Which is your favorite piece of Test Equipment?

[Fried Chicken]

Chex-Zit Continuity Tester LS-57-500 (https://www.grisk.com/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/Chex-Zit%20LS-57-500.pdf). I've had one for a bazillion years (mine is labeled "SODER-WICK ELECTRONIC TESTER").

Wait... what?
No way!

[BILLPOD]

Well, Fried Chicken, I'm going to give it a go.....AGAIN.   My latest favorite is the UT117C.
I heard of it's existence and Googled it and found it at Aliexpress, but like most of what they sell, the advertised price is for something somewhat related, but not the device you want. The price Ali gave was for a clamp meter accessory.   The meter was around $72, and I had heard the meter was a clone of the Fluke 117, so I just had to have it, so I ordered it.  It arrived in a couple weeks and after unboxing I was pleasantly surprised by the form factor, as it has a very nice fit & finish.   I especially liked the function selector feel and the fact that it could be operated by the same hand that is holding it.  I very much liked that it has a powerful magnet and hanging strap, which would be great for working under the hood of a vehicle.   I love the bluetooth with the Uni-T app, that works flawlessly.  I've had it for a while now, and am always comparing readings with one of my more expensive meters, like my BR869S, or my Fluke 189, and they are ALWAYS very close.   It doesn't have mA or uA selections, but with the 60,000 count resolution, I can get down to the single digit milliamps.   Besides I have several meters that have those capabilities.   I see they are now close to $200, but I would buy again if something happened to the one I have.   It really is a clone of the Fluke 117, which I've heard is manufactured in China.   I'm going to hit 'Post' now, so hopefully this reply doesn't disappear.

[edpalmer42]

I love all my test equipment equally.  If I play favorites, somebody's going to pout and start throwing error codes.

(But just between you and me, I have a soft spot for my LeCroy 9384L scope.  4 channel, 1 GHz, up to 10 G samples per second, and NO screen burn.)

[mikeselectricstuff]

And what's its story?

For me it's hands down my Hioki Multimeter:

I have a Hioki 4282 - by far the best feature is super-fast autoranging - faster than any other meter I've used ( especially the 121GW which is just awful in this respect) .
It does have one particularly dumb design feature though - There is a physical interlock between the range switch and the input terminals - you can't switch it to current if there is a plug in the voltage terminal, similarly you can't change to voltage ( or change current range) if something is plugged into a current terminal.
Sounds reasonable ? Except that when in deep powerdown, the only way to wake it is by turning the range switch to off, which you can't do if there is a plug in  acurrent terminal , so you need to unplug it. This could have easily been fixed by either having an extra "off" position at the right, having a small " allowing any button to wake it.
An unnecessarily dumb feature of what is otherwise a really nice piece of kit.
 

[Dr. Frank]

HP3458A, since 1989 and since 2009.

Frank

[joeqsmith]

I have a Hioki 4282 - by far the best feature is super-fast autoranging - faster than any other meter I've used ( especially the 121GW which is just awful in this respect) .
It does have one particularly dumb design feature though - There is a physical interlock between the range switch and the input terminals - you can't switch it to current if there is a plug in the voltage terminal, similarly you can't change to voltage ( or change current range) if something is plugged into a current terminal.
Sounds reasonable ? Except that when in deep powerdown, the only way to wake it is by turning the range switch to off, which you can't do if there is a plug in  acurrent terminal , so you need to unplug it. This could have easily been fixed by either having an extra "off" position at the right, having a small " allowing any button to wake it.
An unnecessarily dumb feature of what is otherwise a really nice piece of kit.

None of the buttons will wake it up?   How long ago did you purchase it?  I wonder if a later one would have the same problem. 

***
Downloading the latest manual it appears that this is still how the meter works. 


Auto power save function
• Before shipping (In the default setting), the auto power save
function is set to enabled. If the instrument has not been operated
for approx. 15 minutes, it enters the sleep mode. (When the
instrument is in the sleep mode, press any key or turn the rotary
switch to recover from the sleep mode.)
When the sleep mode continues for approx. 45 minutes, the power
turns off automatically.
• To recover from the power off state, set the rotary switch to OFF
and then turn on the power again.
• During current measurement, before setting the rotary switch to
OFF, disconnect the test leads. If the rotary switch is forcibly turned,
the shutter may be damaged.
• If the instrument will be used for an extended period of time, disable
the auto power save function. (p. 70)
• After use, set the rotary switch to OFF. The auto power save function
consumes a small amount of current

[thermistor-guy]

Fluke 8020 B, 3.5 digit multimeter. Still accurate according to my 6.5 digit DVMs.

I've had it since new. It's still the first thing I reach for when troubleshooting.

[Fried Chicken]

Fluke 8020 B, 3.5 digit multimeter. Still accurate according to my 6.5 digit DVMs.

I've had it since new. It's still the first thing I reach for when troubleshooting.

That's impressive

[mwb1100]

DANG, I wrote up a rather lengthy description of my favorite piece of test gear; then I clicked on 'Post' and got a pop-up, in red, that there have been 3 replies since I wrote mine,
which didn't seem to matter to me, so I clicked on 'Post' again, and my write up DISAPPEARED!!  WTF!!!!

