Wanted: the Ultimate Multimeter for Electricians and Technicians.

[Galenbo]

We have some topics here about multimeters made by electronic engineers for electronic engineers, but they fail in many aspects for Technicians.

I can not find a one-hand multimeter (I have other stuff in the other hand, or I am an a stair or inside a machine)
I also want a multimeter I can give to someone who's knowledge of electricity stops at knowing it can be dangerous.

We want a clear display that can be read in most circumstances, and we don't want a manual.
Pushbuttons are much better than a rotary knob, and autorange is only useful if the units are clearly shown.
A hook or strong magnet is needed to attach it.

I found a pushbutton multimeter, but it still fails at many aspects, I drew a better one beside it.

[Galenbo]

I made a temporary list of all I want, feel free to add/correct/suggest.

Tech multimeter V1 160615.

Display
3 digits, Units the same size as the measurement, because they are more/even important as the digits.
The units display shows u,m,K,M,H and V,A,z,Ohms.
The digital dot has to be big, readable from the same distance.
We want to be able to read the display in darkness, but also in strong sunlight.

Buttons
Robust 1-hand pushbuttons, size of the buttons has the same importance as size between buttons.
We do not play piano. symbol contrast, dirt, readability has most importance.

Startup
press On = beep+ direct lit. Autopoweroff 2min
Longpress power on= beepbeep+ autopoweroff 1Hr
Press button again = off+ beep

Light
press light=backlight and buttonlight on +beep. auto light off after 30sec
Longpress light = backlight and buttonlight on +beep. Stays on till autopoweroff.

Max/Min
shows max on screen, press again, shows min on display. press again= exit
Starts recording selected max or min value, display shows actual value.
The max or min value is displayed after pressing max/min again.

Case
Show the least possible signs, text, symbols and publicity.
Put everything that the law permits on the back of the case.
Try to get a logical placement of the buttons and their according connections. Same symbols.
A hook on the back to hang the meter on a nail or a hole.

Selection protection
Pressing a button with the cables in the wrong connector will contunuously beep and flash light and lcd.

Vac Vdc Ohms 10A mA
Autoscale for every unit.
Bargraph: define the actual slow mean value= half of the scale.
Very fast reacting bargraph. We want to see bad contacts and spikes.
Show the slow mean value on the screen.

Ohms beep
With the beep symbol more people will understand what it is. Less questions will be asked.
Longpress beep: no more sound, only show values and bargraph.
Very fast reacting beep, show the resistance value in the diplay.

Hz
No autoscale. Made for 10-200Hz, 50Hz/60Hz on 230V, 1200rpm=20 Hz on 5V, 12V, 24V systems.

[Muttley Snickers]

Autohold   

Otherwise, because I probe contactors, relays, terminals and other stuff constantly and as I am right handed I tend to hold the meter in the left hand so the hold button for my usage is best located on the left side of the meter like the Fluke 117, 179 and others.

[raz221]

Push button DMM's are pretty rare.
My advice, get the UNI-T 139C, it has an excellent price/value ratio, and it's a great all arounder!
You can get it from DX for a mere $44:
http://www.dx.com/p/uni-t-ut139c-2-6-lcd-true-rms-digital-multimeter-red-black-grey-2-x-aa-359837
And as for having things in your other hand, maybe you should get a small shoulder bag, that should do it!

[Muttley Snickers]

Push button DMM's are pretty rare.

Certainly not as common as rotary selector units, I was looking at getting one once and simply could not find a meter that suited all my needs, the DM-620 came close and then I read about the battery life at just 32 hours, a few samples below and there are no doubt plenty more about.

[ebclr]

They made even clean

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/HYELEC-MS8231-The-Latest-Unique-Mini-Auto-Test-DC-AC-Voltage-Resistance-Multimeter-Tester-Free-Shipping/32495467932.html?spm=2114.40010308.4.14.j1WQm3

[sarepairman2]

given the end users may I recommend giving your fingers a bit of a lick and gently touching a wire, making sure you are not wet.

