Which uni-t clamp meter is everyone using?

[chefslot]

Just been through a few days of studying of all subjects on DMM's bang for buck and brought the UT139c. I'm not a professional or even a enthusiastic hobbyist, getting there thou. I wanted to use something for fault finding on my car, electrical appliances and high power LEDS, so wanted something with a bit of user protection.

Now i really can see the appeal of a clamp meter as a even safer option for high amperage, again i wont be using it lots but just the occasional times where i don't have to break the circuit. Once such time is going to be for when i relabel my AC stick welder as the amp indicator has moved, so i want to be able to zero that in, plus also i want to add a full bridge rectifier to it to go DC. So around the 200 Amps max.

Narrowed it down to two, UNI-T UT210D and the UNI-T UT204, just want to see if other guys have brought.

A big thank you to Dave and his videos on DMM's wow can you imagine being his apprentice, my head would explode after a days work so much info from one guy and i'm not even to sure his videos are cut and edited.

Regards       

[SeanB]

UT210E is nice and small, and quite cheap as well.  Bought one recently, and am getting to like it, and using it a bit as an outdoor meter, and like the low current DC ranges ( though it also makes a pretty good compass though because of that) plus it is really small, so fits in easily in a small pouch.

[farzadb82]

Same as SeanB, I have the UT210E. I bought it because it was the only reasonably priced one (that I could find) that could reliably do passive DC current measurement.

Since buying it I've grown to really like it. It's small and portable and easy to work with. Function dial seems a little cheap, but it held up well in the 3 odd months I've had it.

[2N3055]

One more  for UT210E..

Reasonably accurate, very handy.. It has non contact voltage detection too... Useful little thing.

[Muxr]

I have the UNI-T UT210E.. nice build quality for the price. Near field stuff is hit or miss or I don't know how to use it properly. Clamp seamed to work well but I haven't really thoroughly tested it.

[chefslot]

So how come you lot went with the E as it only goes to 100A where the D goes to 200A? Cheers for all the quick responses too, good forum!!

[2N3055]

So how come you lot went with the E as it only goes to 100A where the D goes to 200A? Cheers for all the quick responses too, good forum!!

I couldn't care less for +100A.... I bought it for 2A range.. THAT is rare... I don't do high power stuff.. even 20A would be ok for me..

But that depends on use.. If you need higher currents, you need something else..

[chefslot]

Am i missing something, here's the specs on both
http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1190_915_915.html
http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1189_915_915.html

Regards

[vonkempnz]

Another vote for the UT210E. I have one kicking around for quick low current measurements.

The main advantage of the UT210E over the UT210D (at least for me) is the addition of a low current range with 2A DC full scale.

[joeqsmith]

Am i missing something, here's the specs on both
Regards

Maybe, the D can't resolve 1mADC which was the whole reason I bought one, er two now.  I have yet to plug the leads into mine.  Mostly use it for DCA.  Hack the EEPROM and you turn a good meter into something really nice.  Hack the hardware and well.... 

[Falkra]

And one more using UT210E, for the exact same reason : the 2A DC amp range.
It is really useful to be able to measure amps on DC lines with the clamp, and get some precision on low values. When you are using a classical clamp it is rated for 400A but when checking for 250 mA... it's not the right tool.

[2N3055]

Am i missing something, here's the specs on both
http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1190_915_915.html
http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1189_915_915.html

Regards

Well, specs for 210E are wrong, but take a look at the photo.. :-)

[chefslot]

Kind of in between a rock and a hard place for this, as i only need  200a measurement once or twice and it seems a waste to then miss out on the low amperage measurements that the 'D' is missing, and to add insult to injury my multi meter has a symbol saying i can connect a amp clamp to it, which then would be great for the low current stuff, but can i find this product from UNI-T any where, nope!!

[SkyMaster]

Kind of in between a rock and a hard place for this, as i only need  200a measurement once or twice and it seems a waste to then miss out on the low amperage measurements that the 'D' is missing, and to add insult to injury my multi meter has a symbol saying i can connect a amp clamp to it, which then would be great for the low current stuff, but can i find this product from UNI-T any where, nope!!

The UNI-T UT210E is able to measure DC current, and is it an extremely low cost device. Which other clamp meter can measure DC at a comparable cost?

