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| Keysight DMM - Yay or nay? |
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| thm_w:
--- Quote from: Traceless on March 02, 2022, 12:47:18 am ---I already pretty much ruled out the DMM 6500, the meter is probably good but I very often wear work gloves like this one which might be a problem with a touch screen plus I really prefer buttons over touch interfaces. --- End quote --- Marco reps is that you? ;D Touchscreen gloves are a thing as well, or stylus: https://www.uvex-safety.com/en/product-group/uvex-phynomic-airlite-touchscreen-safety-gloves/ But yeah if you want a button instead I get it. |
| Zucca:
--- Quote from: Traceless on March 01, 2022, 11:25:06 pm ---34465As repair friendly --- End quote --- Not really, no schematics. It depends on your brain and luck. That said if you post in the repair section well there is an EE army ready to help. For free. KS pissed me off too with the hobbist thing, but sometimes a good community can compensate. |
| mawyatt:
We have and use all three DMMs, 2 KS34465A, DMM6500 and SDM3065X. The SDM3065X is the weakest of the 3, it doesn't have many of the features of the others and doesn't seem in the same league, something mentioned about the long history of KS (heritage with the HP34401A) and Keithley with DMMs seems to be present in their usage. However the SDM3065X also is ~1/2 the cost, so from a value standpoint it's quite good. The KS34465A just does everything well, and is very easy to use and quickly get to what's important.....accurate measurements!! Being older still prefer the buttons to menus of the DMM6500. The DMM6500 excels in the graphics area, almost like having a low sweep rate scope. Also has the lower ohms ranges, but doesn't have the lower current range of the KS. When long term measurements are required we turn to the DMM6500. Both the KS and DMM6500 have switchable rear inputs, we've found these handy and hang thermistors from and record local ambient temperature without having to remove leads from the front inputs. The KS uses a pre-aged/selected LM399 reference, believe the DMM also uses a pre-aged reference but don't think the SDM3065X uses a pre-aged LM399. We purchased the first KS34465A a couple years ago, then the SDM3065X, then the DMM6500 about 6 months ago. When we needed another quality DMM a month ago, it was between the KS and DMM, and finally decided on the KS. Edit: The cap measurements are OK, more accurate on the KS and DMM. However, consider a dedicated LCR meter like the DE-5000, much more accurate, versatile and useful in every respect. Best, |
| Domitronic:
There is also a bug in the resistance measurement function of the DMM6500 that might be considered when choosing a multimeter. The DMM6500 is not able to measure resistance of coils and transformers in certain measurement ranges properly. In my opinion this is surprising and somehow embarassing for Keithley. But since it is acutally a hardware issue i guess it can't be fixed in software. As far as i remember the current source for measurement starts to oscillate when the multimeter is in 100 Ohm range and an inductive load is connected. This also screws up the autorange function. There is a thread about the issue in this forum. |
| Traceless:
--- Quote from: tautech on March 02, 2022, 01:22:40 am ---Generally that approach works but not always as you can have a cap measure within 10% of its nominal value however its ESR can be miles off. --- End quote --- You're right, I know. I like to give "new" replacement caps the benefit of a doubt, based on the (probably inaccurate) assumption that if they were stored too long/under wrong conditions or have a manufacturing defect I'll see a significate deviation from the nominal capacitance. For diagnosis on old/used stuff I always double-check with my LCR-meter. --- Quote from: nctnico on March 02, 2022, 02:17:47 am ---Buy it through a distributor. Just give a reputable one a call and ask. --- End quote --- I'll give that a try. --- Quote from: thm_w on March 02, 2022, 02:29:22 am ---Marco reps is that you? ;D --- End quote --- *grin* I wish I were, I don't think Marco would bother with buying "petty little 6.5 digit DMMs" ;). Among others he owns an HP3458A, a Solartron Schlumberger 7081, a Keithley 2002 and an Advantest R6581T. --- Quote from: Zucca on March 02, 2022, 03:15:55 am ---Not really, no schematics. Sometimes a good community can compensate. --- End quote --- Good point the community here is awesome. Still I dislike it when vendors become this arrogant in which case I like to vote with the wallet. In this particular case there don't seem to be many alternatives though. --- Quote from: mawyatt on March 02, 2022, 04:39:30 am ---The SDM3065X is the weakest of the 3 ... However the SDM3065X also is ~1/2 the cost, so from a value standpoint it's quite good. --- End quote --- Yes that was my feeling as well. Currently the SDM seems to be good enough, and delivers the best bang for the buck but that's what I thought about my current DMM as well and now I'm occasionally frustrated with it (reason explained below). So I'm trying to avoid making the same mistake twice. --- Quote from: mawyatt on March 02, 2022, 04:39:30 am ---Edit: The cap measurements are OK, more accurate on the KS and DMM. However, consider a dedicated LCR meter like the DE-5000, much more accurate, versatile and useful in every respect. --- End quote --- Yeah as mentioned, I regard the DMM-capacitance mode as a convenience feature not as a precision-thing. I already own dedicated LCR-meter, the Matrix MCR 5200. @Domitronic: Thanks, that is a very interesting point. Speaking of "screwing up auto range". My number one complaint with my current DMM is that auto range is excrutiatingly slow, also AC current measurements tend to have a long delay to the point where I'm now convinced that my DMM is actively trying to kill me (sometimes it does not pick up mains voltage in a reasonable time frame). That's why I nicknamed it Christine. Can I assume that, aforementioned bug aside, KS, Keithley and Siglent don't suffer from that problem? |
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