Affordable benchtop DMM with largest digit size for senior user?

[LinuxHata]

Hello.
I searched this forum before posting, and found no results. I have a following task, hoping for your help with it.
I want to buy a benchtop DMM for a senior hobbyist, who's eyes aren't that sharp as they were say, 40 years ago. So it should have large, contrasty digits.
Main requirements, besides large digits are:

1. Manual selection of range and measurement type, no auto-switching.
2. 5999 readings at normal speed (3-5 fps) will be enough.
3. There's no need for frequency measurement, capacity measurement, logic analyzer, memory recall, relative measurement, peak hold, hot/cold wire finder and so on. Only voltage, current, resistance.
4. Price under $200.

Based on my research, I see that UNI-T 8802 or 8803 (also known as 802+ and 803+ in some markets) are the best choices for my budget. I also looked at aneng An-888 (one with BT speaker and clock), but it looks like a toy and won't count as an "serious" equipment.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

A

[tooki]

Does it have to be a bench meter? The bench meters in that price range are, in essence, repackaged handheld meters anyway. Generally speaking, handheld meters tend to have larger displays.

[alm]

You're probably looking for new equipment, but if you're open to used, then the Keithley 199 with with its ~1/2" high 7-segment LED display would be my choice. I find this LED display much better in contrast and viewing angle than any LCD. Ranging is either auto or manual, but with push button up/down as opposed to a button for every range. Recently sold units on eBay went for $90-$250.

[nctnico]

Vici VC8145 is also to be considered. Range can be selected manually if you want. The big, backlit LCD display is easy to read and was one of the reasons I bought it (actually 2 of them).

[bdunham7]

Vici VC8145 is also to be considered. Range can be selected manually if you want. The big, backlit LCD display is easy to read and was one of the reasons I bought it (actually 2 of them).

It's too bad they can't get around to updating it to USB.

[bdunham7]

Based on my research, I see that UNI-T 8802 or 8803 (also known as 802+ and 803+ in some markets) are the best choices for my budget. I also looked at aneng An-888 (one with BT speaker and clock), but it looks like a toy and won't count as an "serious" equipment.

You probably aren't going to like the rotary knob range selection.  If you want new, the previously suggested VC8145 is worth a look.  In used, if you can find a Fluke 8840A with the AC option and in good condition with a good display you might like it.  However, it is pretty tough to find any deals on those these days.

[BeBuLamar]

You're asking for large display because your eye sight isn't very good but I found most meters even one with large display have very small label marking on the dial or push buttons. Wouldn't that be a problem?

[Hexley]

Another option to consider if used is OK -- an old Fluke 8600A. That will give your friend 4 1/2 digits of bright LEDs. And a very simple user interface - just a row of rugged mechanical push buttons. Each range gets it own push button. Each mode gets its own push button (ACV/DCV/KOHMS/AC MA/DC MA).

I see there is one being auctioned for $50 as of this writing. Of course, with gear of that age it is definitely a Caveat Emptor situation.

Good luck.

[Arts]

I like big, bright displays myself.

Other than my Nixie tube equipment, I swear by LED displays. I don't know how bad your vision is, but I can still read these from across the shop. Not much need for that though,haha:

My bench meters are the Keithley 177 & 179. Both have 0.5" displays, and very little control BS. 
My portable meters are Simpson 360-2, Simpson 461 & Fluke 8040A. I believe those displays are all 0.43"

[Caliaxy]

Based on my research, I see that UNI-T 8802 or 8803 (also known as 802+ and 803+ in some markets) are the best choices for my budget. I also looked at aneng An-888 (one with BT speaker and clock), but it looks like a toy and won't count as an "serious" equipment.

Not sure about those particular Uni-T models, but based on my experience with a handheld Uni-T with a similar reverse LCD display, the blue digits on dark background are really hard to read in well lit environments, even indoors. I would avoid them for this reason, unless somebody confirms is not the case here.

[tautech]

You're asking for large display because your eye sight isn't very good but I found most meters even one with large display have very small label marking on the dial or push buttons. Wouldn't that be a problem?

Not if it's plainly clear which measurement mode you're in.

[free_electron]

how bout that new owon machine ? xdm1041

[LinuxHata]

Thanks everyone!
I'm planning this as a gift to my grandpa, so idea of used equipment is not really nice, imo.
He requires rotary knob, because he has nice "finger memory", so can easily remember the positions, without having to look at the tiny labels. So this is why I skipped that Vici/Victor model (which is also auto range). He had something similar, with auto range and buttons (Amprobe, maybe), he didn't liked it, so gave it away.

He does not like auto range, so need manual range.

