It seems they have improved the NCV, at least at 220 volt main it works just fine. Also the wheel is not sloppy anymore. Here in Thailand i payed less than 3 Dollars for it, so theres absolutely nothing to complain about :) The M118A with 20mA plus range and this one with up to 200mA complete each other perfectly.
The interesting undocumented feature is the frequency counter mode option in the AC voltage position. It will read handily to the megahertz range . Consider it compensation for the ncv faux feature 😉
5:50 on mine, the test lead can't be replaced with any other test lead because it's a oddly non standard sized banana jack. Don't ever remove it after you get it on because that test lead gets lost or damaged, it'll be useless unless you jury rig a substitute. Probably won't be easy. Too bad they didn't use a standard size. One suggestion for anyone trying to use it for pocket duty and wanting to avoid an untimely jabbing or pocket hole, swap the black cap provided with the negative test lead with the red shroud of the positive. They're then both less jabby and can be handled with more aplomb when rummaging around in your bag or pocket for it.
I have 3 multimeters at home one is workpro second is kaiweets and the third is the aoputtriver so the Pen meter is little different than others. Also that I mention all meters has default test probes aka silver pleated probes.
@moosa jaan you should try the cheap gold plated probes which Darren recommends above, definitely worth it. it feels like using an expensive probe.. well not exactly the same, the pride is different.. the price, i mean the price.. is different, of course.. 🙄
hello mr. darren, I'm very impressed with those of you who have tried and disassembled maybe hundreds of multimeters. here I want to ask for your advice which multimeter is the best reading speed. 1. ht118d vs pm8236 vs ut890d+ (all three are the same price here) 2. ht118a vs ut61a (ht118a and ut61a have the same price but slightly more expensive than comparison no.1) please help to choose. Thank you very much.
By the way, a judicious application of black sharpie resolves the selector dial pointer con issue easily enough 😎 Add back another con in that annoying mandatory beep every time you change the selector position though. I really don't need it to announce that I've changed modes or turned it on, particularly in a quiet office or lab area. No way to mute it. Sole purpose should be for the continuity beeper, which does work well. If I can tap out a fast 🆘 then I consider it 👍 The secondary off position to the right of the current mode was unexpected also, maybe useful if you actually use the current measurement more than voltage, which puts you in the elite
I was thinking about getting one of these to play with and maybe serve pocket duty, but then thinking about it, it's probably not really good to stash it in the pocket because there's no good way to cover the probe and keep it from stabbing you accidentally. I have one of the pocket meters that fold up with the stashable test leads already, though it's getting kind of long in the tooth. I was thinking maybe this would be a suitable replacement but the stashability is a drawback. Just trying to think of what the pen style advantages might be to justify getting it over a more standard format. Certainly isn't an advantage when you're trying to probe in remote spots and you won't be able to see the display. With the regular meter you can place it where you can see the display and not have to worry about positioning the probe for visibility. Especially if you are a lefty 😜
All valid points.. it's definitely way too big for pocketability..Gave you looked at the UNI-T UT118B...Much more portable and better quality in a smaller package. It's an old review... ua-cam.com/video/tzG8xhDYsE0/v-deo.html
That definitely wins in pocketabilty, but the probe tip length is a bit too limiting. The range hold and current measurement capability is something I'd like also. I went ahead and ordered the A3004, for the princely sum of 8.48, just to play with 😉. The Kaiweets 208D clamp meter I got before this is pretty good overall, in more of a full size package.
@@KeepOnTesting one unexpected thing with the A3004 is that the negative probe test lead banana Jack is not a standard size as I figured it would be. No other test leads can be plugged into it, so if you lose it or want to use better leads, you're going to have to hack into it.
After hearing that the poor NCV performance on UNI-T UT39E+ could be due to it being optimized for 220V mains specifically, I just had to check if it was the case for A3004 too. There is a short presentation video on this meter on ANENG’s main UA-cam channel, in which NCV works seemingly okay. Other reviews show it barely sensing anything even on 220V mains. I don’t necessarily want to jump to conclusions, but it’s probably better to not risk it if NCV functionality is important. Other than that and the really obnoxious selector switch, it’s not bad. Not as sexy as UT118B though.🙂
True enough...forget the NCV even exists and this pen meter will do a decent job for little Dinero.. agreed the UT118B is darn near perfect lookwise, what a svelte little performer!
