Author Topic: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around  (Read 145847 times)

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Offline usagi

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #375 on: May 12, 2017, 08:48:17 pm »
fantastic meter for a phenomenal price. just the thing to feed one's GAS.

Offline bitseeker

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #376 on: May 12, 2017, 08:54:02 pm »
Yup. Get 'em while you can. Don't have GAS? Then, just get one. :-DD
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Offline jpb

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #377 on: May 12, 2017, 09:28:20 pm »
These are tempting, but in the UK the price comes to around £240 presumably without warranty and can get new-old-stock Gossen Metrahit Xtra for just under £300 with warranty from Test Tools or get an 87 V off e-bay for similar prices (£240 for "new" just doing a quick scan) so it is not a no-brainer.
The 50000 count is nice but then I have three bench meters for high resolution measurements (2 6.5 digit and 1 5.5 digit).
I'll keep dithering until the opportunity is gone, but I don't really need another meter I just want one!
« Last Edit: May 12, 2017, 09:34:46 pm by jpb »
 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #378 on: May 12, 2017, 09:39:13 pm »
I'll keep dithering until the opportunity is gone, but I don't really need another meter I just want one!

That's one way to fight GAS...until the next opportunity comes along.

Seriously, though, it may not be a good deal to all locations.
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Offline hli

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #379 on: May 15, 2017, 01:49:03 pm »
I got mine on Thursday. Calibration data was in 2013, but it seems its not in spec anymore. I'm using a home-made multi-reference setup for checking (as I do with my other DMMs too), and I get different values depending on input polarity:
  • for 2.5V I get 2.5041 / -2.4976
  • for 5V I get 5.0025 / 4.9962
Even assuming my refs are not exactly on the exact voltages (my other DMMs seem agree on 2.496 and 4.994V for these two ranges) the U1252B is out more than it should. And I would expect to be the readings to be the same regardless of input polarity. Is there any way to calibrate / change that zero point.?
 

Offline Fraser

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #380 on: May 15, 2017, 11:00:25 pm »
Well I have just joined the Orange Multimeter club :)

Seller accepted $200 offer and the exchange rate £1 = $1.25 so not too bad really.

Now to see how long it takes to arrive :)

Fraser
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Offline bitseeker

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #381 on: May 16, 2017, 12:22:11 am »
Welcome to the club, Fraser. :-DMM
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Offline coromonadalix

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #382 on: May 16, 2017, 12:52:58 am »
Dont give an leg and arm for a Gossen Metrahit like i did,    loll
 

Offline mstck

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #383 on: May 16, 2017, 03:37:49 am »
Has anyone replaced the battery with a Lithium Ion rechargeable?  If so, what has the performance been like? I appreciate that you would have to use an external charger  for the Li battery. After several charge/discharge  cycles, the supplied battery for my unit  still completely  discharges in a few weeks.  Looking for a replacement.
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #384 on: May 16, 2017, 03:57:56 am »
I had a GAS attack and ordered a second one.  Now I'll wait for a good deal on a second U1177a so I can log power, etc... :)
 

Offline hli

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #385 on: May 16, 2017, 08:45:33 pm »
  • This phenomena can happen if your 9V battery is almost empty
  • In the manual U1251-90036.PDF you can find procedure to calibrate in chapter 6 - search Keysight online to retrieve the manual.
Both tips were indeed correct.
Although I fully charged the battery when I got the meter (iot was at about 60% or so, and it took like 30 minutes), it was now at 20%, and did not even fully charge after two full runs over 220 minutes. With a fresh 9V battery the difference drops about 1/3rd - better, but still not good. Shorting the inputs reads about 30mV still.
Since I don't have any really accurate voltage source (esp. not at the voltages required for full calibration) I cheated a little bit: I did only the first step of the cailibration for DC volts and DC milli volts, which is just a shorted input. After that I exited the calibration mode, which saved the new zero point. Now thereading are consistent across polarities, and the measurements are well within spec.

Many thanks!

hli
« Last Edit: May 16, 2017, 09:21:30 pm by hli »
 

Offline Fraser

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #386 on: May 16, 2017, 09:04:30 pm »
Bought the U1177A Bluetooth adapter for my meter .... it will be my first and only wireless logging multimeter  :)

Paid £37.55 delivered for my U1177A. Best price I could find in the UK. The USB cable was £32 so it was an easy decision to go with the BT adapter.

Fraser
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Offline aargee

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #387 on: May 17, 2017, 02:05:40 am »
Does the U1177A have a USB connection or do you need Bluetooth connectivity to use on a PC?
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Offline BravoV

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #388 on: May 17, 2017, 03:23:10 am »
Does the U1177A have a USB connection or do you need Bluetooth connectivity to use on a PC?

