Is my Brymen BM235 multimeter faulty?

[numloxx]

Hi all,

It will not measure DC voltage anymore (I don't test AC, never had a need to). I only ever measure resistance, DC voltage and capacitance, so I don't use this every day.
I think it was working when I first got it, but now no matter what I do in Auto Range, it says OL (Overload).
Tried it on a 1.5v AAAA battery, nothing. Tried it on a 11.v Lipo pack, and also a 13.8v dc power supply.
Any ideas what I should do in regards to troubleshooting, or just return for a exchange?

[StuUK]

Fuse?

[Fungus]

Fuse?

The fuse isn't in the DC voltage path.

[StuUK]

Fuse?

The fuse isn't in the DC voltage path.

My Bad...

[joeqsmith]

Is my Brymen BM235 multimeter faulty?

Hi all,

It will not measure DC voltage anymore (I don't test AC, never had a need to). I only ever measure resistance, DC voltage and capacitance, so I don't use this every day.
I think it was working when I first got it, but now no matter what I do in Auto Range, it says OL (Overload).
Tried it on a 1.5v AAAA battery, nothing. Tried it on a 11.v Lipo pack, and also a 13.8v dc power supply.
Any ideas what I should do in regards to troubleshooting, or just return for a exchange?

Let's see, you claim it can't read DC voltages but you only think it worked when you first bought it.  I had provided a sketch of the front end when I reviewed it. Without a working meter, even if you had the skills needed, it will be difficult to check out.  If it's under warranty, I would send it in.  If you attempt to repair it, you may do more harm than good and void any warranty. 

If you just want to check the basics,
Are you sure you have the meter in the DCV mode? 
Did you check continuity of the leads?
Have you checked all the other modes and know if they are working or not?

[numloxx]

Ok, this is what I've done so far.
I've tried a different set of test leads from another multimeter. Didn't change the results.
I set my power supply to 13.8v dc and it shows 13.83 on my other multimeter, but the Brymen shows OL.
Testing a 50ohm resistor shows 14.93Megaohms.
Other multimeter shows 50.3 Ohms.
Continuity is ok on the test leads, but when I measure resistance it goes ape...
Not quite sure how to test the other modes, sorry.

[DTJ]

Perhaps try: pull the battery from the Brymen, maybe even short out the battery connector terminals............. wait a minute or three, them refit the battery & retest.

[numloxx]

Tried it, but didn't fix it.

[Fungus]

It's broken. Send it back.

[joeqsmith]

So resistance mode is dead as well.  That's too bad. 

It's broken. Send it back.

 

Curious what you did that caused it to fail.  That rebranded EEVBLOG one I tested is tough as nails. 

[Fungus]

Curious what you did that caused it to fail.  That rebranded EEVBLOG one I tested is tough as nails.

It has to be a bad solder joint or something. I don't think it would fail electronically if used for DC Volts+resistors.

[joeqsmith]

Curious what you did that caused it to fail.  That rebranded EEVBLOG one I tested is tough as nails.

It has to be a bad solder joint or something. I don't think it would fail electronically if used for DC Volts+resistors.

Yes, it has to be something!       

They may not use it every day and may have used low voltages to check it but for all we know it may have been placed across the rectified side of the microwave oven.   It may have been just one time.  I doubt it would survive for even a second.  People do some pretty dumb things at times (myself included). 

What's the story on this one? 

[Fungus]

What's the story on this one?

Obviously we need the full story...

Nothing said so far indicates a crazy owner but you never know.

[joeqsmith]

What's the story on this one?

Obviously we need the full story...

Nothing said so far indicates a crazy owner but you never know.

Nope we don't but I doubt it failed while reading a loose resistor on the bench.   Tend to agree, the lack of a response seems to indicate there is a good story here waiting to be told.

[numloxx]

Sorry to disappoint, but the lack of response is because I don't have a lot of time on the net to follow up on things
Will send it back in today.

