Logging multimeter that will not break the bank?

[vtwin@cox.net]

I dropped my circa 1985 Extech multimeter and broke it

I guess I cannot complain, it gave me 37 years of dependable service.

Now I'm in the market for another multimeter, and I'd like to get a unit with logging capacity and bluetooth connectivity.

The Extech GX900 looked like a candidate, but it appears to be no longer available and the few places that have it offer it for insanely high prices where I should just purchase a Fluke 289.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a portable unit which offers similar functionality but does not require forgoing a small mortgage payment to purchase?

This is for home/hobby (e.g. ham radio) use, not industrial/development use.

[Fungus]

There's a few Anengs with hluetooth for not much money.

eg. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001525757614.html

For serial port logging there's many Brymens and the UT61E+

I don't know of a meter with serial and bluetooth though.

[bob91343]

I have an old Micronta DMM with a serial port that I have no use for.  I think it measures capacitance and frequency also.

[bdunham7]

Well, there's this:

https://www.reedinstruments.com/product/reed-r5005-trms-industrial-multimeter

[Berni]

The problem with bluetooth is that they typically use some phone app rather than simply presenting itself as a generic bluetooth serial port that you can talk to.

PC communication is the most useful part of an advanced meter. The internal logging data has to be transferred off the multimeter to be useful. The amount of logging points can also be a limitation sometimes. Last time i needed to do a lot of logging i just used a bench DMM connected to a laptop over GPIB and the laptop was doing the logging to disk(the thing needed to run for days and collect a lot of data).

[2N3055]

Brymen BM525 logging is working really well, and has large internal capacity. No Bluetooth, just IR serial.
But excellent meter in general. Not Aneng cheap though, it costs as much as BM789, but still a fraction of F289.

[Fungus]

The problem with bluetooth is that they typically use some phone app rather than simply presenting itself as a generic bluetooth serial port that you can talk to.

Just because there's an app doesn't mean it isn't a serial port.

I don't have one to test though. Anybody?

[Berni]

I tried to get the Aneng with bluetooth to work with a PC and gave up. The only thing i could ever get it to work with is the phone app.

Some of the more brand name DMMs are probably better but i don't have one. For Agilent/Keysight i have a regular old IR USB cable that works great. But i also found some garbage brand DMM with a USB interface that also seamed impossible to get working with anything other than there own shitty useless PC software.

[ledtester]

I tried to get the Aneng with bluetooth to work with a PC and gave up. The only thing i could ever get it to work with is the phone app.

There is this effort to reverse engineer the protocol:

https://github.com/blackPantherOS/AN9002/wiki

Check the links under "6. BT / BTLE Protocol Analyse"

[Berni]

I tried to get the Aneng with bluetooth to work with a PC and gave up. The only thing i could ever get it to work with is the phone app.

There is this effort to reverse engineer the protocol:

https://github.com/blackPantherOS/AN9002/wiki

Check the links under "6. BT / BTLE Protocol Analyse"

Ah nice thanks.

But i still think it is stupid nonsense to have a proprietary bluetooth interface. Why not simply implement a bluetooth serial port. You can pair such a Bluetooth device with any PC and it shows up just like a local serial port that can get picked up by any SCPI capable software out there. No special driver or software needed at all and all you need to do is present yourself as the correct kind of Bluetooth device.

If a random person here at work picks up a multimeter they should be able to just use it without installing some obscure software from some website (that may or may not be up anymore) and then end up getting locked into using some useless piece of software that is written in VB6 by someone who barely has any programming experience.

[vtwin@cox.net]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I also found this one after a while:

https://www.flir.com/products/dm93/

the $300ish price-tag is much more reasonable than the $600-1000 price-range I was looking at.

Now to spend some time evaluating each one and make a purchase tomorrow.

[Fungus]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I also found this one after a while:

https://www.flir.com/products/dm93/

Still needs a proprietary app though.