There is even a smaller one from ANENG, the A3008. Btw., try using NCV on something connected to a switching supply like USB... Then try it on an insulated 550VDC field. It's not a reliable mean to test voltage or determine the presence of dangerous levels at all and should not be promoted as such. Not reliable, completely unsuitable.
There's no point in ncv functions on these things when the dedicated NCV testers work so well. They need the blade type probe pickup instead of the huge ambiguous sensor in these useless add on implementations for sales bullet points. I'd count it just as an annoying negative if it's included. 13:30 dedicated ncv testers normally don't have metal probes either, so they're preferable when poking around breaker boxes.
Pretty much have to use both hands with this anyway, so ambidexterity is required. I have attachments that I can use to convert the tips to micro grabbers or alligator clips, which allows for less fiddly measurements.
"karma baby!!!" i almost burst out my morning coffee.. thank you for the laugh, Darren. 🤣
You got it ! 👍CHEAP-O Multimeters to the rescue 😉
JUST got back from having my second jab and there's a meter review waiting for me, perfect timing😀 And who doesn't love a mother in law joke?😂😂😂
Glad to hear it !😉👍 You know it.. mother in law jokes are irresistible!
It seems they have improved the NCV, at least at 220 volt main it works just fine. Also the wheel is not sloppy anymore.
Here in Thailand i payed less than 3 Dollars for it, so theres absolutely nothing to complain about :)
The M118A with 20mA plus range and this one with up to 200mA complete each other perfectly.
The interesting undocumented feature is the frequency counter mode option in the AC voltage position. It will read handily to the megahertz range . Consider it compensation for the ncv faux feature 😉
A pen meter... Something to write home about!! 🖋️✒️🖋️ 👍👍 Thanks for the review!
I'm actually going to use this Onsite next week.. not a bad little instrument.
@@KeepOnTesting 👍 you are costing me money, I'm currently sat in the sun pricing these on amazon!... Just don't tell the wife.. Shush!
@@MrRadiorobot Good one! ...and don't worry..mums the word! 😅
5:50 on mine, the test lead can't be replaced with any other test lead because it's a oddly non standard sized banana jack. Don't ever remove it after you get it on because that test lead gets lost or damaged, it'll be useless unless you jury rig a substitute. Probably won't be easy.
Too bad they didn't use a standard size.
One suggestion for anyone trying to use it for pocket duty and wanting to avoid an untimely jabbing or pocket hole, swap the black cap provided with the negative test lead with the red shroud of the positive. They're then both less jabby and can be handled with more aplomb when rummaging around in your bag or pocket for it.
I have 3 multimeters at home one is workpro second is kaiweets and the third is the aoputtriver so the Pen meter is little different than others. Also that I mention all meters has default test probes aka silver pleated probes.
Great stuff! The Pen meter makes a nice addition to the collection, great for cottage, boat or car.👍
@moosa jaan you should try the cheap gold plated probes which Darren recommends above, definitely worth it. it feels like using an expensive probe.. well not exactly the same, the pride is different.. the price, i mean the price.. is different, of course.. 🙄
Fine review. Is there any comparison with A3003?
I haven't done a comparative review with the A3003. Possibly down the road 👍
hello mr. darren, I'm very impressed with those of you who have tried and disassembled maybe hundreds of multimeters.
here I want to ask for your advice which multimeter is the best reading speed.
1. ht118d vs pm8236 vs ut890d+ (all three are the same price here)
2. ht118a vs ut61a (ht118a and ut61a have the same price but slightly more expensive than comparison no.1)
please help to choose. Thank you very much.
This meter is not for leftys.
BTW, When will I receive my SANWA? It has been 2 months I guess, is it shipped using Yanwen logistics?
It went via the boat so shipping was 2-3 months to your part of the world.. email me if it hasn't arrived by end of month.😀👍 Netplicity1@gmail.com
@@KeepOnTesting Okay
11:40 white LED test with shorted leads? 😜
What's the diode check voltage on this meter?
Just the 3V from the two 1.5V batteries?
Leads weren't shorted..just appeared that way..max output v in diode was only 2v...Dismal.
@@KeepOnTesting that's pretty useless for the feature, oh well. 3V battery consequence, but better than 9V for me. Trade-off
By the way, a judicious application of black sharpie resolves the selector dial pointer con issue easily enough 😎
Add back another con in that annoying mandatory beep every time you change the selector position though. I really don't need it to announce that I've changed modes or turned it on, particularly in a quiet office or lab area. No way to mute it. Sole purpose should be for the continuity beeper, which does work well. If I can tap out a fast 🆘 then I consider it 👍
The secondary off position to the right of the current mode was unexpected also, maybe useful if you actually use the current measurement more than voltage, which puts you in the elite
All valid points my friend..now where did I leave my Sharpie!
