Selecting best multimeter for university electrical engineering students. Will the "BK Survivor" survive the shootout? Video about HP 3476A DMM: • (#0169) HP 3476A DMM -...
I purchased my Beckman 25L in 1987. It served me well as a field meter when I was a radio tech. I still have it in my tool box and use it from time to time. I even 'hacked' it so that I could use a wall wart for power.
I think you've made a good, educated decision. I would have picked that one out of the three also. It seems like a really nice DMM for the price. And I agree about establishing constrains. Otherwise, you'd still be looking for a suitable DMM 6 months from now. :)
Keysight U1231A ..True RMS , well made..no fuses to replace..Good continuity, comes with a CAL Certificate. Cheaper than any of those BK Meters. Autoranging yes..but still seems like a great choice for a school electronics lab.
I've seen this problem before with the continuity test and crappy probes. Even got a Fluke set that was that way. It helps to use sandpaper or some other abrasive to remove or reduce the "polished" appearance. Or just use Fluke probes. I only had the one marginal set purchased on eBay - could have been counterfeit or Fluke Chinese market stuff.
I have a bunch of cheap multimeters and had the continuity test problem with most of them. Replacing the test leads solved the problem. But I didn't have to buy Fluke or Probe Master's test leads. Cheap two-dollar chinese test leads did the trick perfectly.
One meter shows open circuit diode test voltage, the other doesn't. One beeps on logic low, the other does't. I'd prefer less models and more consistent product design. BK love their crappy plastic hanging hook though. I've got one of their 5 digits handled and managed to break that hook on the day I received it.
Did you also buy new test probes to solve the continuity test issues? I have a bunch of cheap multimeters, had to replace the probes of most of them due to the same reason. And I didn't have to buy Probe Master's leads or anything like that. Two-dollar chinese test leads did the trick perfectly.
At approx. 37:25 you mentioned having a True RMS is preferred but you chose the one that does not have True RMS. Why would yo pick that one? Just solely because of the cost? How important is a True RMS multimeter?
[Yes, I know this is a 4 year old question.] For his purposes, it would depend on what the DMM is used for in the particular student lab. Meters that don't do true RMS will display a value based on the assumption that the measured signal is a sine wave. True RMS will give the actual RMS value even if the signal is a square wave, triangular wave, etc.. If you are not exploring non-sine signals in the lab(s) that the meter will be used in, then you don't need true RMS.
The price points he states are way off for this type of meter. It is way better to buy 20 cheap Chinese meters for this his price from an online tool site of your choice. When they break you can throw them away, but for the money they work great until the probes break.
Cheap meters have almost got me killed twice. Never again. One went dead short and vaporized on 480. One said 0v with live leads if anywhere near an AC drive.
Manual ranging is so 19th century. Probably enforced by old teachers, longing for the good old days of avometers. Cheap modern meters don't have sturdy range selectors. Manual ranging will put a lot of stress on the traces and selector mechanism, reducing the life of the DMM.
Wow, these are all pretty shit and pricey. UNI-T 61E (although no auto power off, and not good protection) beat all of them. If I was BK, I would be ashamed to put my name on these. Maybe a Brymen? Dave seems to really like them. Also no CAT rating on a $100 meter?!!? WAT!?
I purchased my Beckman 25L in 1987. It served me well as a field meter when I was a radio tech. I still have it in my tool box and use it from time to time. I even 'hacked' it so that I could use a wall wart for power.
OMG, AN HP3476 DMM! I had one of those way back in high school-haven’t seen one since
I think you've made a good, educated decision. I would have picked that one out of the three also. It seems like a really nice DMM for the price. And I agree about establishing constrains. Otherwise, you'd still be looking for a suitable DMM 6 months from now. :)
i always thought OL meant "Outer Limit" rather than "Over Load" same thing i guess.. too bad about the probes. great video!
Keysight U1231A ..True RMS , well made..no fuses to replace..Good continuity, comes with a CAL Certificate. Cheaper than any of those BK Meters.
Autoranging yes..but still seems like a great choice for a school electronics lab.
I've seen this problem before with the continuity test and crappy probes. Even got a Fluke set that was that way. It helps to use sandpaper or some other abrasive to remove or reduce the "polished" appearance. Or just use Fluke probes. I only had the one marginal set purchased on eBay - could have been counterfeit or Fluke Chinese market stuff.
I have a bunch of cheap multimeters and had the continuity test problem with most of them. Replacing the test leads solved the problem. But I didn't have to buy Fluke or Probe Master's test leads. Cheap two-dollar chinese test leads did the trick perfectly.
One meter shows open circuit diode test voltage, the other doesn't. One beeps on logic low, the other does't. I'd prefer less models and more consistent product design. BK love their crappy plastic hanging hook though. I've got one of their 5 digits handled and managed to break that hook on the day I received it.
Did you also buy new test probes to solve the continuity test issues? I have a bunch of cheap multimeters, had to replace the probes of most of them due to the same reason. And I didn't have to buy Probe Master's leads or anything like that. Two-dollar chinese test leads did the trick perfectly.
Does the 391A (or any B&K) include a set of probes in the box or you have to buy those separately?
At approx. 37:25 you mentioned having a True RMS is preferred but you chose the one that does not have True RMS. Why would yo pick that one? Just solely because of the cost?
How important is a True RMS multimeter?
[Yes, I know this is a 4 year old question.] For his purposes, it would depend on what the DMM is used for in the particular student lab. Meters that don't do true RMS will display a value based on the assumption that the measured signal is a sine wave. True RMS will give the actual RMS value even if the signal is a square wave, triangular wave, etc.. If you are not exploring non-sine signals in the lab(s) that the meter will be used in, then you don't need true RMS.
it could be an nice lab task for students to take 2 different crappy dmms and compare them
The price points he states are way off for this type of meter. It is way better to buy 20 cheap Chinese meters for this his price from an online tool site of your choice. When they break you can throw them away, but for the money they work great until the probes break.
Cheap meters have almost got me killed twice. Never again. One went dead short and vaporized on 480. One said 0v with live leads if anywhere near an AC drive.
Manual ranging is so 19th century. Probably enforced by old teachers, longing for the good old days of avometers. Cheap modern meters don't have sturdy range selectors. Manual ranging will put a lot of stress on the traces and selector mechanism, reducing the life of the DMM.
He already pointed out that he is an educator who wants to drive home the basics of electronics as he works with students. So quit being an a**hole.
The reason given for wanting manual ranging also sounds ridiculous.
Wow, these are all pretty shit and pricey. UNI-T 61E (although no auto power off, and not good protection) beat all of them. If I was BK, I would be ashamed to put my name on these. Maybe a Brymen? Dave seems to really like them. Also no CAT rating on a $100 meter?!!? WAT!?