UNI T UT-61A or MASTECH MS8260G

[j0a0]

Hi,
I need to buy a new cheap multimeter but i do not know witch one.
The multimeter is for Home use (with a litle bit of everything) but must have good Capacitance accuracy and most uF possible for low price!!
I'm watching this two ones:
- MASTECH MS8260G http://www.p-mastech.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=34&category_id=3&keyword=ms8260g&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29
- UNI-T UT61A (because this one have hFE, and the other model not) http://www.uni-trend.com/UT61A.html
- And a possible 3rd VC99

But basically mastech or ut61a.... or other suggestion!??

Help please

EDIT: I'm from Portugal (Europe) and i want to spend up to US40 / US45 (+-35€). Thanks

[Lightages]

You will get better responses if you tell us your spending limit, and what country you live in.

First piece of advice: NO NO NO to the VC99

[j0a0]

Hi, Thanks for fast reply!

I´m From Portugal and i want to spend up to US40/US45 (+-35€)!

I appreciate all the help

[j0a0]

Anyone!!
Some Help please!

[mariush]

If you can stretch it to 58-60 dollars, Franky (ilovelectronics here) can sell you a Uni-T UT61E which has very good capacitance (3% accuracy and measures big values) and great continuity and it's 22000 counts and so on.

Note that while they have the same "series" the Uni-t meters are actually almost completely different meters inside, it's not just the features slightly different. For example, Uni-T UT61E uses a different "processor" compared to Uni-T UT61A or UT61D... and just because UT61E has great capacitance measurement, it doesn't mean UT61A is the same. If you're looking at reviews you must look for reviews for that exact meter.

Otherwise, UT61A looks OK for the money, it's 40$ on Dealextreme.

I'd suggest checking this meter Franky sells for the same price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digitek-DT-4000ZC-TekPower-TP4000ZC-Data-Logging-Multimeter-with-Temperature-/200912705694?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2ec754989e

Search for a review and compare it with Uni-T UT61A... actually, here's a video review of this meter:

[j0a0]

Thanks!
But i can´t spend so much money! 
The Digitek DT-4000ZC you suggests, only goes to 100uF!

Try to search for reviews of the MASTECH MS8260G without success!
I like ut61a, but mastchec have temperature and black light... in the other hand ut61b have temperature but does not have hFE.... and MASTECH have both.

MASTECH have no reviews and poor information in the Internet, and i do not no the quality of it!!

[Lightages]

hFE is not really that useful and is usually an indication of a bad quality multimeter. Please consider getting the UT61E for $55 shipped worldwide from Franky if you buy from him here and not on ebay, or the Digitek DT2843R that I just did a review on. Franky will have this for sale soon on his ebay store for $46 shipped worldwide.
http://digitek.host.netpar.com.cn/en/cpxx.php?id=611
my review:

[BillyD]

• Most importantly: Vichy VC97/VC99/etc is utter junk, do not waste your money on it.
• I know the UT-61E is over your planned budget but it is a good meter for your needs (apart from not having auto-power-off) and Franky has a good deal on it.

[Lightages]

Both of the meters we are recommending do not have all the functions he wants. The UT61E and the DT-2843R do not have hFE functions. It isn't too hard to build a circuit to do hFE measurements with a multimeter. The DT-2843R has all the functions he wants except for that.

[BillyD]

Both of the meters we are recommending do not have all the functions he wants. The UT61E and the DT-2843R do not have hFE functions. It isn't too hard to build a circuit to do hFE measurements with a multimeter. The DT-2843R has all the functions he wants except for that.

Fair point. However I would also add that those Vichy meters are so badly made that the chances of the hFE socket functioning are actually quite slim. In fact hFE sockets seem to be a feature mainly low end meters, and in my experience I don't think I've ever had a meter where it worked reliably, not that I ever really needed that feature.

[j0a0]

Thanks for the replays!

I've watching the Digitek DT2843R review ... very impressive, i like it 
Talking about the Digitek DT2843R 400/4000µF ±20% seems to be to much!!! 20% comparing with 4 or 5% in other multimeter, don´t you think?

Except the fact it do not have hFE and this 20% in capacitance!! I like it! Thanks

Do not get me wrong with this question, the mastech company have good multimeter or not really!? Almost no information and reviews about MASTECH multimeter... They have bad accuracy, bad construction quality like VC99, or what?

BillyD, you are right! I guess that hFE is not really needed!! I believe that i probably never gone a used, so better forget that!
I only talk about that because i want a multimeter that can do a bit of everything... but more important is the quality and the accuracy, and for me specially the Capacitance!

Thank you all... more suggestion are welcome!
 

[mariush]

Actually, it makes me wonder why you need capacitance measurement so bad?

If it is because you hope it would help you to debug/repair electronics, you should know capacitors go bad quite often without noticeable change in the capacitance value. There are other characteristics of capacitors such as ESR that are much more important and can't be read using a multimeter, you need a LCR meter with ESR function, or an ESR meter for that.

Also, most capacitors have by default 10-20% tolerance for capacitance, which also varies depending on the voltage. Depending on the voltage used by the multimeter, a meter will show one capacitance value and another meter will show another value - both meters are correct, according to their accuracy and method of measurement.

[Lightages]

mariush is right, high value capacitors are not something that you really need to measure accurately. The DT-2843R is not great on the really high values for accuracy but it is good enough for most purposes on those high values.

