You went to fast with battery voltage drop probably the UniT dose not measure that often the battery voltage probably every 30 seconds or so and makes and average of three or more measurements just to make sure it ignores bad measurements.
@electrodacus If that is true, which I seriously doubt, then I would suggest that alone is poor design. A 9 volt battery with high internal resistance could trigger the low battery indicator, then the battery recovers when the meter's power is cycled, then fail to trigger a low indication a minute later. 9 volt type batteries actually fail in similar ways fairly often. Seen it several times.
I will say, however, that a direct comparison of the UNI-T to the Fluke 87V is rather unfair. The Fluke costs about three or four times as much, and has a long history of product development and refinement.
I don't think it's unfair at all - I see batteries drop off like this all the time, particularly 9V batteries. I think cold resets, which I did, should clear any lingering effect of a prior test. The Fluke was not the subject of this test, but the Fluke 87V is well known to show a low-battery indication WELL BEFORE accuracy suffers. BTW this UNI-T also suffers from somewhat random lock-ups, sometimes at booting up, sometimes after on a while.
Regarding the battery test, perhaps a little unfair! Voltage would not drop off like that in real life (multiple times also) so maybe that is why the warning was not repeatable. Also it would be interesting to have connected the second meter to the same supply to see how battery voltage affected readings?
@eurokid83 It's a cheapie- a "DMMCheck" sold on eBay a while back. Not a high-end reference but good to 4 or 5 digits anyway. It is adjustable, and I have messed with it, but only to agree with a fresh, new Fluke 87-5 with a fresh cal in hi-res mode. The diff was 1 or 2 millivolts tops. I've been thinking about taking down this video. TOO LONG.
@DanFrederiksen I would love to have an "absolute" reference. But even if I could afford it, any real world reference I might employ will only be about as good as the last digit or so on a 50,000 count meter. Good enough for my purposes. I have a Tek TX-3 which is in the same class as the Fluke, but I also sometimes use an old analog Micronta. I'm not testing a nuclear detector, after all, just fixing broken consumer electronics and having fun.
@mdzacharias nahh you're actually doing more than that. you purport to tell the truth to a large audience.
it's ok that you don't have an absolute reference but if you calibrate it by the fluke in a comparison between two meters, one of which is the fluke, you sure as hell have an obligation to make that known. not just show the fluke reading 5.000 as if it was the absolute truth. fair?
@DanFrederiksen Well, if you feel that way - but on this video I was only trying to show an issue with the low battery indication on the Uni-T and to show the inside of the thing, since there is some interest in the Uni-T meters. I have not misled anybody. In this video I was showing the (relative) accuracy of the Uni-T suffer long before there was a low battery indication. I think this is a very significant issue. The reference never was absolute, but better than a bench supply.
@mdzacharias I already told you. you test the two meters' precision yet forget to mention that the reference is actually calibrated against the fluke. that obviously a biased test
I have one of these and the capacitance range just stoped working one day, any one else have this problem, i ried calling UNI-T by email but they do not apear to have a support group you can talk to.
@Shandybrother Pretty good meter but mine sometimes "locks up" and I have to turn it off and back on again. I guess you really do get what you pay for...
This is a very good meter, i bought one not long ago and I am very impressed! I have compared it to the fluke meters i use at work and the build quality is not quite as good but the readings were very accurate, and there is some handy functions.
Thats why I like Fluke Meters . I currently Use a klein Meter for electrical work . I payed 100.00 from home depot .But the Fluke meter thats made in the usa Is about 300.00 cash . I the fluke seams more in terms accurate that matters alot in electronic repair .
I like that there's more people doing this stuff than just Dave. Different styles can be great and different target audience (Dave doesn't like to review cheap meters that much)
Hope you make more of these, but honestly a little bit better organization of the review could be great. One thing or area at a time in orderly fashion, rehearse a couple of times so that the point your making will get to the viewer better when filming.