There is a thread about the UT210E; https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-look-at-the-uni-t-ut210e

 

[chefslot]

Think i will get a 'E' then beg borrow or buy a cheap meter for measuring 200 amps. Cheers all

[PedroDaGr8]

Am i missing something, here's the specs on both
Regards

Maybe, the D can't resolve 1mADC which was the whole reason I bought one, er two now.  I have yet to plug the leads into mine.  Mostly use it for DCA.  Hack the EEPROM and you turn a good meter into something really nice.  Hack the hardware and well....

There is most peoples hack and YOUR version of hack. Kinda like saying Picasso dabbled in painting.

[chefslot]

Just one last question, to clarify 

So the 'D' will auto range for 20a or 200a with a 10ma or 100ma resolution, so if it auto ranges at 20a i could measure something at .01 amps? (10ma = .01a) Because for me this is close enough for anything i will be doing.

Thank you for your patients.   

[chefslot]

That last post wasn't a mic take, i'm just wanting to check my decimals points are correct.

[SkyMaster]

That last post wasn't a mic take, i'm just wanting to check my decimals points are correct.

The lack of response could be explained by "everyone is using an UT210E" 

But, for the UT210D, it seems that the resolution is 10mA on the 20.00 A range.

You can download the UT210D User Manual from the Uni-T website http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1189_915_915.html

 

[SeanB]

Used mine to check charging current in a 12V battery, and while it was sitting at about the correct float voltage, it was not able to supply the current to drive the gate motor. Now to buy a new battery this wek when i get a chance to go to the better supplier, looks like a lead crystal instead of the deep cycle energiser is going to be the thing, currently running off a 9Ah UPS battery, but we really want at least a 24 hour backup ability which a 9Ah will not give. S olooking for the smallest lead crystal over 15Ah.

[chefslot]

That last post wasn't a mic take, i'm just wanting to check my decimals points are correct.

The lack of response could be explained by "everyone is using an UT210E" 

But, for the UT210D, it seems that the resolution is 10mA on the 20.00 A range.

You can download the UT210D User Manual from the Uni-T website http://www.uni-trend.com/productsdetail_1189_915_915.html

 

Hi yes i have been on their page, i didn't look at the download as the picture and the specs on the webpage where wrong. So just to clarify the UT210D would be able to read something at 0.01 amps, the only reason i ask this is because to be able to read something that is 0.001 amps (to me) is a little hardcore isn't it? What do you need to find out that amount of low current for? Regards

[chefslot]

Used mine to check charging current in a 12V battery, and while it was sitting at about the correct float voltage, it was not able to supply the current to drive the gate motor. Now to buy a new battery this wek when i get a chance to go to the better supplier, looks like a lead crystal instead of the deep cycle energiser is going to be the thing, currently running off a 9Ah UPS battery, but we really want at least a 24 hour backup ability which a 9Ah will not give. S olooking for the smallest lead crystal over 15Ah.

Thats gone over my head buddy, so i take it you needed the ultra low 1ma resolution to see if the (logic?) gate was opening or closing, but couldn't you have used a normal DMM for this and broke the circuit? Only asking as i brought a UT139c that would go down lower then 1ma.
Regards

[SkyMaster]

Thats gone over my head buddy, so i take it you needed the ultra low 1ma resolution to see if the (logic?) gate was opening or closing, but couldn't you have used a normal DMM for this and broke the circuit? Only asking as i brought a UT139c that would go down lower then 1ma.
Regards

Chefslot,

Yes, your UT139C has a resolution as low as 0.1µA, but as you wrote; you need to break into the circuit. You cannot always easily break into a circuit (think about chasing a parasitic battery drain in car). And there is the burden voltage when you measure the current with a DMM. It seems that the burden voltage of the UT139C is not published (did not see it in the manual), but it exists. A Clamp Meter requires no set up time; you just clamp it.

 

[joeqsmith]

You cannot always easily break into a circuit (think about chasing a parasitic battery drain in car).

    

This was exactly why I decided to spare the UT210E. 

[SeanB]

I was using the 20A range, but all I needed was accuracy to tell me charge, roughly what, discharge, roughly what, and not add any extra voltage drop in there. No lead resistance to worry about, no shunt resistance and no fuse resistance either, so it is almost invisible in reading current ( at least at DC as the core will have a very small added impedance with AC) and you can read current without cutting cables or pulling them out of connectors, so you can read under load.

I wanted to see the battery current, not the logic, which in any case is being supported by the charger anyway, and the battery is float charging till the motor draws a current pulse from it. Great for alarms and such, as disconnecting the battery will set a fault code within a few seconds with the increased float voltage and dropped float charge current.