The benchtop requirement comes from the smaller work area, so he do not want DMM on it, but prefer to put it in on a shelf behind, so hence the requirement for larger digits.

[taste_tester]

Thanks everyone!
I'm planning this as a gift to my grandpa, so idea of used equipment is not really nice, imo.
He requires rotary knob, because he has nice "finger memory", so can easily remember the positions, without having to look at the tiny labels. So this is why I skipped that Vici/Victor model (which is also auto range). He had something similar, with auto range and buttons (Amprobe, maybe), he didn't liked it, so gave it away.

He does not like auto range, so need manual range.

The benchtop requirement comes from the smaller work area, so he do not want DMM on it, but prefer to put it in on a shelf behind, so hence the requirement for larger digits.

that is quite a lot of requirements for a very niche market with few options (bench DMM)

honestly i may suggest to you, to modify a dt830b with a VERY large screen,  or even just placed off to the side with a lens trick to magnify it,  you can get a usb to high frequency AC inverter cheaply that is powered by 5v or 12v, like lots of usb ones that can power an EL panel, i frequently use those to replace 5v backlite inverters you cant buy new anymore

[Berni]

I dunno, I would be more exited about getting gifted a 15 year old Keithley 2015 than a brand new Keysight 34460A

Rotary knobs are not as good as you might think. When they have a lot of positions it can be hard to tell in what position they are without looking at it.

Most bench DMMs have a dedicated button for each function so once you get used to it then it becomes even easier to switch modes by muscle memory. If you go for old enough ones they will even have the clunking mechanical selection buttons that stay pressed inside(like on a audio cassette player), so you can see what function is selected. More of my issue with them is that i commonly use 3 different bench DMMs and the buttons are in different spots. The ones this old are also usually manual range too.

Trust me anyone who has been in the electronics field for many years has a high level of appreciation for old high quality test gear. The new latest and greatest 3000$ bench DMMs are not really all that much capable than what they made 20 years ago. This is why all my high quality DMMs are old ones. The modern ones i own are mostly the cheep handheld DMMs that i don't need to worry about breaking when working on top of a ladder. More of a issue is that getting your hands on a good old high quality DMM involves a lot more work (looking on auction sites, buying cheep non tested units, potentially having to repair it once it arrives, fixing cosmetic issues etc)

[LinuxHata]

He does not likes handheld DMMs because they have auto off feature and backlight never stays constantly on. He has PeakMeter PM18C, so he modded it to have backlight to be constantly on, but multimeter still keeps turning itself off. You can disable that feature, but it will beep each 5 minutes then

I checked ebay, Keithley 179 seems to be quite nice thing. But it has red digits, and he hates red color. Considering these are LED, I guess, modern drop-ins, with green or white color, will be available around. But what about other mechanical parts? like push-buttons, are they durable or easy to find and replace?

I have another idea. Since I own some amount of IN-12, IN-14, IN-18 nixie tubes (the latest being the largest), technically, if there's a multimeter, which outputs raw digit data, even over serial (but not USB, have not enough programming skills at my side), I can make really huge "display" for it, using these nixie tubes

[Swainster]

I've got a number of multimeters (unfortunate case of TEA), but I keep a UNI-T 802 almost permanently turned on on my bench. It's manual ranging but that doesn't bother me (however the switch has a lot of positions so not sure how well you'd be able to operate it by "muscle memory". The fact that it's a low cost LCD meter means I can leave it turned on without worrying about "burning" the display or wasting too much energy. Its accuracy is plenty good enough for most purposes (for instance, it has the same low current resolution as my Keithley 2000 or Agilent 34401As)

[AVGresponding]

How about one of these?

[Fungus]

Maybe one of these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002534314510.html



Apart from very big digits it also has a button on the probe that you can press and it speaks the reading.

[LinuxHata]

This is not serious and it has no rotary selector.

[Fungus]

Why would you want a rotary selector on a bench meter? Push button is so much easier.

[Fungus]

How about one of these?

Look at the size of the writing on the rotary selector.

[mapleLC]

You're asking for large display because your eye sight isn't very good but I found most meters even one with large display have very small label marking on the dial or push buttons. Wouldn't that be a problem?

This was going to be my comment as well.  It's not just the readability of the screen.  You have to operate the tool as well.  I guess the bifocal lenses can solve that.

Regarding the meter, there are a lot of quite readable displays out there.  Why not choose based on the remaining criteria and then choose the screen you like from those candidates?  That would be my suggestion.

[mapleLC]

Look at the size of the writing on the rotary selector.

Lol, I couldnt have planned the point I just made better.

[nctnico]

A nice alternative from the used market would be an HP3466A . Big LED display and a pushbutton for each range / function. OTOH most of these units are decades old.