@Mtaalas Yeah, I definitely went on too long with this one. I think I may cut it into two or three segments, and remove one or two parts that may be repetitive or unnecessary. I've been collecting and fooling around with multimeters since well before I ever heard of Dave, but I've certainly learned a lot from him about what makes a good meter.
i have a fluke and it started giving me trouble. when i touch the probes together sometimes i would get as much as 17ohms. I have tried different probes and still get these high readings. once i measured an outlet and instead of around 120volts i was getting around 170 volts. what do you think is wrong with my meter? do you think it just needs some switches cleaned?
@lineartechbd1600 I would say clean the input / range selector switch, inspect and if necessary resolder the input jacks, clean the inside of the input jacks and try to get into the test leads' banana plugs, inside the shrouds and clean them as well. If the test leads are flaky try another set. Probably nothing major wrong with the meter - probably contamination or bad connection of some sort. If the voltage readings are good this is a clue. That 17 ohms or so would not affect voltage readings.
@lineartechbd1600 Sorry missed the bit about the high voltage reading. Maybe a bad battery could cause that - If you have no low-battery indication and still have that problem, the meter should probably be serviced or replaced.
You went to fast with battery voltage drop probably the UniT dose not measure that often the battery voltage probably every 30 seconds or so and makes and average of three or more measurements just to make sure it ignores bad measurements.
Thanks for the review.
electrodacus 2 weeks ago
@electrodacus If that is true, which I seriously doubt, then I would suggest that alone is poor design. A 9 volt battery with high internal resistance could trigger the low battery indicator, then the battery recovers when the meter's power is cycled, then fail to trigger a low indication a minute later. 9 volt type batteries actually fail in similar ways fairly often. Seen it several times.
mdzacharias 2 weeks ago
LOL.. Dan F. always causin' trouble across multiple parts of the 'net apparently :)
Thanks mdzacharias, for your review.
neptronix 1 month ago
I will say, however, that a direct comparison of the UNI-T to the Fluke 87V is rather unfair. The Fluke costs about three or four times as much, and has a long history of product development and refinement.
mdzacharias 2 months ago
I don't think it's unfair at all - I see batteries drop off like this all the time, particularly 9V batteries. I think cold resets, which I did, should clear any lingering effect of a prior test. The Fluke was not the subject of this test, but the Fluke 87V is well known to show a low-battery indication WELL BEFORE accuracy suffers. BTW this UNI-T also suffers from somewhat random lock-ups, sometimes at booting up, sometimes after on a while.
mdzacharias 2 months ago
Regarding the battery test, perhaps a little unfair! Voltage would not drop off like that in real life (multiple times also) so maybe that is why the warning was not repeatable. Also it would be interesting to have connected the second meter to the same supply to see how battery voltage affected readings?
ollyk22 2 months ago
What are you using for a precision five volt source?
eurokid83 3 months ago
@eurokid83 It's a cheapie- a "DMMCheck" sold on eBay a while back. Not a high-end reference but good to 4 or 5 digits anyway. It is adjustable, and I have messed with it, but only to agree with a fresh, new Fluke 87-5 with a fresh cal in hi-res mode. The diff was 1 or 2 millivolts tops. I've been thinking about taking down this video. TOO LONG.
mdzacharias 2 months ago
@mdzacharias hehe that's what we call bias. using a precision voltage source... that just happens to be adjusted to fit the fluke..
similarly you assume the fluke is correct when they differ on the 500V reading. and your 1mA test favors the UNI-T although you don't comment on that.
Dave Jones does the same. assumes the fluke is God and any meter that disagrees has to be wrong.
there is a lot of religion around fluke. of the irrational kind.
the fluke might be better but let's not calibrate to it
DanFrederiksen 1 month ago
@DanFrederiksen I would love to have an "absolute" reference. But even if I could afford it, any real world reference I might employ will only be about as good as the last digit or so on a 50,000 count meter. Good enough for my purposes. I have a Tek TX-3 which is in the same class as the Fluke, but I also sometimes use an old analog Micronta. I'm not testing a nuclear detector, after all, just fixing broken consumer electronics and having fun.
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias nahh you're actually doing more than that. you purport to tell the truth to a large audience.
it's ok that you don't have an absolute reference but if you calibrate it by the fluke in a comparison between two meters, one of which is the fluke, you sure as hell have an obligation to make that known. not just show the fluke reading 5.000 as if it was the absolute truth. fair?
