Uni-T launches the UT117C multimeter

[LeonR]

https://meters.uni-trend.com/product/ut117c/

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005712613626.html

A bit more expensive their standard fare. Hopefully we'll get see PCB shots soon.

[Jon.C]

[slavoy]

At least they are trying to copy the good ones 

[CosteC]

Strange instrument.
I like mechanical design and ergonomy seems good. Nice large display. Nice 3xAAA power. Seems robust too. BT is nice too. Hope filter functions will work well.

60000 display and 0.3% accuracy on DCV. What is the point? My old APPA 72 has 6000 display and 0.5% and last digit is meaningless anyway. UT117C has last two digits meaningless. Difference between 0.3% and 0.5% is negligible.

Current measurement is also weak - only 6.0000 and 10.000 ranges. Not great.

Wonder what will be the real price. Now it costs 130 euro/600 PLN - I think APPA/BRYMEN/SANWA are not far away.

[sonpul]

60000 display and 0.3% accuracy on DCV. What is the point?

This is more like an error in the technical specifications, the real accuracy is most likely 0.03%
I consider this particular model a real replacement for the 61E. Never liked the new 61E+.
The only thing that has not been done is a signal about incorrectly connected probes.

[Aldo22]

60000 display and 0.3% accuracy on DCV. What is the point?

This is more like an error in the technical specifications, the real accuracy is most likely 0.03%

Yes, that sounds plausible when even a cheap AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3).
Then again, it's not a simple typo. Also the ACV is ±(1%+30) (AN870: ±(0.3% + 3))

[ledtester]

Wonder what will be the real price. Now it costs 130 euro/600 PLN - I think APPA/BRYMEN/SANWA are not far away.

There are a couple of vendors selling it for $73 USD:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805457726202.html

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805466430596.html

[CosteC]

60000 display and 0.3% accuracy on DCV. What is the point?

This is more like an error in the technical specifications, the real accuracy is most likely 0.03%

Yes, that sounds plausible when even a cheap AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3).
Then again, it's not a simple typo. Also the ACV is ±(1%+30) (AN870: ±(0.3% + 3))

Exactly. Datasheet is sensible for 0.3% DCV and 1% for ACV. It is "high resolution meter". Or maybe it has low drifts indeed and it is "high precision" in pure metrology sense 

Price is then for speed, robustness, good fuses, Bluetooth and useless decimal points on screen. Very probable CAT III 600V is fulfilled also.

Did anybody checked if AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3) after thermal cycling or bit less comfortable conditions than warm desktop? I do not doubt initial accuracy, yet for this price I doubt it lasts.

[sonpul]

Still, I think that 0.3% is a mistake. Watch the video.
https://m.elecfans.com/v/384643/

[DaneLaw]

Still, I think that 0.3% is a mistake. Watch the video.
https://m.elecfans.com/v/384643/

Could be' as that certainly aint too shabby an accuracy, in regards to the 5080A cal ref.

[Aldo22]

Did anybody checked if AN870 has ±(0.05% + 3) after thermal cycling or bit less comfortable conditions than warm desktop? I do not doubt initial accuracy, yet for this price I doubt it lasts.

I don't know of any such test for the AN870, but there is a temperature stress test for the AN8008.
However, AN8008 only has a specified accuracy of ±(0.5% + 3) and the test (-20 and +60 °C) is well outside the specified temperature range.
So, that doesn't really answer your question.
Despite this, Joe Smith finds the results "pretty decent".

https://youtu.be/TSGLA9heboY?t=1593

[thm_w]

Still, I think that 0.3% is a mistake. Watch the video.
https://m.elecfans.com/v/384643/

Continuity test is odd, the screen shows continuity but it doesn't beep yet. Seems much slower than it could be?
Voltage range was fast and accurate, low resistance was slow to stabilize (~20s).

[kloetpatra]

Continuity test is odd, the screen shows continuity but it doesn't beep yet. Seems much slower than it could be?
Voltage range was fast and accurate, low resistance was slow to stabilize (~20s).

Received mine a few days ago. Continuity works without any flaws and is super fast. I like the meter in general. It's going to be my favorite one. Verified it against some Keithley 2000 with spot on measurements so far.