[ez24]

They made even clean

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/HYELEC-MS8231-The-Latest-Unique-Mini-Auto-Test-DC-AC-Voltage-Resistance-Multimeter-Tester-Free-Shipping/32495467932.html?spm=2114.40010308.4.14.j1WQm3

Interesting  I wonder if anyone has one ?

[raz221]

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/HYELEC-MS8231-The-Latest-Unique-Mini-Auto-Test-DC-AC-Voltage-Resistance-Multimeter-Tester-Free-Shipping/32495467932.html?spm=2114.40010308.4.14.j1WQm3

Interesting  I wonder if anyone has one ?

Can't say I do, but personally, I wouldn't trust a multimeter that has "integrated" test leads.
It's just sub-standard, and will make using replacement leads more difficult (as you'd need to open it and solder em in!

[jitter]

One with a rotary switch that can actually be operated with a single hand while holding the meter: Extech EX830.
The clamp can double up as a hook  . It also has all the ranges/measurements you desire and more. The two things it doesn't have are a tilting bail and a uA/mA range.
It looks like this meter was designed with the technician in mind (the brochure photos also seem to portray that).

[Someone]

I don't have any problem operating a Fluke 112 with one hand, and they redesigned the smaller meters with a similar offset rotary switch and marketed it for one handed use in the 115/117 etc. Pair it with the toolpak hangers and you've got 90%+ of what the OP is asking for. The 106/107 miss the rear probe holders for single handed use.

P.S. the best multimeter stand/hanger is the malleable rear kicker of the Fluke 87 III.

[M. András]

https://www.testo.com/product/0590+7601/testo-760-1-Digital-Multimeter-with-Auto-Test-and-Capacitance
https://www.testo.com/media/cumulus_objects/760_770_Model_Comparisons.pdf
might be intresting for you

[ez24]

I wouldn't trust a multimeter that has "integrated" test leads.

I agree

[ebclr]

The reason they did on that way, is to use the same plastic mold that is used for rotary switch model,  on that way the only change a little part and use the  same tool for both models, It's a economical decision not a design decision

[MarkF]

I have both a Fluke 117 and a Fluke 334.  Both are easy to use with one hand.
The 334 clamp meter also has In-rush current measurement for motor startup currents.  The in-rush current measurement was my main reason for selecting the 334.

[The Soulman]

Fluke 10, not sure if it is available any more but pretty idiot proof:

[janoc]

I probably wouldn't recommend that Extech. There is another thread running with people complaining about the poor manufacturing quality of these meters.

[ebclr]

You get what you paid for, don't compare Mercedes Bens with Fiat

[Lomax]

I made a temporary list of all I want, feel free to add/correct/suggest.

That's a great list, clearly lots of though put into it!

I have to second the comments about the Fluke 117 etc being quite usable singe-handed; if you hold the meter in your left hand it's pretty easy to change modes with the thumb, since the ridged edge of the selector wheel protrudes on the left, and most buttons are within reach. Not that I ever really find myself needing to change mode once I'm about to meter something; I'd typically select the mode first. The only real flaw with the 115/6/7 is the incredubly poor viewing angles of the LCD - unless you hold it exactly right you are presented with what appears to be a completely blank display. A shocking error on behalf of the world's most famous DMM manufacturer - potentially even literally so. The mind boggles how something this bad managed to pass QC.

[janoc]

You get what you paid for, don't compare Mercedes Bens with Fiat

Certainly, but there are better meters around than Extechs for similar price. Extech 830 is a $200 class meter, not some $50 cheapie.

[Galenbo]

I would like to focus on 30 ->60 euro meters, with most of the money used for build quality.

Can we limit the discussion to pushbutton meters? It's true some rotary are one-handable, but often that same one hand performs other tasks like holding a probe or a light.
I shoud have said half-hand operatable :-)

[Galenbo]

Fluke 10, not sure if it is available any more but pretty idiot proof:

Looks like a total fail. No backlight.