I was thinking about getting one of these to play with and maybe serve pocket duty, but then thinking about it, it's probably not really good to stash it in the pocket because there's no good way to cover the probe and keep it from stabbing you accidentally. I have one of the pocket meters that fold up with the stashable test leads already, though it's getting kind of long in the tooth. I was thinking maybe this would be a suitable replacement but the stashability is a drawback. Just trying to think of what the pen style advantages might be to justify getting it over a more standard format.
Certainly isn't an advantage when you're trying to probe in remote spots and you won't be able to see the display. With the regular meter you can place it where you can see the display and not have to worry about positioning the probe for visibility. Especially if you are a lefty 😜
All valid points.. it's definitely way too big for pocketability..Gave you looked at the UNI-T UT118B...Much more portable and better quality in a smaller package. It's an old review... ua-cam.com/video/tzG8xhDYsE0/v-deo.html
That definitely wins in pocketabilty, but the probe tip length is a bit too limiting. The range hold and current measurement capability is something I'd like also.
I went ahead and ordered the A3004, for the princely sum of 8.48, just to play with 😉. The Kaiweets 208D clamp meter I got before this is pretty good overall, in more of a full size package.
@@sadfur8728 Great stuff! Enjoy those new meters !
@@KeepOnTesting one unexpected thing with the A3004 is that the negative probe test lead banana Jack is not a standard size as I figured it would be.
No other test leads can be plugged into it, so if you lose it or want to use better leads, you're going to have to hack into it.
@@sadfur8728 interesting I didn't notice that anomaly...
After hearing that the poor NCV performance on UNI-T UT39E+ could be due to it being optimized for 220V mains specifically, I just had to check if it was the case for A3004 too. There is a short presentation video on this meter on ANENG’s main UA-cam channel, in which NCV works seemingly okay. Other reviews show it barely sensing anything even on 220V mains. I don’t necessarily want to jump to conclusions, but it’s probably better to not risk it if NCV functionality is important. Other than that and the really obnoxious selector switch, it’s not bad. Not as sexy as UT118B though.🙂
True enough...forget the NCV even exists and this pen meter will do a decent job for little Dinero.. agreed the UT118B is darn near perfect lookwise, what a svelte little performer!
$9 CD...Wow. Too bad the NCV is useless. Any cheap-o clamp meter reviews in the future?
CHEAP-O Clamps are a coming...promise !!
I think it is nice meter in that price range
Definitely!
Nice 🙂
There is even a smaller one from ANENG, the A3008.
Btw., try using NCV on something connected to a switching supply like USB... Then try it on an insulated 550VDC field. It's not a reliable mean to test voltage or determine the presence of dangerous levels at all and should not be promoted as such. Not reliable, completely unsuitable.
Good point...definitely NCV is a pass. I've since tried it on a 400V electric system and it barely gave 1 bar..
There's no point in ncv functions on these things when the dedicated NCV testers work so well. They need the blade type probe pickup instead of the huge ambiguous sensor in these useless add on implementations for sales bullet points. I'd count it just as an annoying negative if it's included.
13:30 dedicated ncv testers normally don't have metal probes either, so they're preferable when poking around breaker boxes.
They should include a magnifying glass in the package to read the manual lol 😂😂
Dang that would come in handy !! 😃👍
We will all remember 2021 for the world wide shortage of 5mm red LEDs 😷
Muhahaha 😉👍
Also I am unable to buy some white SMD LEDs for repairs coz of the lockdown. 😐
Only seeing this one now Darren.
Yikes? YT really bites as of late..!
Far far better than BTMETER BT38b...
Hard to go wrong for $9 Canadian, even cheaper US - seen it even cheaper on Ali.
Yep at that price not much too think about..go get one!
I have a dicksmith's flyback tester that was used by my uncle many many years ago
Great story.. Dick Smith holds alot of memories for many 😀👍
Con: Not for left-handed people.
Hmmmm...never thought of that.
Pretty much have to use both hands with this anyway, so ambidexterity is required. I have attachments that I can use to convert the tips to micro grabbers or alligator clips, which allows for less fiddly measurements.
Wife and Mother in Law！ hahahahah!
Go together like Coke and Pepsi. 😜
: - )
twp point five stars! hahahaha, 太缺德了。