Looks like the latest firmware is more than a year old:
Version: 3.1.51130.01
Release Date: 2015-12-03
according to the 1253B tech support page Here
That revision number is for the logging software if you look closer.
Regarding the slow readings, one thing you might want to check is that the Low Pass Filter is turned off in the configuration settings. I don't recall if the U1252B has the LPF or not, but the U1272A will be slow until you disable the LPF....just a thought.
I did not receive a full manual, only the quick-start guide with my U1252B. The unit seems to work fine, but I don't know how to enable/disable the LPF--please advise.
I have got one from "nmori87-us".The cal cert had a date of october 2012
![Sad :(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/sad.gif)
The meter measure DCV,ACV and resistance have last digi "floating"
(the last digi go up and down quickly)
Is that normal or the meter have problem?
Bought one of these meters as a stop gap until I spring for a bench DMM. Not a bad meter for $200 but looking at the internals I can't see why people paid $500+ for these things. IMO Fluke build quality trumps these things outright. I know the specs on the U1252B marginally beat the 87-V but I have an original 87 series 1 that is 31 years old and works perfectly, even the display. Don't think this Agilent will get there but for $200 not bad.
You've more luck than I did... within 6 years, one dead 189, and one dead 289 2 weeks ago...
I'm also waiting for one of these 1252B that I bought last week... can't be worse than what I experienced with Fluke...
As the owner of this thread I hereby declare that there will not be a Fluke v. Agilent discussion on this thread as Agilent wins hands down. Just look at the color.
The guy selling them is pressing me to buy 10 so he still has quite a few. Anyone looking for a meter in the 200$ class needs to look no further.
You've more luck than I did... within 6 years, one dead 189, and one dead 289 2 weeks ago...
I'm also waiting for one of these 1252B that I bought last week... can't be worse than what I experienced with Fluke...
I'm not sure the 180 or 280 series from Fluke are all that hot. I come from the 077,079, 087 179 meters with some gen 1 100 series I keep in my vehicles. Admittedly Fluke as not really impressed me with anything above an 87-V. I have a 179 but still prefer the 079 form factor which is purely subjective. I will say my meters don't get stress tested as I don't use them to make a living but having meters that are decades old and still working does mean something.
As the owner of this thread I hereby declare that there will not be a Fluke v. Agilent discussion on this thread as Agilent wins hands down. Just look at the color.
Too funny...
The guy selling them is pressing me to buy 10 so he still has quite a few. Anyone looking for a meter in the 200$ class needs to look no further.
Don't tell me that, I am trying to talk myself out of buying another one. I don't need it.... Did anyone get to the how/why these are selling at this price? They don't seem to be discontinued from what I can see.
Just a guess on my part, but maybe they were closed out because it was cheaper to dump them on the market with an out of date calibration certificate than it would be to "refurbish" them and run them through another calibration.
-bob
I have been thinking... I want to buy two. I am not going to buy ten.
Can we organize some kind of group buy. Groups based on region. I am in NE Indiana. Is there enough people here from my area who want one (or more) and want the price break, that buying ten, will bring?
My region is something like:
Huntington
Fort Wayne
Auburn
Columbia City
Is there enough interested people?
I have been thinking... I want to buy two. I am not going to buy ten.
Can we organize some kind of group buy. Groups based on region. I am in NE Indiana. Is there enough people here from my area who want one (or more) and want the price break, that buying ten, will bring?
My region is something like:
Huntington
Fort Wayne
Auburn
Columbia City
Is there enough interested people?
Well, I just bought the last one in the current auction. A group buy would have been a nice option. It would be interesting to see if the seller has more to offer though I won't be buying any more.
Just a guess on my part, but maybe they were closed out because it was cheaper to dump them on the market with an out of date calibration certificate than it would be to "refurbish" them and run them through another calibration.
-bob
Good point. My meter is dated 2013. Didn't bother to open the cal cert. .....Wow, as I write this it looks like a new batch is already up for auction. Got to wonder how many he has.
For the record, my cal cert was dated late 2015. I got one of the first batch.
It is a good meter. I prefer the UI over my Fluke 87V. I doubt it is as rugged, though. One of the best parts being that the current reading does not default to AC like the stupid Fluke does.
I think I need to lengthen the auto-turn off time. I lengthened the auto dim of the back light to 90 sec, which is pretty good. I wish you could tell it not to increase the auto off time if the value being measured varied by more than 10%. I find it will shut off right when I am taking a reading.
Since it's easy to recharge the battery via the DMM, I just turned off both auto-off timers.
Since it's easy to recharge the battery via the DMM, I just turned off both auto-off timers.
I was tempted to turn them off too, but I know I have left meters on, like my bench meters, or my Fluke 27 (which you can almost just leave on, as the battery lasts forever). Since I only have one battery for it that would mean I could not use it (and can't be good for the battery). Of course I have over 25 OTHER meters I could use... but they are not orange!
NiMH batteries do not mind being deep discharged. (It's lead-acid and Li-ion batteries that don't tolerate deep discharging.)
The ability to lengthen the auto-off to up to 90 minutes is very nice, though honestly setting it to 30 minutes (like the Fluke 87V) is more than adequate for me most of the time. Unless I was data logging, I can't think of a reason I would want to turn it off completely. If I did I'd be doing a lot of charging or battery changes...
![Roll Eyes ::)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif)
But that's just me.
FWIW - my cal certificate is dated June 2013
NiMH batteries do not mind being deep discharged. (It's lead-acid and Li-ion batteries that don't tolerate deep discharging.)
NiMH may be more tolerant of deep discharging, but they still only have a finite number of cycles. If I was running them dead every few days they won't last very long.
Of course I have over 25 OTHER meters I could use... but they are not orange!
Ah, yes. TEA has its downsides.
I pulled the seller up and got one for my self. Thanks to org poster for bringing it up here. Shows he still had 6. Now I just have to wait for the post man
He pinged me again yesterday asking if I want 10, so he has more.
The meter turns off all the time on me. I really don't like that feature as the other poster mentioned it is easy to charge.
I wish they made one the size of the Fluke 115 with all the features of the 1252. I like the size and weight of the 115 as the 1252 is pretty big when space is at a premium. I'll bet a lot of you guys were surprised at the size if you had never seen one in the flesh before.
Size is a relative thing, in a fit of madness I bought one of these just after I had ordered BM257s off Franky to replace an old Fluke 12 that got dropped one to many times
![Sad :(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/sad.gif)
RIP. whilst the 257s is shorter I actually find it bulkier as it's a lot thicker with the holster on it. So for something that gets slipped into a laptop satchel pretty often I seem to be using it more than the 257s.
Did anyone else get a set of stick on skins with theit metet? I dare you to post a pic of your meter in use in public if you did! I have a 1 year old daughter who has decided my multimeters are great toys as there's lots of buttons to press that go Beep, I don't think she would leave it alone if I stuck the ladybird one on.