[sonpul]

kloetpatra, Please, do one test. What is the frequency range of TrueRMS? It is not specified anywhere in the characteristics of ACV Bandwidth. No one in the UT117C reviews measured the frequency range of AC V and AC mV. 1 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz? Or maybe 100kHz?

Does the UT117C seem to have fast 5/Sec measurements?

[Aldo22]

kloetpatra, Please, do one test. What is the frequency range of TrueRMS? It is not specified anywhere in the characteristics of ACV Bandwidth. No one in the UT117C reviews measured the frequency range of AC V and AC mV. 1 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz? Or maybe 100kHz?

I didn't find this information either, but since the frequency measurement according to the specification only goes up to 9,999KHz, I wouldn't expect miracles (AN870: Frequency 9,999MHz!)

[kloetpatra]

kloetpatra, Please, do one test. What is the frequency range of TrueRMS? It is not specified anywhere in the characteristics of ACV Bandwidth. No one in the UT117C reviews measured the frequency range of AC V and AC mV. 1 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz? Or maybe 100kHz?

Does the UT117C seem to have fast 5/Sec measurements?

Yes, measurements update rate is 5 Hz. Bar graph update rate is 20 Hz.
BTW: User Manual (p. 20) says: AC * Frequency response: 45Hz~1000Hz
I did some frequency range tests: AC TRMS bandwith seems to be limited to 1 kHz for AC mV range and 10 kHz for AC V range. Still usable within 5% up to 1 MHz.

[CosteC]

I did some frequency range tests: AC TRMS bandwith seems to be limited to 1 kHz for AC mV range and 10 kHz for AC V range. Still usable within 5% up to 1 MHz.

Can you test it on say, rectangular waveform instead of sine? 1 MHz is amazing, far beyond Keithley 2000, not mentioning UT117C!

[mwb1100]

1 MHz is amazing, far beyond Keithley 2000, not mentioning UT117C!

The posted test result at 1 MHz shows the Keithley 2000 slightly better than the UT117C: less than 2% low for the Keithley while the UT117C was 2.5% high.

The Keithley was far better at 1.5 MHz (5% low) than the UT117C (35% low).

[shakalnokturn]

1 MHz is amazing, far beyond Keithley 2000, not mentioning UT117C!

The posted test result at 1 MHz shows the Keithley 2000 slightly better than the UT117C: less than 2% low for the Keithley while the UT117C was 2.5% high.

The Keithley was far better at 1.5 MHz (5% low) than the UT117C (35% low).

Don't forget that this is a simple comparison of the readings of 2 multimeters, while the Keithley seems reputable enough and frequencies low enough (at the that point) to stick with kloetpatra's statement that the uni-pee is good up to 1kHz (mV) and 10kHz (V) (sine), we don't know enough about the test setup nor have a known reference to say that one meter or the other is reading high or low into the MHz...

[sonpul]

kloetpatra, Thank you very much for taking measurements and building such informative graphs. Very good work. Apparently, UT117C turned out great. If suddenly you have some other comparison results with keithley 2000, for example DCmV, DCV, R, etc. I will be very grateful for the opportunity to see them.
 Very good work. How do you create such charts?

[slavoy]

Apologies for going off-topic...may I ask what software did you use to create these charts?

[BillyO]

.3% on a 60000 count meter?  That's just silly.  +/-180 counts? 

I guess it's really just a 2.5 digit meter with cheap lipstick.

[alm]

.3% on a 60000 count meter?  That's just silly.  +/-180 counts? 

I guess the advertising about a high-precision meter, as opposed to a high-accuracy meter, is correct. Unlike Siglent with their 6.5 digit meters that drift due to lack of selection and burn-in of their references

[BillyO]

I guess the advertising about a high-precision meter, as opposed to a high-accuracy meter, is correct. Unlike Siglent with their 6.5 digit meters that drift due to lack of selection and burn-in of their references

Can't say much about the SDM3065X but I just checked and my SDM3055 has not drifted in 6 months.  Unless, of course, my calibrators have drifted by exactly the same amount as the meter on all the various ranges. 

[ledtester]

Presumably the UT117C is designed to compete with the Fluke 117 and the spec sheet  for the Fluke:

https://dam-assets.fluke.com/s3fs-public/flk-2793260b-en-117-extended-specs-ds-w.pdf

states that it is only a 0.5%+2 count meter for DC accuracy so in that regard the Uni-T is better.