My Tesco Value Multimeter (RRP 7p) I got from Ali Express shat itself today and also lost a limb - one of its probes fell off at random while on my desk (I wasn’t even touching it).
Good news was that this afternoon, in one sitting, I finished building all my VK3IL paddles, a couple of @K6ARK mini mics and the DL2MAN 270 Moxon!
Lesson learned. Don’t buy 7p landfill.
I had a look at a Fluke 101 and 107. Also a Uni-T 161E which is around the price of a 107 but more featured. All of them are over a tonne though.
What does everyone else use? Is it a case of buy a Fluke and let it outlive you? Go back to Tesco and get another 7p special? Or something else?
I don’t want another load of old pony but I do want something safe, something accurate and something that will cover beginner basic electronics, DIY around the gaf and the car, odd jobs and general bits here and there.
Front runner is a Uni-T 161e or the Fluke 101 at the minute.
I suggest one of the Fluke 87 series. A bit more expensive than your selected model but worth it IMO. The extra resolution and better quality are worth the extra cost.
You can download a Fluke DMM comparison chart for a nice read.
I’ve never paid less than $5 for a DMM so 5p doesn’t owe you much. Leads are easily replaced and maybe also you can fix any other damage.
The lower cost meters use a piece of rubber with conductive tracks to connect the display to the board. If a retaining clip breaks then the rubber tracks no longer makes good contact. Often the rubber just get tired and doesn’t keep the pressure up on the contacts. This results in parts of the displayed digits disappearing. Squeezing the case slightly makes them reappear. It should be possible to replace the rubber with a piece of ribbon cable but you need to be an experienced micro solderer.
All low cost meters, Fluke included, are made in Asia. The more expensive models have more robust designs and better QA. Corners have to be cut to cut prices and Fluke aren’t immune to that.
The first decent MM I got to use was an Avo Model 8. It’s incredible to me that a meter of equal performance can be sold for less than $50.
Mine is nearly as old as me (Avo 8 NATO model X) and I’ve owned it for 47 years. It’s only on its second 15V battery. It doesn’t get much use now. For the last 28 years I have used a Caltek Instrument CM2700, a cheap 3 1/2 digit auto ranging DMM which was £25 new back in 1997.
Can I strongly suggest you don’t buy a Fluke from China as it will be a real Fluke if it turns out to be a real Fluke
Is it for electronic tinkering? Get a simple Brymen from a reputable seller, like a BM231. Capacitance, hFE and other similar measurements are useless on a DMM, you’d get a dedicated instrument for those.
Some UNI-T models are reported to be good bargains, not every single one of them.
I see what you did there! A lot of Fluke DMM’s are outside what I want to spend. I only need a meter for general pootling.
Problem being with general pootling, you don’t particularly want to spend the GDP equivalent of China on a DMM, yet you also want safety and accuracy. I’d be phoning the mortuary at the local hospital to reserve a slab for me before I stick a couple of probes in to a plug socket with an Ali Express 7p special.
The Uni-T 161E looks very good value, but I’d wonder is it overkill and it’s about a tonne and a bit. Heard good things about the Aneng 8008 but again, reeks of 7p Special.
Nope. If it was then I agree, no-brainer and get a Fluke.
Heard about Brymen. Top end of what I’d budgeted for and not too keen on the EEVBlogfluencer partnership. Is it using the name to rebadge a DMM to shift stock?
EEVBlog aside, which does seem to be decent for learning, YouTube is so full of sponsored slop and begging for likes, subscribes, smashing bell icons and now paywalling content for membership fees that it is very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.
I did cave to YouTube recommendations for a new soldering iron though. I got a Miniware TS-101 recently and it is an absolute champ. I did all my paddle, mic and antenna building with it yesterday (aside from a hot plate for the SMD components on the VK3IL’s). 0 to 350ºC in a few seconds.
I’ve used Fluke meters at work, where they were used day after day for years. In the end though we standardised on a cheaper meter which used AA or AAA batteries because it worked out more conveniently with rechargeable cells.
At home I’ve had two DMMs in my ham carreer (29 years, I’m that old!), both of them are Precision Gold from Maplin (remember physical Maplin shops?). My Precision Gold PG10 does everything I want and more and has been reliable. I have replaced the probes once.
I’d say that it’s not necessary to splurge on a Fluke, just go mid range, nothing extreme bargain basement.