[2N3055]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I also found this one after a while:

https://www.flir.com/products/dm93/

the $300ish price-tag is much more reasonable than the $600-1000 price-range I was looking at.

Now to spend some time evaluating each one and make a purchase tomorrow.

That is one really weird meter.
DC accuracy 0.5% ?? on a 10000 count...

BM525 is order of magnitude better device...

[oz2cpu]

did you say it had to be handheld ?
once you get familiar with bench meters, it is just so great too,
have a look at Siglent SDM3045 or even SDM3055 if you need a digit more
see the cost at your local dealer

[J-R]

Keysight's IR-Bluetooth and IR-USB adapters work as a serial port on a computer.  One issue with Bluetooth is battery life, though, if you plan to do a lot of logging.

Also check out the 121GW and the Brymen BM257s.

If your heart is set on the Flir, I saw some on ebay for $250.

[bdunham7]

the $300ish price-tag is much more reasonable than the $600-1000 price-range I was looking at.

Now to spend some time evaluating each one and make a purchase tomorrow.

If you want the most bang-for-buck and have to have bluetooth, make sure you look at the EEVBlog 121GW and check out the apps that are available for Windows and Android.  It also has SD-card data logging for unattended uses.

https://www.eevblog.com/product/121gw/

[BILLPOD]

Good Morning Vtwin@cox.net,    I have the EEVBLOG 121GW and love the way it records on a mini SD card.  I have permanently removed the blue boot from my meter to allow easier access to the card, (the meter never leaves the bench, so little chance of
dropping it).   And it has Bluetooth too, but I've not used it yet,
so can't comment.  Cost was just over $200, but worth it to me,
as it has other features not found on most DMMS.

[mqsaharan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I also found this one after a while:

https://www.flir.com/products/dm93/

the $300ish price-tag is much more reasonable than the $600-1000 price-range I was looking at.

Now to spend some time evaluating each one and make a purchase tomorrow.

Hi vtwin@cox.net,
My suggestion might appear dumb considering the reputation of Uni Trend but if you are considering Flir DM93, may I suggest UT60BT. It will definitely not break the bank, costs less than $40. In comparison with DM93 it mainly lacks Flir quality, bar graph and low pass filter. I haven't checked all the specs so please take a look at them yourself. You can see the technical specs on the following link
http://www.uni-trend.com/meters/html/product/General_Meters/DigitalMultimeters/UT60%20Series/UT60BT.html

You can see it in action in the following video. The inside of the meter is presented at about 34:04 and bluetooth capability at about 39:38 minutes mark.



Edit: Or if you want better quality instrument check out Hioki DT4261 https://www.hioki.com/global/products/testers/dmm-3/id_108097
I do not know its price. It also lacks uA current range like DM93 and UT60BT but has AC+DC that the other two lacks.
Some highlights of the meter:



Hope it helps.

[PushUp]

Off-Topic:

I have permanently removed the blue boot from my meter to allow easier access to the card.
And it has Bluetooth too, but I've not used it yet, so can't comment.

Does that mean, that you have to unscrew the back cover of the 121GW any time you want to transfer the data to the pc, as you have to take out the microSD?

...or has anyone already tested to read out the data via BT and a BT-Adapter (any recommendations? TARGUS?) with the 121GW, such as shown by Joe Smith in his video series about the "ULTRA", now renamed to "PM PRIME BT", which works without a problem as well as using an USB-IR-Connection?

...not that I recommend buying a Gossen Metrawatt, but at least in this respect together with the use of an external power supply they are not that bad, such as as well as the Metrix 3293B/Chauvin Arnoux 5293... 





ht*****tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZChenxYv04



Cheers! 

[BILLPOD]

Quote from: BILLPOD on Yesterday at 09:03:55 pm

    I have permanently removed the blue boot from my meter to allow easier access to the card.
    And it has Bluetooth too, but I've not used it yet, so can't comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, 2 screws also need to be unscrewed to get the back of the meter off.   The screws are 'captive', so no worries about losing them.  The back of the meter stays in place nicely even with screws left loose.   I found a 3D printed stand on the internet that holds my meter at a nice angle.  I put some stick-on velcro to hold it in place.  I like to log without having to turn on the computer.  The little 8 Gb Micro SD card holds lots of logging.
I thought I would need a bigger capacity card, but that is not the case.

