Author Topic: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?  (Read 3608 times)

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Offline james_s

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #25 on: March 05, 2023, 08:26:53 pm »
I've kept one of the free Harbor Freight meters in my car for years, it comes in handy every once in a while. They're fine for kids tinkering too, much better than anything I had access to when I was a kid, a digital meter like that probably would have cost $100 in the early 80s.
 

Offline Grandchuck

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #26 on: March 05, 2023, 08:34:54 pm »
Hickok DMM, 1970, $395.00
 

Offline J-R

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #27 on: March 05, 2023, 09:26:27 pm »
Of course these cost more than $1.78 to make and far more than that to ship; there is no free lunch.  The money comes from elsewhere.
 

Offline Zenith

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #28 on: March 05, 2023, 09:27:31 pm »
Are they any worse than the Japanese 1000 Ohm per volt analogue multimeters sold in the late 60s? I'm sure many of us bought and loved those. I think they did have a proper wafer switch. Mine does but it's a deluxe 30,000 Ohm/V version. It does have a separate 1.2KV input. I've never tried it and never will. Proper people would have had an AVO or Simpson, and wouldn't be seen dead with such a thing.

I believe these DMMs do their switch thing by contacting lands on the circuit board. They are value engineered. Copper dust builds up and causes problems, such as BANG!!!. Low voltages, continuity and it's silly to expect much else for the price.



 

Offline Zenith

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #29 on: March 05, 2023, 09:32:56 pm »
Of course these cost more than $1.78 to make and far more than that to ship; there is no free lunch.  The money comes from elsewhere.

The shipping comes from an international postal agreement which has gone on for years and which the Chinese take more than full advantage of. Of course it has to be paid for.
 

Offline Gyro

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #30 on: March 05, 2023, 10:09:07 pm »
I believe these DMMs do their switch thing by contacting lands on the circuit board. They are value engineered. Copper dust builds up and causes problems, such as BANG!!!. Low voltages, continuity and it's silly to expect much else for the price.

Most DMMs do these days, apart from some(?) Flukes.


EDIT: Check out some of Joe Smith's DMM robustness tests. The Agilents / Keysights are quite entertaining on switch wear!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsK99WXk9VhcghnAauTBsbg/videos
« Last Edit: March 05, 2023, 10:30:50 pm by Gyro »
Best Regards, Chris

"Victor Meldrew, the Crimson Avenger!"
 
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Online David Aurora

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #31 on: March 05, 2023, 11:06:05 pm »
I look forward to seeing these in the next Jaycar catalogue for $20 each
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2023, 04:22:58 am »
« Last Edit: March 06, 2023, 04:24:58 am by Fungus »
 

Offline NoisyBoy

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2023, 05:25:43 am »
Since the 10A range is unfused with only a shunt, I wonder what would happen if it goes beyond 10A?  In the case of the HF meters, I afraid the probe wiring may act as the fuse, which can get ugly. 

The HF meters in the US is even more capable than the DT-830D+, as it can measure up to 750V AC, and 1000V DC!  If one is brave enough to try it with the provided probes.
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #34 on: March 08, 2023, 07:46:19 pm »
I've been trying to find Big Clive's other trashy meter but it's not easy to get hold of at a reasonable price. If I lived in the UK I could get one but bot here in Spain. :-(

Farnell sells them for about $4 but I have to pay 15 Euros shipping. Maybe I could buy a dozen and flip them on eBay for a profit, keep one or two for myself.  :popcorn:

https://es.farnell.com/duratool/d03047/multimeter-digital/dp/3498310
 

Offline factory

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #35 on: March 08, 2023, 08:13:18 pm »
Since the 10A range is unfused with only a shunt, I wonder what would happen if it goes beyond 10A?  In the case of the HF meters, I afraid the probe wiring may act as the fuse, which can get ugly. 

The HF meters in the US is even more capable than the DT-830D+, as it can measure up to 750V AC, and 1000V DC!  If one is brave enough to try it with the provided probes.

Or just make your own sticker up for it  :-DD, example below from the TEA thread;

I've spent too much time on this - especially for what it is.  Justification for efforts up to this point: Entertainment value for EEVblog members, but I have to wrap it up.

Artwork is done.  Just have to go through the production process.



David
 
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Offline graybeardTopic starter

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Re: Just how good or bad can a $1.78 DT-830B multimeter from AliExpress be?
« Reply #36 on: March 10, 2023, 08:54:15 pm »
Of course these cost more than $1.78 to make and far more than that to ship; there is no free lunch.  The money comes from elsewhere.

It seems to be some sort of loss leader on the AliExpress iPhone app.   I do not see these deals on the web site.   You have to choose 3-10 of these "special" items and they claim you get free shipping.   Where I live I pay 10.5% sales tax, but Aliexpress adds about 18% for the tax.  I suspect some of that "tax" amount goes to cover the shipping.

When I bought the meter it was $1.78, but most times the offers are for $1.99, $2.99, or $3.99.   If you look at an image from the iPhone app today you can see the meter is $1.99.   I bought one of the $1.99 AppleWatch chargers for my wife and it works great.   

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The meter I bought was defective, it shows a low battery all the time.   But you may get lucky and get a good one.  I have made for of these orders and "returned" three of the items as not described or defective.  Each time I am given a refund within a few minutes of requesting it.   The refunds are for the full price, bot the "sale price."    Look at the refund I got for the meter.  I paid approximately $2.14 with "tax" and was refunded $3.86, more than I paid.

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