I’d avoid those models specifically, you’re looking for a measuring instrument, not YouTube merchandise.
I don’t know what is your price bracket, the BM231 is 70 euros. If you plan to toss it into a bag and carry it on a summit, then you should get the cheapest no-brand-name you can find.
There’s also Amprobe which I believe are from the same group as Fluke but probably not as well made. I have a 37XR-A, which used to be used daily for work and has functions more suited to electronic engineering than the basic Fluke models but for less money.
For measuring low voltages (say <30V), checking batteries, and the like, where you’re not too concerned about great accuracy, a budget meter costing GBP20-30 is probably fine.
Should you be intending to measure mains voltages, the 900V B+ rail on a legacy HF transceiver, and similar, then you want a good quality meter. A Fluke may appear expensive, but if it buys you another 30 years on this Earth it is probably money well spent
Similar safety arguments apply where you are interested in measuring high-currents. You don’t want anything that might explode, fragment etc.
For a mid-range solution, the Brymen range of meters is worth considering, though there other similar products.
Sensing a lot of Brymen love here. I think it warrants investigation! If its approaching Fluke money though…does the sensible hat on your head then say buy a Fluke and specifically call it out to leave it in your will as you know it will outlive you?
Or do you go with the Brymen?
I do like a bit of Uni-T, but since discovered they like to bend the truth a bit about their CAT ratings.
I have a Fluke 17B purchased direct from China about 15 years ago. These are genuine Fluke meters and were reviewed by EEVBlog Dave back in 2012, there is a recently updated version also available
The photo below shows my now aged 17B next to my current main soldering station - an Aifen A9 Plus. the Aifen is a close copy of a rather expensive JBC soldering station; and before you ask, yes the power supply is safe and has enough mains clearance and sufficient quality of components.
I highly recommend the Fluke 17B for personal use. Of course, not ideal for professional use, but if you are planning to buy a multimeter for professional use, you will not be asking on am amateur radio internet forum!
Went full circle and ended up back at Uni-T after stumbling on a pretty good deal late last night for a Uni-T Pro Series 191E on Amazon Ireland.
It’s currently up for €76 as opposed to €96 at Amazon UK. You can get it on Amazon Spain for €64 but with shipping added on (Prime won’t work outside of the designated Amazon country site) it only works out €4 cheaper so not much of a saving. A bonus if you live in Spain though!
For 76 LV Vouchers/Green Shield Stamps/Esso Tiger Tokens (delete as applicable), you are getting:
There is a 191T version which has temperature probes but it’s a bit more expensive. The 191 series seems to be well received and is a good bit cheaper than the 161E I had my eye on. I’ve had a Uni-T DMM in the past which served me well for a number of years before I stupidly blew it up by not knowing what I was doing and trying to measure something it wasn’t capable of.
The fella from EEVBlog seems to like Uni-T products as well, even though he appears to be tied in with Brymen. We’ll see when it arrives today if it’s any good. If it’s a load of pony it can go back!
Here’s a photo of someone using one. It looks very impressive and technical and complicated.
Just by way of a dull update, the 191E has arrived already after being ordered late last night.
Initial impressions of it, in my very amateur opinion, are extremely positive.
The DMM is very rugged, with a rubber outer surround and back which will help it to not slip and slide about while in use. Everything is sealed, rubberised and screwed down - the IP65 and the industrial use parts covered there I suppose.
It’s a sizeable DMM too, not a pocket or palm device. Plenty to cling on to and beefy with it, but not in a weight sense. You wouldn’t want to be spilling it’s pint in the pub is what I mean!
It also has a nice flip up stand and a hanging hook, and a flashlight recessed in to the top. The backlight is sensor-based. Cover it with your finger to see it working. It is very bright, although in daylight you likely wouldn’t need it.
The probes and leads are very good and pack away nicely behind the casing. Though you’d likely wrap them around the DMM, or leave them there for storage in the packed-in pouch.
The pouch is just a bog standard wash bag fabric style. If you don’t want to keep your DMM in there you could always use it to hold your Insignia talc and a bottle of Kuros/Blue Stratos/Yardley Gold/Hi Karate/Steve Davis Pot Black (delete as applicable).
So far so good based off of a quick look-over. Very impressed by the feature set on offer here for under €80 (about £65?). Hope it is of help to someone else looking for a DMM.
A lot of Fluke DMM’s are outside what I want to spend. I only need a meter for general pootling.
