Good to see someone testing that 121GW. With so many versions of firmware out there now, it would be good if you mention the version you are using. It may help UEI track down some of the problems you find. I saw Dave post recently about the next version of the meter and getting his switch cycling jig working again. I suspect they finally have a fix for the shim. This is what I have been waiting on. Hopefully they will announce when they can be purchased. I'm enjoying the series. Keep up the good work.
I did mention the Firmware version in (I believe) the second part. It was the latest from Pt.2 onwards. But I will post it in the video-description of each part.
The Extech is a re-branded Brymen. For me the Brymen BM869S is the best bang for the buck meter on the market today. Joe Smith's videos and tests of it sold me. Plus it has the dual display.
Yeah, that's a fantastic multimeter. 500 000 counts! But I think the BM867s is a better deal because it's 60 € cheaper and the only difference is the VFD function (which isn't that big of a deal), and the temperature measurement, for which I already have an external thermometer (that allows me to measure temperature at the same time I'm measuring voltage or current).
Just use a meter with simultaneous AC and DC display. For example, the Uni-T UT181A can display all three AC RMS, DC and AC+DC RMS all at the same time with 50000 counts each. Even without the tri-display some meters have fast bar-graphs that make it obvious that you have an oscillating signal like the BM869S.
I completely avoid Uni-T products after having only negative experiences with nearly a dozen of their products. They only excel with their specs and feature-count but not with their true useability. Have you tried exactly the same signal that I used to test the bargraph? The "update-rate" of the bargraph from the specs is quite misleading with most multimeters. All the 3 multimeters I showed claim a relatively high update-rate but fail to show this with a 10 Hz superimposed AC-signal.
@@KainkaLabs For what its worth, I think the UT181A is great, but there is nothing Uni-T specific about what I suggested. You can use any dual or tri-display meter to avoid this problem, so pick a brand you are happy with. Simultaneous AC, DC, and AC+DC TRMS measurement is available on meters from many vendors - most can only show two not three though. I am away from my lab at the moment, but I am certain that both the BM869S and the UT181A can display a 10Hz oscillation on their bargraph easily, and the UT181A can also display oscillations from positive to negative on the same graph too.
@@superciliousdude I'm not a fan of the 181A in it's current state. Too bad really as it could be a very nice meter. Like most of the UNI-T products I have looked at, it is very sensitive to ESD. I don't care for that rechargeable battery pack. Once it's dead, the meter can't be used while you wait several hours for it to recharge. I'm not sure what users will do once the battery will no longer hold a charge. Typical UNI-T materials. Lens scratches real easy. Still, if they make an improved version of this meter, I will buy one. It has the two K-type inputs like the BM869s and can calculate the difference. Drives like the 289 but much faster graphing. The BT interface is nice once you get it sorted out. It's also one of the most temperature stable meters I have looked at. I suspect you are right about the 10Hz bargraph. Both of the meters you mention are some of the fastest I have seen and I've compared them several times with other meters. I have ran into some meters that have a real problem with AC waveforms with a DC bias. The last one I looked at fall in that catagory.
@@joesmith-je3tq Thanks for chiming in. Your input is very welcome on all matters regarding DMM choice. I watched your two part UT-181A tests and I must admit, they played a large role in my choosing to buy the meter. I am not concerned about ESD for my own personal use, as I owned a UT-61E (which also failed your ESD test) for several years and despite throwing all manner of abuse at it, it survived fine. I guess my usage does not expose it to any sufficiently high energy ESD events. Used to own a Fluke 289 but the extreme slowness and propensity to gobble up batteries by the fistful put me off it, and prompted me to look for alternatives, eventually settling on the UT-181A. If you're still keen on using your UT-181A, you can get replacement batteries on AliExpress for it. I have a spare in the carry case for the rare occasion that it runs out of power in the field, but it hasn't happened yet.
@@superciliousdude I think in that video you mention where I repair the 181A, I also show the output waveform from that little grill starter and how it compares with the IEC waveform. It's surprising to me that it damages any meters yet the UNI-T products as a whole don't hold up very well to it. If I lived in a higher humidity climate where ESD was less of a concern, I may not even show these tests. Where I live, in the winter months, things get really dry and ESD becomes a problem. I suspect most of my RF test equipment would have been damaged long ago if I did not take steps to reduce static buildup in my home lab. It wouldn't hurt to provide a link to the replacement battery. I have looked before but didn't find one. I would like to see it use common AAs that could easily be swapped.
