> Not suitable for intended purpose.
For measuring under 20V DC, perfectly fine. For measuring mains - don't even think about it.
> If it wasn't a drop it would have been heat or humidity or looking at it sideways on a Tuesday. Like I said unfit for intended purpose.
Of course, but why would I care if my meter got broken? I always check it whenever I'm unsure of readings on a known source. As long as I'm not doing mains work, the reliability of the meter is simply an inconvenience (and convinces me to buy a better one eventually.)
> A double whopper with extra saturated fats. Certainly I don't expect to get any useful tools or equipment for that price.
Hmm, I was in 99p stores and picked up some more cheap tat -- including a set of wire stripper/cutters (that work reasonably well) and a nice pair of plyers. I even got some small (watch style?) screwdrivers (pack of 15 various sizes) but I discovered why they were so cheap: the shaft doesn't extend all the way into the handle. Broke two of them trying to get a small screw out -- but I know not to buy them again.
> Should have saved your money and purchased something adequate for the task at the onset.
I spent around £85 on getting the BK meter about 2 years ago. When I had a cheap meter it was only because getting a good meter was a large investment for myself. This was about 6 years ago when my only income was £20 pocket money. Most of that went on components and breadboards. Now I'm a poor student. I'm glad I saved up my money from my internship and got some decent equipment when I could afford it.
> Which is a very compelling reason why they should not be on the market. Electrical professionals and hobbyist may be aware of the ramifications of applications of CAT ratings but others most certainly are not. It wouldn't be the first time one of these death traps has been purchased by a plumber or carpenter thinking it will be a cheap and useful safety tester for their workplace.
Then they are uneducated. If they couldn't buy it from the cheap store down the road, they would pick it up on ebay. And if that failed, they might not do any testing at all -- more preferable?
> If such devices are to be sold they should be limited to a measurement range that within ELV range and should be indelibly marked "NOT FOR USE WITH MAINS POWER OR HIGH ENERGY CIRCUITS"
I believe -- can't find the particular product right now -- but there is a meter available from China which is being developed by the same company that makes the DT830B clones, attempting to make one that would pass safety guidlines. It is CAT I rated to around 200V and only has a fused 200mA range. It has no range capable of 230V measurement and has a better fuse for the 200mA range. Possibly other features, too.
> You can if you wish but it is a pointless comparison. That meter is hardly one to recommend for a beginner. That Agilent and its probes are electrically safe despite the software errors in early revisions being potentially dangerous or destructive.
In this case it's not firmware, but the range switch at fault, as far as we have determined on the thread. Also, some other Agilent scopes and spectrum analysers have started dying in our lab.