Poll

How many cycles will the KeySight U1281A's detent spring last?

0-2000
7 (17.9%)
2k-4k
5 (12.8%)
4k-8k
14 (35.9%)
8k-16k
7 (17.9%)
>16k (most rubust meter ever made)
6 (15.4%)

Total Members Voted: 36

Author Topic: Handheld meter robustness testing  (Read 1149665 times)

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Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Well, it's been a long two day blitz of nothing but 17B+ testing.  The video is being uploaded now.   I made it more of a review and compared it with what I think would be a similar product from a different brand.   All in all, it's not a bad meter. 

I found a mistake in the spreadsheet as well that I have corrected when I added the results for the 17B+.   I have also added a second page for the continuity tests I have done.     


Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Before I forget, I thought I saw a very strange condition when using the 17B+.   It was after one of the tests and I was verifying that the meter was functional.   What I though I had happen was I had it get into a state where the the RED warning light came on and stuck with a very small signal applied.   I tried to reproduce it with no luck.   Maybe not enough coffee or not enough sleep.   :-// 


Offline DG5SAY

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3): see pictures
Wow, the 15B+ is way out of spec (0.5% + 3 digits) at 9.84 and 39.40.  Definitely  :--

4) Was the 15B+ out of spec since day 1, brand new, or has this meter drifted over time?

off topic: I like the bigger digits compared to the 87V.

PS. I had to ask regarding your references because I had no idea what you had.

4): it was out of spec "since day 1"! I own it now for 6 months and it has not changed since then.
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Here is my 17B+ review/test.   It's long....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvC5woDYGd4&feature=youtu.be

DG5SAY, are all of the other functions in-cal?
 
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Offline PedroDaGr8

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Here is my 17B+ review/test.   It's long....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvC5woDYGd4&feature=youtu.be

DG5SAY, are all of the other functions in-cal?

Starts the video saying, I'm not going to do a full review....

Does a full review :-DD

That being said, nice review so far. Still watching/listening to it as I work on a document for work.
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Offline DG5SAY

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Here is my 17B+ review/test.   It's long....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvC5woDYGd4&feature=youtu.be

DG5SAY, are all of the other functions in-cal?

ACV is also out of spec (see my attachment in reply # 618), the other functions I have not yet thoroughly checked
 

Offline retiredcaps

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4): it was out of spec "since day 1"! I own it now for 6 months and it has not changed since then.
I'm surprised you didn't ask for a replacement or refund from seller if it was out of calibration since day 1?
 

Offline DG5SAY

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4): it was out of spec "since day 1"! I own it now for 6 months and it has not changed since then.
I'm surprised you didn't ask for a replacement or refund from seller if it was out of calibration since day 1?

Sure, I did. But first, they don´t believe me. When I sent them my measurements, they offered me to exchange the multimeter. I should have sent it, however, at my own costs to China, clearly that I neither the device nor the money would have seen again! So I made a negative review and will never buy anything again from this eBay-Shop. End of the story.  :--

It is a multimeter produced exclusive for the chinese market. F... these chinese multimeter. I will buy from a german dealer with german guarantee only. From an offical german Fluke dealer this cheap 15/17B+ models are not available.
 

Offline vinicius.jlantunes

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Well not only China I can assure you. Other non prime markets such as Brazil as well. That's how I got mine from the authorized distributor, and it came with a cal certificate. And most surprisingly, it is made in USA as far as I can tell!
So long story short, yours could be bad but it doesn't make all of them bad. It's still a fluke and miles ahead at least of all other crap available around here.

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Here is my 17B+ review/test.   It's long....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvC5woDYGd4&feature=youtu.be

DG5SAY, are all of the other functions in-cal?

Starts the video saying, I'm not going to do a full review....

Does a full review :-DD

That being said, nice review so far. Still watching/listening to it as I work on a document for work.

Thanks.   Dave and 5Ky's meter reviews go into other areas that I choose not to.  If there is something you would like to see that I did not cover, let me know.     