[joeqsmith]

Sorry to disappoint, but the lack of response is because I don't have a lot of time on the net to follow up on things
Will send it back in today.

At least you could have made something up!

[numloxx]

Oh of course, sorry. I forgot... this is what REALLY happened...
As I was watching a video about how great Trump would be as President... I got sent a video about adding a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPhone 7...
So I thought that could work on the BM235... so I used a 6.5mm (I only have the big headphone plugs) drill bit, but it went right through the case and into the PCB.
So I filled it with carbon dust from a lead pencil to stop everything from rattling and making a noise. Topped it off with some wood glue.
Still covered under warranty right?

[MK14]

Your not using brand new Lithium energiser AA batteries inside the meter, with slightly too high a voltage (>>1.5V) for the meter ?

[Fungus]

Nope we don't but I doubt it failed while reading a loose resistor on the bench.

If it's a bad solder joint then maybe the weather got colder (or warmer). 

Or maybe something flexed once too often while inserting/removing a lead.

[Johnny Electron]

Oh of course, sorry. I forgot... this is what REALLY happened...
As I was watching a video about how great Trump would be as President... I got sent a video about adding a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPhone 7...
So I thought that could work on the BM235... so I used a 6.5mm (I only have the big headphone plugs) drill bit, but it went right through the case and into the PCB.
So I filled it with carbon dust from a lead pencil to stop everything from rattling and making a noise. Topped it off with some wood glue.
Still covered under warranty right?

No way!  This is exactly what happened to me!

[MK14]

Oh of course, sorry. I forgot... this is what REALLY happened...
As I was watching a video about how great Trump would be as President... I got sent a video about adding a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPhone 7...
So I thought that could work on the BM235... so I used a 6.5mm (I only have the big headphone plugs) drill bit, but it went right through the case and into the PCB.
So I filled it with carbon dust from a lead pencil to stop everything from rattling and making a noise. Topped it off with some wood glue.
Still covered under warranty right?

No way!  This is exactly what happened to me!

And me too!

To find out more about why the Carbon dust was stopping things, I watched Johnny Electron, this episode in  particular...

[RGB255_0_0]

Nope we don't but I doubt it failed while reading a loose resistor on the bench.

If it's a bad solder joint then maybe the weather got colder (or warmer). 

Or maybe something flexed once too often while inserting/removing a lead.

Well, we know it won't be the first 235 to have that issue.

[vinceroger]

Hi all,

It will not measure DC voltage anymore (I don't test AC, never had a need to). I only ever measure resistance, DC voltage and capacitance, so I don't use this every day.
I think it was working when I first got it, but now no matter what I do in Auto Range, it says OL (Overload).
Tried it on a 1.5v AAAA battery, nothing. Tried it on a 11.v Lipo pack, and also a 13.8v dc power supply.
Any ideas what I should do in regards to troubleshooting, or just return for a exchange?

Maybe related to this?

[Hydrawerk]

Oh of course, sorry. I forgot... this is what REALLY happened...
As I was watching a video about how great Trump would be as President... I got sent a video about adding a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPhone 7...
So I thought that could work on the BM235... so I used a 6.5mm (I only have the big headphone plugs) drill bit, but it went right through the case and into the PCB.
So I filled it with carbon dust from a lead pencil to stop everything from rattling and making a noise. Topped it off with some wood glue.
Still covered under warranty right?

What the hell is this. 

[MK14]

Oh of course, sorry. I forgot... this is what REALLY happened...
As I was watching a video about how great Trump would be as President... I got sent a video about adding a 3.5mm headphone jack to the iPhone 7...
So I thought that could work on the BM235... so I used a 6.5mm (I only have the big headphone plugs) drill bit, but it went right through the case and into the PCB.
So I filled it with carbon dust from a lead pencil to stop everything from rattling and making a noise. Topped it off with some wood glue.
Still covered under warranty right?

What the hell is this. 

It was a joke.
As requested/hinted at being created by other(s), earlier in the thread.