No USB, only thru BT.

For common pc or laptop, you need to have BT USB dongle, but they're dirt cheap anyway.
 
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Offline Fraser

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #389 on: May 17, 2017, 04:32:12 am »
I was considering hacking my U1177A when it arrives to access the IR transceiver so that a USB bridge chip may be connected to it. Then again, the BT solution provides wireless convenience so I will see how I get on with it before doing any hacking :)

From what I have read on the datasheets for the 1117A and 1177A, only the 1117A can communicate with an iOS device. That struck me as quite odd as it is just a IR serial to BT converter. Anyone know why an iOS device would not be able to talk to the 1177A via the BT link ? Put me out of my misery and explain it to me please :)

Fraser
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Online HighVoltage

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #390 on: May 17, 2017, 07:40:40 am »
From what I have read on the datasheets for the 1117A and 1177A, only the 1117A can communicate with an iOS device. That struck me as quite odd as it is just a IR serial to BT converter. Anyone know why an iOS device would not be able to talk to the 1177A via the BT link ? Put me out of my misery and explain it to me please :)

Fraser

I have three 1177A U1117A BT adapters by now and they are working perfectly alright with iOS 8 and 9 and 10
(Typo fixed)

« Last Edit: May 17, 2017, 10:00:59 am by HighVoltage »
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Offline Fraser

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #391 on: May 17, 2017, 09:00:21 am »
Thanks HighVoltage.

Looks like some Marketing bull or a mistake then. The 1117A brochure has a specs comparison with the 1177A and shows the 1177A as Android only,  with the 1117A being Android and iOS. I thought that sounded a bit unlikely.

Many thanks for confirming the situation for me :)

Fraser
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Online HighVoltage

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #392 on: May 17, 2017, 10:00:09 am »
Ooops
Sorry, that was a typo.

I have three of the Keysight U1117A Bluetooth/ IR-Adapter and they work perfectly with iOS 8,9,10
No experience on my side with the U1177A

I paid 113 euro each for the U1117A BT adapters minus a little discount for the distributor.


« Last Edit: May 17, 2017, 10:02:43 am by HighVoltage »
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Offline Geoff_S

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U1252B vs 87 ?
« Reply #393 on: May 17, 2017, 11:05:32 am »
So there seems to be a lot to like about these U1252B's vs the ole standard Fluke 87V.  I'm thinking about getting one to replace my 87V.  But what are the downsides - shorter battery life, less rugged, anything else ??
 

Offline BravoV

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Re: U1252B vs 87 ?
« Reply #394 on: May 17, 2017, 11:26:16 am »
So there seems to be a lot to like about these U1252B's vs the ole standard Fluke 87V.  I'm thinking about getting one to replace my 87V.  But what are the downsides - shorter battery life, less rugged, anything else ??

Few personal words, so take it with grain of salt.

Own both, spec wise, U1252B has more bell & whistles and probably more suitable for low voltage electronics like at the bench, while 87V is more on electrician's side, subjective of course.

Physically, may be its just me, the U1252B's plastic feels a bit flimsy compared to 87V that feels solid and nice, its hard to explain, you have to feel it in your palm to get it.

Also 87V has detachable rubber jacket that imo its much-much better rubber/silicon material, while the U1252B's bumper rubber is not detachable and also abit stiff and feels cheap.

Offline orin

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Re: U1252B vs 87 ?
« Reply #395 on: May 17, 2017, 04:32:35 pm »
So there seems to be a lot to like about these U1252B's vs the ole standard Fluke 87V.  I'm thinking about getting one to replace my 87V.  But what are the downsides - shorter battery life, less rugged, anything else ??

Main disadvantages:

Continuity tester on the U1252B is terrible compared to the Fluke - even with Fluke probes (I tried).

Having to recharge the battery.


At the same price as an 87V, it wouldn't be my first choice.  At the current price, it makes a good backup to the Fluke.

When less accuracy is required, I actually prefer my old Fluke 111 due to its faster response.  Both the bigger meters take longer to auto-range.

 

Offline grumpydoc

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Re: U1252B vs 87 ?
« Reply #396 on: May 17, 2017, 04:42:42 pm »
Continuity tester on the U1252B is terrible compared to the Fluke - even with Fluke probes (I tried).
Turn off auto ranging & leave it on the \$ 500 \Omega \$ range
 

Offline Fraser

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #397 on: May 17, 2017, 04:57:01 pm »
I have yet to receive my U1252B but some of my simple thoughts on the meter purchase

When it comes to multimeters I am a simple soul who was brought up on basic decent quality digital Multimeters from the likes of Beckman and analogue multimeters from AVO and Sanwa. I still know my way around the inside and outside of an AVO 8  ;D

I went through a stage of buying many multimeters, I still do not truly know why.... shiny object syndrome I suspect  ;D Amongst my 'hoard' I have everything from cheap UNI-T handhelds through to quality Wavetek, FLUKE, AVO, Metrix and Avantest multimeters. Some are handhelds, others are bench type.  I have the obligitory super simple wallet types and probe types from Wavetek in case of need as well. Great for a portable kit but not the most versatile of instruments !