Had the the 17B+ had a crest feature or a bar graph, I would have shown them off as well.  I did not show the manual but there was not an English version included.  I also did not give a conclusion in the end.   I thought about just putting the original generator back to when it was used to test the Fluke 101 but if the 17B+ failed, we would not know how close it was.   So give me some time to sort out my next move and then I will do a part 2.     

In the mean time, look what showed up.   I know I swore I would not waste my time on another UNI-T.  When I was updating the spreadsheet and I saw number of thumbs down was about the same as the thumbs up for this video.   I see the thumbs down as a good thing as it means it's a popular meter.  Sadly, there was no good feedback.  However,  it was the only other meter besides the 87V where I was not sure at what level it failed.   Just for completeness, I decided to rerun the test using the new setup.   

The last two that 5KY sent were the UT61D and E.  These meters could not even survive the piezo  grill ignitor test.   You should see some of the ESD we get when winter comes and the house is dry...  So I am not sure yet what I am going to do with this one.


Offline Fungus

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Sure, I did. But first, they don´t believe me. When I sent them my measurements, they offered me to exchange the multimeter. I should have sent it, however, at my own costs to China, clearly that I neither the device nor the money would have seen again! So I made a negative review and will never buy anything again from this eBay-Shop. End of the story.  :--

Sounds like you and the seller both had bad luck. What would you have done if you were the seller trying to sell multimeters with only one or two dollars profit margin?

PS: What happens if you turn the little trimmer next to the calibration connector? Does anybody know?
 

Offline DG5SAY

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Sure, I did. But first, they don´t believe me. When I sent them my measurements, they offered me to exchange the multimeter. I should have sent it, however, at my own costs to China, clearly that I neither the device nor the money would have seen again! So I made a negative review and will never buy anything again from this eBay-Shop. End of the story.  :--

Sounds like you and the seller both had bad luck. What would you have done if you were the seller trying to sell multimeters with only one or two dollars profit margin?

PS: What happens if you turn the little trimmer next to the calibration connector? Does anybody know?

And yes you´re right, that´s why I don´t struggle with them. It is not worth my time.

There is NO trimmer total in a 15B+! Only the 17B+ has a trimmer, I think it´s for temperature calibration.

 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Well, the 17B+ failed tonight.   I was pushing it pretty hard.   It looks like I may be able to repair it but will need to order parts.   I am impressed with how robust all three of the low end Fluke meters I have looked at.     

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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I just finished the video showing the conclusion of my 17B+.   I'll upload the new spreadsheet later on in the day. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiiii0gdcbM&feature=youtu.be

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Ah.... The smell of good coffee and burnt UNI-T parts in the morning...   

Online tautech

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Ah.... The smell of good coffee and burnt UNI-T parts in the morning...
:-DD
Oh dear, at least they're consistant.
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Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Return of the UT139C.


Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Second half of my 139C testing.

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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When I got the Brymen BM869s, I made a few videos where I was comparing  it with a few Flukes.  One was the 115.  I did not know it was made in China until it arrived and I looked at the packaging.  With it being a little older, I wonder if it will be less robust.       


Online tautech

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When I got the Brymen BM869s, I made a few videos where I was comparing  it with a few Flukes.  One was the 115.  I did not know it was made in China until it arrived and I looked at the packaging.  With it being a little older, I wonder if it will be less robust.     
Will a 115 be next on the bench Joe?
Check to see if it too has that Gawd awful calibration connection like the 17+  :-- , you want to be able to tweak your DMM too, don't you?
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Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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When I got the Brymen BM869s, I made a few videos where I was comparing  it with a few Flukes.  One was the 115.  I did not know it was made in China until it arrived and I looked at the packaging.  With it being a little older, I wonder if it will be less robust.     
Will a 115 be next on the bench Joe?
Check to see if it too has that Gawd awful calibration connection like the 17+  :-- , you want to be able to tweak your DMM too, don't you?
Yes, my plan is to run the 115 to failure next.  If people find it helpful, rather than just running the tests I'll continue to do some sort of mini review of them to at least show how they compare against some of the surviving meters.

