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| Keysight DMM - Yay or nay? |
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| Traceless:
Currently I looking for a better multimeter. A hot candidate was the Keysight 34465A, specs-wise my only complaint is the meager capacitance range. However after reading this I have second thoughts about going with Keysight. Unfortunately there don't seem to be too many good alternatives at that price point. The Keithley DMM 6500 looks nice but the touch screen is a deal-breaker. The Keythley 2000 is missing capacitance mode entirely, which is also a deal-breaker. The Rohde&Schwarz HMC8012 seems a bit outdated and overall too expensive for its specs. I also consider the Siglent SDM 3065X, it has a much better capacitance range. Otherwise it can't quite keep up with the Keysight 34465A but it is also considerably cheaper. Is there any other contender I should consider? Are Keysight 34465As repair friendly or does one have to rely on the virtually non-existent support? Does the Keysight 34465A or the SiglentSDM 3065X have any quirks I should know about before making a choice? |
| tautech:
--- Quote from: Traceless on March 01, 2022, 11:25:06 pm ---SiglentSDM 3065X have any quirks I should know about before making a choice? --- End quote --- Mainly to get the latest firmware into it ASAP to fix the boot freeze the odd units have. |
| Kleinstein:
The capacitance measurement on the DMMs is usually not really competative to a dedicated RCL instrument. This starts with an often not so well defined frequency and bias. With electrolytic caps 1% accuracy only makes sense if you also know the frequency. The KS 34465 uses digital RMS and this way have a much faster response in AC mode than old style analog RMS chips. The stability can also be quite good. The SDM3065 has a 20 V range with high impedance, while the KS meter only some 10(12?) V. This can make a difference. Modern DMMs are rather reliable and a repair is not very likely. If a repair is needed it gets complicated, as for the newer meters there are little repair instructions or schematics provided. Custom parts, especially resistor arrays and special relays can limit what can actually be repaired. |
| Cerebus:
Don't be distracted by capacitance measurement on DMMs, it's a gimmick that's there just to affect decisions like the one you're trying to make and tip your final decision between near rivals. Forget about choosing a DMM on its capacitance measuring and treat it as a bonus if and only if all the other measurement capabilities meet your requirements. If you're lucky the capacitance range on a general purpose DMM will give you a vaguely accurate capacitance measurement by feeding the capacitor from a constant current source and timing the resultant slope between two voltages, it won't measure the voltage, current and phase produced by passing a sine wave at defined frequencies through the capacitor the way a proper LCR bridge will. It won't give you anything other than the raw capacity either, you won't get ESR, Q, \$tan \delta\$ or any other such parameters. A £100 LCR meter will give you better and probably more accurate measurements. |
| bob91343:
I agree. Don't try to measure capacitance with a DMM. I can measure capacitance with any of a number of instruments. I have two bridges, a VNA, a multi component Chinese tester, and a DMM with capacitance ranges. Plus a couple of Q meters and an RX meter. The bridges win, hands down. The VNA does well at higher frequencies. The Q and RX meters are great but they are boat anchors and a nuisance to drag out to use. The DMM sits in the closet in a box. The Chinese tester is okay but I always verify its reading with another instrument. If I really care about a measurement I will always use a bridge. |
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