I am a RF Tech by trade but my 'thing' is thermal camera use and repair. If I am honest, even a simple digital multimeter will suffice when doing repairs. Super accuracy is not normally an issue when you have no schematics and values against which to reference  ;D My lab is more maintenance than R&D station.

I bought a FLUKE 87 III soon after joining this forum as I appreciated Dave's  comments on having at least one really nice quality multimeter with a decent continuity response time. I paid £120 for an 'as new' 87 III and I love it. It is my go-to multimeter and I use it all the time.  I truly have no 'need' for any other multimeters and so I shall rehome my large collection of unused meters soon. I have amazing FLUKE and Advantest Bench multimeters that claim great accuracy.... but I do not truthfully need such levels of accuracy in my daily work. They are nice to look at though  ;D

I recently purchased some Keysight U5855A thermal cameras and when searching for Keysight on the forum found this thread. I have never been taht sure about Agilent multimeters and would admit to sitting in the FLUKE fan club as a rule. On this occasion, however, the contents of this thread and teh U1252B's ability to be wirelessly linked to a computer or tablet appealed. I have logging multimeters but they are cheap and nasty units with RS232/USB cable connectivity.The U1252B would blow such cheapo meters away me thinks. The price of these NOS meters was right as well. A new FLUKE is hard for me to justify as I have the, still great condition, 87 III. The U1252B offers me additional capabilities beyond those of the 87 III. For that reason I bout one, plus the optional IR BT interface. I do not think I will be disappointed somehow.

I will likely reduce my multimeter collection to the FLUKE 87 III, Agilent U1252B, a couple of AVO and ISO-Tech high end multimeters and a sprinkling of probe/wallet Wavetek meters. The rest can serve new owners. This purchase will likely lead to the rationalisation of my crazy stick of new and unused multimeters that I have accrued over the years  :D Their sale may even pay for the new U1252B  :-+

My sincere thanks to all who have participated in this great thread, and especially the OP for starting it  :-+

Fraser
« Last Edit: May 17, 2017, 05:12:08 pm by Fraser »
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Offline tooki

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Re: U1252B vs 87 ?
« Reply #398 on: May 17, 2017, 05:38:29 pm »
So there seems to be a lot to like about these U1252B's vs the ole standard Fluke 87V.  I'm thinking about getting one to replace my 87V.  But what are the downsides - shorter battery life, less rugged, anything else ??
I think that move would be frustrating.

Above all, autoranging is slow. Much slower than the 87V, and infinitely slower than my bench meter (K2015).

Turn off auto ranging & leave it on the \$ 500 \Omega \$ range
Even manually ranged, using gold ProbeMaster probes, it's still absurdly slow. Absolutely useless for catching transient shorts, as well as for finding pins by dragging the probe across a row quickly. It has to be the worst continuity I've ever seen or used.

On the positive side, it's accurate, has wider measurement range than most meters (measures down to 1pF resolution), has a great LCD, data logging, etc.

In a nutshell, it makes a great addition to my meters, but I'd be hesitant to replace another high-quality meter with it.
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Bunch of keysight U1252B meters around
« Reply #399 on: May 17, 2017, 06:44:23 pm »
I find the U252B much more enjoyable to use compared to my Fluke 87V.  It's size, screen visibility and features I find more appealing than the Fluke.  It does have it's weak points but overall I prefer it.   But it really is best kept on the electronics bench since it is surely no where near as rugged and durable as the Fluke. Also, I'm betting that the Fluke will hold its accuracy better over time.  For that reason alone, I'll keep and continue to use the 87V. I expect it will be passed down to my kids and then to grandkids..

Looks like some Marketing bull or a mistake then. The 1117A brochure has a specs comparison with the 1177A and shows the 1177A as Android only,  with the 1117A being Android and iOS. I thought that sounded a bit unlikely.

Keep in mind that the 1177A does work very well with Windows as well.  I have mostly iOS devices but just can justify the much higher price for an 1117A just for that use. I happen to have a couple of outdated/unused Android devices I can use but a cheap Android phone or tablet dedicated for that use could also be purchased for the price difference.
 


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