I've adtoped the happut of doing ctrl + a and ctrl + c before posting b/c of how many times I've gotten screwed like this.  Sometimes I'll even write long posts in a text editor, saving as I go.

I do that as well.  I also have a browser extension, Textarea Cache, that often helps (but sometimes something I expect to be saved in the cache isn't - I've never taken a deep dive to figure out what the deal is with that).

[woody]

A grey Fluke 25.

On my desk for at least 30 years and the first thing I use when I want to know about a voltage, current, resistance or connection.

Simple, unbreakable, accurate enough and its major advantage: it works forever on a 9V cell, even when I forget to switch it off. Which is often. All the more worrisome because it has two 'off' positions......

Edit: sacked the Mayor.....

[Smokey]

I'm still waiting for someone to say something that inspires me to go on an ebay buying spree..... Keep it up.
(3458a doesn't count... I don't have that kind of budget)

[Sorama]

And what's its story?

For me it's hands down my Hioki Multimeter:

I have a Hioki 4282 -

that's one quite expensive dmm!

[guenthert]

What's your personal favorite piece of test equipment?

You mean which piece do I want to sell next?  j/k

I like the concept of a Null meter and am unreasonably fond of my two -hp-419A (one fix-up in progress, the other donor), even though they are truly obsolete except in niche applications.

The instrument I use the most however is my -hp-3457A.  Those don't get much love around here, chiefly due to the low-contrast LCD display and the noisy 10V (30V) range.  I use it mostly remotely though and hence don't care so much about the display (or that it is the instrument with the most buttons ever).  The 1V (3V) and 100mV (300mV) ranges are however quite good and the precision of resistance measurement is decent.  I like also that it doesn't need a fan (with still low tempco around pleasant temperatures) and draws little power.  They are underrated IMHO.  I got it for a low price on the secondary market in the US a few years ago.  I opened it once to check on the battery, which is still good and it looks pristine inside.

[coromonadalix]

1   dmm handhelds,  sure  i'm kinda gossen addicted    27i 28s 29s 30m,  metrahit x-tra,  amprobe .... not  much in the yellow "ish" anymore, had a few 189
2   variables psu's,  dont have enough
3   scope    Picoscope, old turd like tek 7254b 7404,  siglents sds1000x    siglent sig gens hf  uhf  ...
4   bench dmm  oldies 34410a
5   solder equipment   and all others you may need  loll     mostly Hakko stations, smd ones too,  hot air ...

[jonovid]

cheap Chinese all in one 3 pin component tester
& the 2018 Jaycar analog multimeter get's most work.

[m k]

Must be gray 77, been around since '80s.

2nd is not exactly TE, but connected, noob Weller VP 801 EC from '90s.

[44kgk1lkf6u]

The instrument I use the most however is my -hp-3457A.  Those don't get much love around here, chiefly due to the low-contrast LCD display and the noisy 10V (30V) range.  I use it mostly remotely though and hence don't care so much about the display (or that it is the instrument with the most buttons ever).  The 1V (3V) and 100mV (300mV) ranges are however quite good and the precision of resistance measurement is decent.  I like also that it doesn't need a fan (with still low tempco around pleasant temperatures) and draws little power.  They are underrated IMHO.  I got it for a low price on the secondary market in the US a few years ago.  I opened it once to check on the battery, which is still good and it looks pristine inside.

I like that the HP 3457A measures resistors using 3 V.  Its resistance function measures diodes at 1 mA, 100 μA, 10 μA, 1 μA, and 100 nA.  It is convenient for figuring out the ideality factor.  The source also goes to about 8 V.  So it can also light up a white LED.

[Bobson]

Its continuity is faster than any scope I've ever tested.  The word "instant" is thrown around a lot, but this one is really "instant".

I have never seen a scope with continuity function.

My favorites are HP 3466A and Goertz Unigor 6e, both restored from junk.

[David Hess]

I like that the HP 3457A measures resistors using 3 V.  Its resistance function measures diodes at 1 mA, 100 μA, 10 μA, 1 μA, and 100 nA.  It is convenient for figuring out the ideality factor.  The source also goes to about 8 V.  So it can also light up a white LED.

Also good for damaging BC550/BC560 low noise transistors.  Care is needed with older multimeters that have high compliance voltage.

[fourfathom]

At the moment my favorite is the NanoVNA. I've been designing, building, testing, and selling lots of filters and filter/preamps (in the 1-100 MHz range) and even though I have several big and medium spectrum analyzers with tracking generators, that little VNA is awfully convenient.  Having the VNA being able to measure return loss and other params is definitely helpful during the prototype fine-tuning process.

[Robert763]

Favorite, first I reach for and "you can only take 1" choice: Fluke 8060A 4.5 digit handheld DMM.

Second Picoscope 3423 4 Ch 12 bit 'scope, third R&S FSH-3 23 with accessories.

[armandine2]

...I can't lie I do like something easy on the eye ...

.. apparently, even a rubber mallet has its place.