Duspol recommendation?

[schmadde]

  I was more thinking about a mains-powered, small and portable device, but you are completely right, for use at home, you could use almost anything, even a vacuum cleaner.

Sure, but if I need the tester at the socket anyway it is more convenient to just use that one than to lug around the vacuum cleaner.

I had ordered the Uni-T because I saw one at Amazon "warehouse deals" (or how they call it today) for 31€. That did have a beeper and even the 4mm caps that fit well inside the sockets, but it didn't give any signal without batteries and also you cannot switch it on - it switches itself on when connected to a power source. So there is no difference in behaviour between empty batteries and a disconnected circuit. I don't like that.

I have ordered the Voltcraft 2 days ago, unfortunately not yet shipped. I am not used to waiting longer than a day for delivery anymore

[schmadde]

I had ordered the Uni-T [...] it didn't give any signal without batteries

Seems like the UT18D is the only one in the series that does not signal "deadly power" without batteries - there is an UT18E now was well, that also does this and is otherwise quite similar to the UT18D.

Meanwhile the VC-55 arrived. It does have less features than my old VC-58 - no RCD test, no voltage measurement below 12V, also no frequency display.

But I don't really need all that so I guess I'll keep it - it has the 4mm probes, beeping on high voltage, a warning LED for live circuit even with dead/missing batteries and the two probes can clip together for putting it in a socket (and leaving it there for a while).

The interesting thing is that on my old VC-58 everything else works: high voltage warning/beep, background illumination, flashlight at the big probe, RCD test - even dc voltage measurement works as I just realized. Seems like only AC voltage measurement is broken. I would try a repair, but the case seems to be glued together, no screws anywhere except the battery compartment