[View[+]Finder]

Now I'm in the market for another multimeter, and I'd like to get a unit with logging capacity and bluetooth connectivity.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a portable unit which offers similar functionality but does not require forgoing a small mortgage payment to purchase?
This is for home/hobby (e.g. ham radio) use, not industrial/development use.

I recently purchased a used Fluke 289 for about $330 on Mercado Libre--the Latin-American combination of Amazon and eBay. It looks "like new" and came in the Fluke box (not looking "like new") with the DVD and paperwork. It is a very good meter for professional work and the logging capability is particularly suited to unattended measurement of practically anything for up to 100 days. Volts, amps, temp, Hz, ohms and some combinations like DCV +AC, etc. and can document "events" that occurred during logging. Oh, and it makes a graphic display of the data with zoom and pan, if that helps.

The key concept in the above description is "unattended" because you could literally start the logging and walk away. This is not the case with any of the cheap logging meters that have to be connected to a PC which does the actually logging. I have worked with a variety of DIY  gadgets to capture and log--mostly to an SD card--and also with temperature logging devices; the only thing that offered unattended logging was the battery MooshiMeter (I have two of them) that will record and dump out over BT. The 'Moosh' does not look at all like a meter (this might be an advantage) and has to be setup by another device like an iPhone or PC.

So now you have 'unattended' and 'built to industrial standards' in Fluke's favor. I use the Fluke IR to USB link to transfer data (eBay for $35) and there is also a Bluetooth device from Fluke to transfer data to a smart phone. (eBay $85)

True, if you have to buy new and pay retail, you can spend over $1,000 and for that you could get a Keithley 6510, an excellent bench meter with logging and graphs out the wazoo.

As a fellow ham (KF6OXI), I can understand the desire to economize; however I can also recall the less satisfactory results from going for the bargain gear. It's a tradeoff: if you are trying to monitor a 1kW transmitter's plate current for glitches, you will appreciate Fluke quality.

[maxwell3e10]

Owon has a few cheap multimeters with Bluetooth, OW18B, B41, B35. The problem is that many of them use low-energy BLE and Windows doesn't have a good way to handle it. But there are a few programs on Github that work with Owon meters. Some of Owon models also have internal logging for 10k points.

[tszaboo]

Uni-t UT61E has a serial port or USB based com port. It is dumb, one directional serial communication, till the battery lasts.
Some people made bluetooth adapters for it.

[rsjsouza]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I also found this one after a while:

https://www.flir.com/products/dm93/

the $300ish price-tag is much more reasonable than the $600-1000 price-range I was looking at.

Now to spend some time evaluating each one and make a purchase tomorrow.

Sorry, late to the party. If you haven't yet purchased your meter and considering your price range, I would consider the U1271A/U1272A/U1273A family from Keysight. They have various types of triggers for datalogging and a very reasonably priced PC interface with free software. Some can be found used on eBay for less than the Flir, but considering you want a multimeter to last, any upfront cost will be well amortized over the years.

Good luck in your purchase!

[paul@yahrprobert.com]

   

Brymen BM525 logging is working really well, and has large internal capacity. No Bluetooth, just IR serial.
But excellent meter in general. Not Aneng cheap though, it costs as much as BM789, but still a fraction of F289.

What's that BM525's protocol like? Can I write a python script on my linux machine to download the data?

[paul@yahrprobert.com]

What's that BM525's protocol like? Can I write a python script on my linux machine to download the data?

To answer my own post I found that Brymen publishes their protocols here: http://www.brymen.com/Download2.html
If I buy the BM525 I'll try to use the pyusb module and their protocol to download the data.