Lacks other settings like Hz and Amps, and I especially don't like the bottom slide button.

[Galenbo]

Found something interesting: A multimeter with a lamp.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/On-Sale-Multifunction-high-quality-HYELEC-MS8232-Non-Contact-Mini-Digital-Multimeter-DC-AC-Voltage-Current/32668699590.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000014.10.2XbxwN&scm=1007.13338.33346.0&pvid=01e7d890-6586-485a-9c90-c20f6b9bf0d0&tpp=1

Useless for the Labo guy, useful for the field technician.

[MosherIV]

Found something interesting: A multimeter with a lamp.

The Keysight/Agilent have this :
http://www.conrad.com/medias/global/ce/1000_1999/1200/1280/1281/128109_AB_00_FB.EPS_1000.jpg

[karoru]

I also want a multimeter I can give to someone who's knowledge of electricity stops at knowing it can be dangerous.

In this case that meter has to either not have current measurement or have it clamp only. I've seen tons of hardware store-bought multimeters killed by measuring current of wall socket or car battery. Most non-EE savvy people don't understand how measuring current works and short out first voltage source they find.

[vk6zgo]

We had a Fluke 8020B at the transmitter site & it was a pig to use.
The side pushbuttons were hard to operate one handed.
Later,everybody got Fluke 77s in their kit,which,with the offset rotary knob ,were a dream to operate one-handed.

The auto-off on the 77 would not operate if you were actually taking measurements,whereas some later meters quite happily turn the thing off,just as you get set to take a reading.
Another delight I ran into with some early UNI-T meters is that,long before the "low-battery" symbol came up,they started to give nonsense readings on the Resistance range.
That is definitely not a feature you want in your proposed meter!

[Galenbo]

In this case that meter has to either not have current measurement or have it clamp only. I've seen tons of hardware store-bought multimeters killed by measuring current of wall socket or car battery. Most non-EE savvy people don't understand how measuring current works and short out first voltage source they find.

True, a multimeter without Amps measurement has it's advantages, even for experienced technicians who know what it's all about.

[Galenbo]

The Keysight/Agilent have this :
http://www.conrad.com/medias/global/ce/1000_1999/1200/1280/1281/128109_AB_00_FB.EPS_1000.jpg

https://www.conrad.de/de/hand-multimeter-digital-keysight-technologies-u1231a-cat-iii-600-v-anzeige-counts-6000-128109.html

Grrr still that rotation knob...

[Lomax]

Grrr still that rotation knob...

How about this one, from venerable German Testo:

[RoGeorge]

This one was can be hang from a belt, also it has push buttons:

[Lomax]

This one was can be hang from a belt, also it has push buttons

That is one beautiful multimeter! But £600? Just a little outside most people's budget. Then again, I guess you get what you pay for, to some extent - and it is manufactured in Europe.

[Galenbo]

How about this one, from venerable German Testo:

Not bad at all, but it costs 150 euro...

[Muttley Snickers]

Like many others I do like the look of the Testo meters but they are rather expensive down here, anyway it would appear that they may be prone to magnetic fields according to this recently uploaded video, I'm yet to own one.   

[M. András]

i do own the 770-3 model its their clamp meter, im statisfied with the tool for daily use as an electrician, the lcd does not like cold at all apart from that i didnt find any problems with it so far, its expensive but you cant deny the innovation of their automatic function sensing feature, and you can hold these in relatively small hands with ease and still be on the safe side of the engineering of the meters unlike most chinese ones, pretty labels and such but i would not trust my life with it

[salbayeng]

GalenBo ,
I do sympathise with your desire for knobless meters,  the only pushbutton meter I have is a smd tweezer meter.
There was a nice meter made by Philips? years ago with some sliders that were easily moved with your thumb.
Another useful feature (missing on your "ideal" multimeter) is having the volts and common spaced 19.4mm apart, then you can plug in a double prong banana plug.  Or a shunt with a 1.000ohm resistor , some back/back diodes and a 470uF capacitor  (this gives a better result measuring mA).