Advice please - New multimeter on order

[orbiter]

Hi all,

Been watching a few of Daves video's on his YT channel and very interesting they are too. Was a shame I only found the channel after ordering my new meter. I remember Dave in one of the clips mentioning that German stuff is pretty good and considered this whilst looking around for my purchase. OK now to the nitty gritty.. What are Voltcraft meters like? I just ordered the VC-920 DMM.

Please don't tell me they're rubbish.

Thanks for any advice

orb

[armandas]

It looks like it's rebranded Uni-trend UT71 series meters.
I had one of those (tenma 72-7730), and it seemed reasonably ok. Lots of features, but annoying loud buzzer, and not very well-built case.
I'd say it depends on how much you got it for, mine cost £20 from ebay, but they usually sell for £70-100 (new), which I think is too much.

[orbiter]

The one I've ordered is the one below, I paid £105 for it which does seem to be the going rate for a brand new one. I really hope I'm not too disappointed with it as It does seem that I've paid well over the odds if it is exactly the same model as the one you got for £20?

 http://order.conrad.com/cgi-perl/lshop.cgi?ls=u&ls=u&perform_special_action=Produktdetail&p_page_to_display=fromoutside&product_show_id=121782&insert_kz=8V&adcampaign=webgains&mc_id=webgains&~cookies=1

[EEVblog]

If anyone can get that VC-920 0.025% meter for £20, I'll buy a hundred of them!

A 0.025% 40,000 count data logging meter is not rubbish, it's a very high spec meter.
I'm sure the internal are not up to the standard of Fluke and the other big names, but I would not expect this to be your typical slap-together asian cheapie.

Dave.

[armandas]

I was lucky to get it that cheap. It was sold as faulty, but was all good and calibrated less than a year ago. They vary a lot in spec, and so varies the price.

If you can live with the cons I mentioned, it's not a bad meter, lots of features.

Post your thoughts, when you get it!

[csadzuki]

I have a UNI-T UT61C.

(I know, I should be ashamed of myself, but) I haven't looked inside yet, but the construction quality feels very good.

I have the following complaints so far:
 - The voltage range reads around 370mV when the probes are not measuring anything.
 - The continuity function is the slowest I have every seen!
 - The LCD backlight turns off in 10 seconds, and there is no "constant on" feature. This makes the backlight just useless in my opinion.

I think the first two problems are common to all recent UNI-T meters, but I'm not sure...
I would love to hear your impressions of the UT71 series (or VC-920)!

[csadzuki]

By the way, from the specs it looks like that the exact UNI-T model number for the VC-920 is UT71D.

http://www.uni-trend.com/UT71D.html

[armandas]

Here are some pictures I had taken (zoom available in the album):

[orbiter]

If anyone can get that VC-920 0.025% meter for £20, I'll buy a hundred of them!

A 0.025% 40,000 count data logging meter is not rubbish, it's a very high spec meter.
I'm sure the internal are not up to the standard of Fluke and the other big names, but I would not expect this to be your typical slap-together asian cheapie.

Dave.

Phew!! Thanks Dave. That makes me feel better, at least I know what I've ordered isn't a piece of rubbish. Looking forward to getting it again now

Thanks also to you other guys who've kindly responded with your views of the meter. I also found a video clip (below) of a similar, if not the same machine, and it does seem to come out pretty well results wise. ?

Just skip to 2 minutes in the video as that's when the testing begins

[EEVblog]

Thanks for sharing the pics.
That's pretty ordinary construction, not very impressive, but typical of low cost meters, so no surprises really.
No HRC fuses, very little in the way of overload protection, poor quality split shaft banana plugs, soldering is not consistent quality, and I'm guessing they have skimped on the gold plating thickness and quality too.

You do get a lot of bang-per-buck for the money though.

Dave.

[orbiter]

I should recieve my VC-920 in about 5 days, so I'll be sure to pull it apart and take photo's for you guys. Hopefully with a bit of luck things may have improved further since the switch to Voltcraft.

[orbiter]

Ah Well, no point me posting any pics of my new VC920 meter guys as the internals are identical to the pics armandas posted, so you know what it looks like already, I can't actaully see one thing that's different so I guess it's still made to the same design specs. I do love it though and It's miles better than my previous £20 meter and much clearer to read.

So instead of VC920 pics I thought I'd post a few of my very old MAC Tools multimeter (have no idea where it's actually made.) I bought this about 20 years ago when I was a engine technician for Nissan, and to be quite honest it did the job well. Problem with it now though is it that doesn't work anymore So, this is going to be my first little project.

Initially I need to replace the battery clip which as you can see is rusted away. This isn't the problem with the meter though I don't think as I'm sure the meter stopped working long before the battery leaked over the terminal and it broke off. I hoping for something simple like a dry joint somewhere as the meter was working perfectly the previous time it was used and as you can see it's not been bounced around all over the place. 

[David]

That PCB is shocking!!!