As long as the equipment does not drift too much, or the factory has a way to align them in this country, no big deal.  It is sort of funny that the one adjustment the 17B+ has is in the temperature circuit.  And what failed, the temperature circuit.  They knew I was going to need to tweak it. :-DD   

I will give you that the reason the Mastech and AMPROBES are so tight is because I took the time to align them.

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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The Fluke 115, Part 1


Offline Muttley Snickers

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Oops..... :palm:.....I haven't yet subscribed but we can soon fix that, a brilliant informative sequence of great videos, many thanks.... :-+

I have a couple of 117s and will need to check them again to see if there was any off mode current draw, I did test them once but cant remember and I religiously pull out the batteries when not in regular use, your 115 appeared to recover once the battery was removed and reinstalled the first time around but it may have been just a coincidence and something else altogether.

Kind regards.... :)

Muttley
 

Offline PedroDaGr8

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Hey Joe, I have several people on another forum that want to know the EXACT specs of your HF test that blew the leads off. Specifically, FWHM, source impedance, was it the HV spike only or did it include the AC load as well, etc. Any details you can provide would be great. I have already been told I have an axe to grind because I panned the HF meter  |O
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done." -George Carlin
 

Offline joeqsmithTopic starter

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Oops..... :palm:.....I haven't yet subscribed but we can soon fix that, a brilliant informative sequence of great videos, many thanks.... :-+

I have a couple of 117s and will need to check them again to see if there was any off mode current draw, I did test them once but cant remember and I religiously pull out the batteries when not in regular use, your 115 appeared to recover once the battery was removed and reinstalled the first time around but it may have been just a coincidence and something else altogether.

Kind regards.... :)

Muttley

Thanks.   I have no idea what happened with the 115 during the testing.  If I were to guess, I think it caused a latchup condition in the control IC.   I would not be surprised at all if removing the battery is not was what caused it to recover.

To be clear, I wonder if they do not use for example safe state machines and the discharge caused it to go to an undefined state and hang, or if the device when metastable.  :-//   The way it somewhat still worked, I suspect it put it into an undefined state.   


Hey Joe, I have several people on another forum that want to know the EXACT specs of your HF test that blew the leads off. Specifically, FWHM, source impedance, was it the HV spike only or did it include the AC load as well, etc. Any details you can provide would be great. I have already been told I have an axe to grind because I panned the HF meter  |O

 :-DD I saw someone had asked about in the comments for the video as well.   They are always welcome to join the group.  You know what is funny about this?  When someone asked me to run another one, I had cut apart one of the probes from the other  ones to make my shorting stick for the first generator.   You see it in many of the videos.  It was very poorly made.   This made me think, I should run this meter with the leads.   I think this was the only time I really tried the leads that came with any meter.    Part of me was glad I did as it shows just what can happen with poor quality leads.    Imagine some high voltage wire flapping around in front of you!!   

I'm not sure why this would ever be a question.    As I said in the videos where I was making the second generator, I was targeting 400 joules.   I explained how I came up with that number as a goal.   All three generators use 2 ohms.  I pretty much gave up on the higher resistance values after the first rounds of testing.   Photonicinduction would laugh at that amount of energy but it's way higher than the sub 20 I had been using to test the meters.   

What would be fun is to put one on a real generator and see what happens!   Oh yea...... I think Fluke has some videos like that!  :-DD :-DD

At this time I have not added any testing with the line simulator to the spreadsheet.   All of the meters I have been looking at would not have a problem with it (well there is that UNI-T  >:D)

i like the details on the Hz response of the continuity and the hysteresis. +99pts ! :P

Thanks!  It makes a lot more sense to me as well versus just rubbing the leads together. 

The second half of the video is uploading and will be available shortly...
« Last Edit: December 14, 2015, 03:10:25 am by joeqsmith »
 


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