Cheap, not Chinese, Voltage reference for DIY meter calibration

[dazz1]

With respect to the 68F label, it means the unit was calibrated at that temperature, meaning 20C.

Please excuse my poor attempt at sarcasm.

[jrharley]

For what it's worth, I have found the LB02A to be fantastic!
Wouldn't call it a true standard, but it's incredibly capable and easy to use. - JRH

[dazz1]

For what it's worth, I have found the LB02A to be fantastic!
Wouldn't call it a true standard, but it's incredibly capable and easy to use. - JRH

I am looking at this as the complimentary opposite to a bench top multi-meter.  Where a multi-meter measures A,V, Ohms and sometime other things, the LB02A generates these.  I could see this being useful for prototype development. 
At a pinch, it could be used as a basic transfer standard, but not in a certified calibrated way.

I don't see the LB02A as a voltage standard like I don't see a voltage standard being a process calibrator. 

[tonyalbus]

Here the LB02A , SG003A, SG004A and DMMcheckplus rev.6 and rev.8  side by side.

[KungFuJosh]

I recently got Doug's VREF10-001 r9 and it's 10V which is more standard for a voltage ref, and it's higher accuracy than the DMMCheckPlus. I'd only get the latter if you need the LCR references v8 includes.

[BennoG]

I recently got Doug's VREF10-001 r9 and it's 10V which is more standard for a voltage ref.

Yes I am looking at this for a while now planning on buying one sometime (to add to my addiction collection)
I have a 7 1/2 dmm and a couple of 6 1/2 dmm. I would like to use it as some transfer calibration tool, an calibration check tool.

Benno

[skander36]

I recently got Doug's VREF10-001 r9 and it's 10V which is more standard for a voltage ref.

Yes I am looking at this for a while now planning on buying one sometime (to add to my addiction collection)
I have a 7 1/2 dmm and a couple of 6 1/2 dmm. I would like to use it as some transfer calibration tool, an calibration check tool.

Benno

A reference with LT1021 with 5 ppm drift should never be used in calibration process of a 7,5 digit DMM or even in 6,5 digit. Their internal references are at least ten times stable that LT 1021 so you may alter calibration process. Use at least LM 399, or LTZ1000 or newer references.

[J-R]

Doug's VREF10-001 r9 has a few changes to make it better.  The price also includes 2 years of free calibrations.  However, if you have the money, there is the PDVS2mini: https://www.wrytech.eu/products/pdvs2

[KungFuJosh]

I agree it probably shouldn't be used to calibrate those meters, but it's still a great reference for them. The stability I found with my 6.5 digit meter was excellent.

I wanted the PDVS2mini for a while, but spending more than double the cost of the VREF10-001 r9 wasn't cool with my wallet. If I'm going to invest that much for a ref, I'd rather build the Elektor project Martin72 was doing. I'm still tempted, maybe someday.

[dazz1]

I agree it probably shouldn't be used to calibrate those meters, but it's still a great reference for them. The stability I found with my 6.5 digit meter was excellent.

I wanted the PDVS2mini for a while, but spending more than double the cost of the VREF10-001 r9 wasn't cool with my wallet. If I'm going to invest that much for a ref, I'd rather build the Elektor project Martin72 was doing. I'm still tempted, maybe someday.

I have a fond spot for Elektor because back in the day, I considered them to be a source of advanced or professional quality circuits.  Although this Elektor Voltage Reference project  https://www.elektormagazine.fr/labs/voltage-current-calibrator-0-to-10v-and-0-to-40ma-0001 appears to be community contributed, it looks like an Elektor project.  I haven't priced the BOM (Elektor projects were never cheap) I suspect it would be good value for the $$$$.  It looks fairly straight forward to build.

Has anyone built one of these?

[KungFuJosh]

Has anyone built one of these?

Martin72 has: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/elektor-voltage-current-calibrator-project/



I modified the PCB design a bit, and was planning on building one, but the cost is high. The LCD and some of the chips are expensive. If not for cost, and then wanting to have it calibrated (and significantly increase the investment), I would have made one too.

[dazz1]

I found the YT video
where the author/designer indicates a build price of around €300.  Ouch, ouch, ouch.

For that price I can buy a used precision bench multi-meter plus a Chinese process calibrator.  That combination would be far more useful and versatile.

[KungFuJosh]

the author/designer indicates a build price of around €300.  Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Yeah, that's old. That's before covid made the world more expensive. It's more like 500 now. 300 will literally get 2 of the chips and the LCD now.

[dazz1]

the author/designer indicates a build price of around €300.  Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Yeah, that's old. That's before covid made the world more expensive. It's more like 500 now. 300 will literally get 2 of the chips and the LCD now.

At that price the Elector unit is a non-starter for me.  It would be nice to build the Elector unit, but value for money is not there for my use-case.

[KungFuJosh]

At that price the Elector unit is a non-starter for me.  It would be nice to build the Elector unit, but value for money is not there for my use-case.

Same for me. Even the VREF10-001 r9 I bought is well beyond my needs...and more than I should have spent, but you know. TEAS.