So, for those suggesting this beginner go look for a pricey used meter, are you going to help him with that process?
Keep in mind that is 'beginner' is in the US, where used meters do not have to be so pricey. The prices I quoted where from recently completed listings, not some hypothetical local flea market deal from a decade ago.
Oh, and take him through the calibration process?
Why would a beginner need a calibrated meter? Do the Owon or Vichi meters come with a cal certificate? Just compare a bunch of readings to your existing handheld.
The choices appear to be:
- An affordable meter with shitty usability (Owon, random AliExpress special)
- An affordable meter with very limited performance / functionality (Vichi)
- An affordable used meter with better performance and usability, but might require some time.
- An expensive meter of the brand you're apparently a fanboy of.
When I started out, I first went for option #1: a barely usable Metex bench meter that was a waste of money (for example the continuity beeper would take
multiple seconds to respond), and then #3: a used but functional HP 3468A, and this was in the EU, so shipping was not super cheap. I really wanted four wire ohms to measure low value resistors, and I didn't have a stable external current source (my bench supply was part of the same unit as the shitty meter). Based on that, I would recommend option 3 (based on personal experience) or 2 (based on nctnico's reports).