Good to see someone testing that 121GW. With so many versions of firmware out there now, it would be good if you mention the version you are using. It may help UEI track down some of the problems you find.
I saw Dave post recently about the next version of the meter and getting his switch cycling jig working again. I suspect they finally have a fix for the shim. This is what I have been waiting on. Hopefully they will announce when they can be purchased.
I'm enjoying the series. Keep up the good work.
I did mention the Firmware version in (I believe) the second part. It was the latest from Pt.2 onwards. But I will post it in the video-description of each part.
The Extech is a re-branded Brymen. For me the Brymen BM869S is the best bang for the buck meter on the market today. Joe Smith's videos and tests of it sold me. Plus it has the dual display.
Yeah, that's a fantastic multimeter. 500 000 counts! But I think the BM867s is a better deal because it's 60 € cheaper and the only difference is the VFD function (which isn't that big of a deal), and the temperature measurement, for which I already have an external thermometer (that allows me to measure temperature at the same time I'm measuring voltage or current).
Just use a meter with simultaneous AC and DC display. For example, the Uni-T UT181A can display all three AC RMS, DC and AC+DC RMS all at the same time with 50000 counts each. Even without the tri-display some meters have fast bar-graphs that make it obvious that you have an oscillating signal like the BM869S.
I completely avoid Uni-T products after having only negative experiences with nearly a dozen of their products. They only excel with their specs and feature-count but not with their true useability. Have you tried exactly the same signal that I used to test the bargraph? The "update-rate" of the bargraph from the specs is quite misleading with most multimeters. All the 3 multimeters I showed claim a relatively high update-rate but fail to show this with a 10 Hz superimposed AC-signal.
@@KainkaLabs For what its worth, I think the UT181A is great, but there is nothing Uni-T specific about what I suggested. You can use any dual or tri-display meter to avoid this problem, so pick a brand you are happy with. Simultaneous AC, DC, and AC+DC TRMS measurement is available on meters from many vendors - most can only show two not three though. I am away from my lab at the moment, but I am certain that both the BM869S and the UT181A can display a 10Hz oscillation on their bargraph easily, and the UT181A can also display oscillations from positive to negative on the same graph too.
@@superciliousdude I'm not a fan of the 181A in it's current state. Too bad really as it could be a very nice meter. Like most of the UNI-T products I have looked at, it is very sensitive to ESD. I don't care for that rechargeable battery pack. Once it's dead, the meter can't be used while you wait several hours for it to recharge. I'm not sure what users will do once the battery will no longer hold a charge. Typical UNI-T materials. Lens scratches real easy. Still, if they make an improved version of this meter, I will buy one. It has the two K-type inputs like the BM869s and can calculate the difference. Drives like the 289 but much faster graphing. The BT interface is nice once you get it sorted out. It's also one of the most temperature stable meters I have looked at.
I suspect you are right about the 10Hz bargraph. Both of the meters you mention are some of the fastest I have seen and I've compared them several times with other meters. I have ran into some meters that have a real problem with AC waveforms with a DC bias. The last one I looked at fall in that catagory.
@@joesmith-je3tq Thanks for chiming in. Your input is very welcome on all matters regarding DMM choice. I watched your two part UT-181A tests and I must admit, they played a large role in my choosing to buy the meter. I am not concerned about ESD for my own personal use, as I owned a UT-61E (which also failed your ESD test) for several years and despite throwing all manner of abuse at it, it survived fine. I guess my usage does not expose it to any sufficiently high energy ESD events. Used to own a Fluke 289 but the extreme slowness and propensity to gobble up batteries by the fistful put me off it, and prompted me to look for alternatives, eventually settling on the UT-181A. If you're still keen on using your UT-181A, you can get replacement batteries on AliExpress for it. I have a spare in the carry case for the rare occasion that it runs out of power in the field, but it hasn't happened yet.
@@superciliousdude I think in that video you mention where I repair the 181A, I also show the output waveform from that little grill starter and how it compares with the IEC waveform. It's surprising to me that it damages any meters yet the UNI-T products as a whole don't hold up very well to it. If I lived in a higher humidity climate where ESD was less of a concern, I may not even show these tests. Where I live, in the winter months, things get really dry and ESD becomes a problem. I suspect most of my RF test equipment would have been damaged long ago if I did not take steps to reduce static buildup in my home lab.
It wouldn't hurt to provide a link to the replacement battery. I have looked before but didn't find one. I would like to see it use common AAs that could easily be swapped.