What do you expect from a $46 meter shipped to your door? It does everything a real multimeter should and it has TRMS too which is hard to find in anything under $60. But with all things, just think of this as your first meter, you will buy another later 

[Wytnucls]

There seems to be much confusion about the method digital multimeters use to derive the capacitance of capacitors and why cheap meters are not very good at it, especially when dealing with electrolytic capacitors.
This article should help clarify the issue:

http://www.planetanalog.com/document.asp?doc_id=527457&site=planetanalog

[Lightages]

Oh yes, as far as your question goes for Mastech, I believe the general agreement here is that Mastech is not that great as far as quality goes. My personal opinion is that I will not buy another Mastech until I see proof that they have new models that are better.

[iloveelectronics]

Wow! Thanks a lot everyone for recommending me, multiple times! I really appreciate it!

[Wytnucls]

I would also recommend the UT61E over the ones you mentioned.
If your budget is too low for that meter, have a look at the Voltcraft VC175 from Conrad (40$). It should have all the features you really need and will meet its CAT III 600V rating as a bonus.
http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/124457/Voltcraft-VC175-Digital-Multimeter

[Lightages]

That Voltcraft looks like it actually might meet its safety specs. I have emailed Conrad a few times and they ignore me. I guess they have all the money they want.

[j0a0]

Hi,

Thank you all, for the replays! Nice to have people like you all, to help people like me!!
Voltcraft onlu have 100uF... i know that capacitance in multimeter have many errors, like mariush says but its the beginning tester to do!!
I like much the Digitek DT2843R (apart from the 20%, but looks nice), here can i buy it? If store is in Europe better, because Customs taxes!

Thank you all

[Wytnucls]

I don't understand why you're so riven about measuring capacitance above 100uF. Most if not all capacitors above that value, will be electrolytics, which have the voltage and capacitance written on the case anyway. They could be 40% down on the rated value and still considered good by the manufacturer (20% at manufacture and 20% in storage). When you realize that the initial published capacitance is measured with AC at 120Hz and that your meter uses a different, less precise method with DC, with an average error of 5% or more above 100uF, your task becomes rather meaningless.
If you're hoping to troubleshoot old caps, you would need an ESR or LCR meter that can measure Dissipation factor (D) or ESR with AC current delivered at the proper frequency.

[j0a0]

hFE is not really that useful and is usually an indication of a bad quality multimeter. Please consider getting the UT61E for $55 shipped worldwide from Franky if you buy from him here and not on ebay, or the Digitek DT2843R that I just did a review on. Franky will have this for sale soon on his ebay store for $46 shipped worldwide.
http://digitek.host.netpar.com.cn/en/cpxx.php?id=611
my review:

hi,
Digitek DT2843R, where can i buy it?

Thank you

[wraper]

I also can say that large capacitance measuring is completely useless. I have couple of multimeters which can measure very large capacitance but I never use them in that way. My self made ESR meter is much more useful tool. Only some of faulty caps decreases in capacitance and that usually happens a lot of time after they were already failed. Measuring capacitance of new electrolytic capacitors also has no use at all. I would say that if capacitor has good esr, you can be almost sure that it is ok. If you measure capacitance that means nothing.

[Lightages]

It will be a few days before it is available, but pm iloveelectronics here on the forums. He has an ebay store, http://stores.ebay.com/99centhobbies but he does not have the DT2843R listed yet. If you contact him though the forum here he will take care of you.

[j0a0]

I also can say that large capacitance measuring is completely useless. I have couple of multimeters which can measure very large capacitance but I never use them in that way. My self made ESR meter is much more useful tool. Only some of faulty caps decreases in capacitance and that usually happens a lot of time after they were already failed. Measuring capacitance of new electrolytic capacitors also has no use at all. I would say that if capacitor has good esr, you can be almost sure that it is ok. If you measure capacitance that means nothing.

Actually, it makes me wonder why you need capacitance measurement so bad?

If it is because you hope it would help you to debug/repair electronics, you should know capacitors go bad quite often without noticeable change in the capacitance value. There are other characteristics of capacitors such as ESR that are much more important and can't be read using a multimeter, you need a LCR meter with ESR function, or an ESR meter for that.

Also, most capacitors have by default 10-20% tolerance for capacitance, which also varies depending on the voltage. Depending on the voltage used by the multimeter, a meter will show one capacitance value and another meter will show another value - both meters are correct, according to their accuracy and method of measurement.

Thank you both. I´m noob at this things!!
Did this ESR works fine: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transistor-Tester-Capacitor-ESR-Inductance-Resistor-Meter-NPN-PNP-Mosfet-lcd-/300899052511?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460efb2bdf#

[wraper]

I don't think this strange device can do any reliable measurements. Better go to ESR meter that measures only ESR and nothing else. They usually feed some tens to hundred kHz AC voltage into cap and measure voltage drop. Voltage usually is so low that surrounding semiconductors in circuit doesn't affect measurment. You usually don't need to desolder caps (if no big ceramic caps connected in parallel). Combined devices use completely different principle and calculates ESR and capacitance from real measurement result using some formula. And error can be very HUGE depending on circumstances (for example parallel resistor, leak, etc.). Or you can go for good LCR meter but that is completely different price league.

[pickle9000]

I do use the capacitance function in my meter but that is because my vision is poor and it allows me to verify the value of the ones I'm installing.