both On AC and DC.
1000 V. ??? I don't think so !😂
I smell some Magic Smoke on the way!
I've never laughed so hard
very deadly wire can burn hand
I use a analog multimeter and it has got no problem testing ac voltage but mine is very good quality and the scree is bigger and i replaced the leads and it can measure more resistance etc
AMMs are cool.
DMM master race ;-)
^^ log time no see. how is life ? :)
Good of course
cool ! planning any interesting more projects ?
My last experiment
ua-cam.com/video/TDbK5sPeekE/v-deo.html
How analogue meters have fallen since the AVOs
Im only 13 years old,but my multimeter im using today is ANENG A830L
its a voltmeter for the mother-in-law
Does warrantee cover that?
Next video teardown solar panel
Do it has no fuse?
i have an analog one that needs some calculations for voltage measuring
Lol
I would say thats good for testing batteries only
On the scale, near the red digit 8, is a little bit rusty)