[orbiter]

That PCB is shocking!!!

In what way do you mean mate. Design, Component layout etc? I know it doesn't look that great but if I can get it working again I guess I have gained another MM for the cost of a battery connector .

Regards

orb

[Kiriakos-GR]

The young ones had use to see SMT designs , and anything older looks to them like a Dinosaur  ..  

They do not know , that this is " Not"  an " Old " technology , other than components with just larger shape.  

Your I-pod  would had the size of a bucked , if the classic components was used .

So In positive spirit , I am trying to explain , that components size , its not a quality factor !!  

About Conrad , its a large corporation, they do not sell scrap , they are trying to keep happy many millions of young and old Germans ..

They select and promote , only acceptable quality .

Its not a Nissan , but an KIA    

Still looks and behaves , like an good to go car .  

[David]

That PCB is shocking!!!

In what way do you mean mate. Design, Component layout etc? I know it doesn't look that great but if I can get it working again I guess I have gained another MM for the cost of a battery connector .

Regards

orb

The routing looks very messy with some "unusual" angles/bends. The component layout also looks awkward and rushed...This is typical of cheap Chinese meters though.

Dave

[orbiter]

Do you know for sure it was made in China Dave or is it just the way it's setup that makes you sat that? I'd like to know where it was made you see so if there's a way of telling via a layout, component type etc could you let me know please or point me in the direction where I can find out.
Reason I ask it that when I bought the thing I was in the motor trade, and all Mac & Snap-On tools where supposedly Made in the USA, saying that though I know plenty of things that were made somewhere else under the Mac, Snap-On name.

[David]

Do you know for sure it was made in China Dave or is it just the way it's setup that makes you sat that? I'd like to know where it was made you see so if there's a way of telling via a layout, component type etc could you let me know please or point me in the direction where I can find out.
Reason I ask it that when I bought the thing I was in the motor trade, and all Mac & Snap-On tools where supposedly Made in the USA, saying that though I know plenty of things that were made somewhere else under the Mac, Snap-On name.

Hi, I did assume it was made in China but I may well be wrong. Theres no way to tell unless its printed on the board somewhere?

Dave

[orbiter]

I've had a look all over the board but unfortunately can't see anything regarding it's build location, It's got Taiwan on the case but that doesn't necessarily mean much I don't suppose. Oh well not to worry.

Regards

orb

[EEVblog]

If it was built 20 years ago then it's more likely to be made in Taiwan than mainland China.

Dave.

[Kiriakos-GR]

I agree with Dave ,  20 years back lots of International funds invested in Taiwan,
and become a large power, by manufacturing electronics ..

Taiwan become the source of well made electronics , for small wallets .

I like to believe , that all the technicians in Europe and around , they do appreciate this days , the quality that Taiwan had offered in the past , as it was 100 times superior , from what Chinas mainland produces.

If you search on ebay , you will find  digital thermometer with batteries and probe shipped for 1.50 EUR ...
The one that I got worked too ...

The " up down timer clock kitchen counter "     with 2 EUR shipped , had wrong made LCD , you had to look at it under angle ... the beeper was good for 1 meter distance , and my toasts started to get burned,
because I was unable to listen the damn beeper .. 

They had spent all those materials and energy to build one device , and they do not make it truly functional ... why !! why !!    its a pity , to trash even one bad made device ..

I got refunded .. so what .. 

In the next Round , I spent  3 EUR ... the New different  " up down timer clock kitchen counter " ,
was truly well made , large display , powerful beeper ... yes thumps up  ..but it does not have auto power off ,  or even one little switch , so to power it off !!   why !! why !!   

I had to open it up , and install my own mini switch , so to become  an proper and complete device .. 
 
Got step-up ring adapters,  for the lens of my digital camera , the threads was messed up, they was had bad anodizing , and I was not possible  to screw them on my Japanese lens ... the anodizing material was more than needed ..
I got refunded , and throw them for recycling ,  payed three times more of their price , and got an TIFFEN American made step-up ring , worked as it should ..

Multi meters , are another animal , any company that builds them, are at list knowledgeable ,
and there is very low percentage , to step on a banana .           

[cybergibbons]

BTW, what do people think of their VC-921/UNI-T UT71D/Temna whatever it could be meters? I'm quite tempted by this meter right now.

[saturation]

There is already some colorful and current discussions on the Uni-T meters on other threads, why not join there? Some of your concerns have been raised by other posters.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?action=post2

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=500.msg7589#new

[cybergibbons]

I was hoping that some of the posters on this thread had reply notification on and would come back to tell us more, a few of them haven't contributed on other threads!

[orbiter]

I was hoping that some of the posters on this thread had reply notification on and would come back to tell us more, a few of them haven't contributed on other threads!

Did you get my replies to your PM's mate?

[Kiriakos-GR]

i suggest a re-route to https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=500.45

Fix the wrong turn to point the page 1