- Being ~6600 count it can actually measure up to ~660uA.
- It does have a dead spot in A mode up to about 0.015A but otherwise has no problems
Being unable to measure between 660uA and 16mA seems like quite a big problem to me. I measure single digit mA a LOT.
This isn't a cheap meter nor does it have a particularly good CAT rating.
Fluke makes a similar meter though, the 116 has uA mode up to 600uA and the same CAT rating. There must be somebody out there who wants this.
That is for HVAC use. Flame sensors testing, specifically.. So you can look at it as a HVAC technician meter here that has 6A and 10A AC/DC current ranges and Flame sensor testing capabilities (that so happen to be uA measurements...). I've seen in the past meters that had been marked with flame sensor mode not uA... They were still measuring uA, mind you...
OK, I can say at least on my U1233A that the following statement in the manual and other materials is mostly false:
"AC current between 0.6 mA and 300 mA is not measureable on the U1232A and U1233A models."
- Being ~6600 count it can actually measure up to ~660uA.
- It does have a dead spot in A mode up to about 0.015A but otherwise has no problems displaying quite accurate readings from that point onward.
- If you REL out the 0.015A reading to start with, it will basically be off by that amount as you go up. So 0.050A will read 0.035A for example.
- Tests were run with 60Hz sine.
Information in manual can be "in error" meaning that error was made writing it.
It can never be "false". That is purpose of those documents: a manufacturers "manifesto" of what is purpose of instrument, it's guaranteed characteristics, and it's intended use.
Whatever anybody else claims is irrelevant. If Keysight , clearly, states in a official datasheet:
"5. AC current between 0.6 mA and 300 mA is not measureable on the U1232A and U1233A models. "
than that is
not only very true, but
only authoritative information. Your, mine, or anybody else's
opinion doesn't matter not a little bit.
Those 2 meters cannot measure AC current between 0.6 mA and 300 mA AND provide any sensible and repeatable results. And
that is GUARANTEED spec by manufacturer.
And there is a reason, for it, log/antilog RMS converters are not guaranteed to show any sensible data below some 5 % of full scale.
They are actually quite honest here, not hiding it and clearly stating it. If you need meter to measure miliamps in that area, you need to get meter that has fully featured amps range..
What you measured will wildly vary with temperature and frequency of signal, because of RMS converter chip used..
And there are reasons for the strong disclaimer: for instance, someone might be tempted to measure leakage current from some device and decide it is safe because it was "only" 5 mA, while in fact it was 25mA or more...
Yes, people shouldn't be stupid and shouldn't do what they are not supposed to do but they still do it. Mostly because they believe the can get away with it "this time" and they "know better".
And it all starts with also believing that instruments are better then they are and can do magical things not specified in datasheets.. Because you know better than one of most respected T&M manufacturer on the planet that actually made the device... Because you tested on a sample of one..