DanFrederiksen 1 month ago
@DanFrederiksen Well, if you feel that way - but on this video I was only trying to show an issue with the low battery indication on the Uni-T and to show the inside of the thing, since there is some interest in the Uni-T meters. I have not misled anybody. In this video I was showing the (relative) accuracy of the Uni-T suffer long before there was a low battery indication. I think this is a very significant issue. The reference never was absolute, but better than a bench supply.
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias By the way - the variance is 1 or 2 millivolts at most...
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias you didn't answer the point. don't be defensive. be pliable to the truth.
a mistake is not a problem until you refuse to correct it
DanFrederiksen 1 month ago
@DanFrederiksen OK, I'm about to get defensive. Just what is your "truth"?
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias Sounds to me like you are the one not being reasonable or "pliable".
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias I already told you. you test the two meters' precision yet forget to mention that the reference is actually calibrated against the fluke. that obviously a biased test
DanFrederiksen 1 month ago
@DanFrederiksen OK, fine. I made this video over six months ago. Anyone can read these comments. This has gone far enough. You are blocked.
mdzacharias 1 month ago
@mdzacharias this video says review. you have another video that's limited to the battery indicator issue
DanFrederiksen 1 month ago
I'm not convinced - I tested it all sorts of ways.
mdzacharias 4 months ago
Battery ind. is OK -- UNI-T can check battery once in minute or something in this case. Not so often as other
aeore101 4 months ago
Nice review!!! Keep it up man you are really helping people :D
gvsfgdf 5 months ago
I have one of these and the capacitance range just stoped working one day, any one else have this problem, i ried calling UNI-T by email but they do not apear to have a support group you can talk to.
Shandybrother 5 months ago
@Shandybrother Pretty good meter but mine sometimes "locks up" and I have to turn it off and back on again. I guess you really do get what you pay for...
mdzacharias 5 months ago
@mdzacharias What I'm mad about is the lack of support for this reason alone I would not buy another product from them.
Shandybrother 5 months ago
Can you review UT-60H? Or UT-71D? There are only few short reviews about those 2 DMMes. I am curios how fast is continuity test of UT-60H.
rapsod1911 5 months ago
@rapsod1911 I would be happy to if someone would send me one... ;-)
I bought the 70D used on eBay. I can't just go buying meters in order to review them.
mdzacharias 5 months ago
@mdzacharias Yes you are right.
rapsod1911 5 months ago
This is a very good meter, i bought one not long ago and I am very impressed! I have compared it to the fluke meters i use at work and the build quality is not quite as good but the readings were very accurate, and there is some handy functions.
syncmaster710n14 6 months ago
Thats why I like Fluke Meters . I currently Use a klein Meter for electrical work . I payed 100.00 from home depot .But the Fluke meter thats made in the usa Is about 300.00 cash . I the fluke seams more in terms accurate that matters alot in electronic repair .
ducklandwikeno 8 months ago
I like that there's more people doing this stuff than just Dave. Different styles can be great and different target audience (Dave doesn't like to review cheap meters that much)
Hope you make more of these, but honestly a little bit better organization of the review could be great. One thing or area at a time in orderly fashion, rehearse a couple of times so that the point your making will get to the viewer better when filming.
Anyhow, great work. And thanks for the review.
Mtaalas 8 months ago
@Mtaalas Yeah, I definitely went on too long with this one. I think I may cut it into two or three segments, and remove one or two parts that may be repetitive or unnecessary. I've been collecting and fooling around with multimeters since well before I ever heard of Dave, but I've certainly learned a lot from him about what makes a good meter.
mdzacharias 8 months ago
Comment removed
Mtaalas 8 months ago
i have a fluke and it started giving me trouble. when i touch the probes together sometimes i would get as much as 17ohms. I have tried different probes and still get these high readings. once i measured an outlet and instead of around 120volts i was getting around 170 volts. what do you think is wrong with my meter? do you think it just needs some switches cleaned?
lineartechbd1600 8 months ago
@lineartechbd1600 I would say clean the input / range selector switch, inspect and if necessary resolder the input jacks, clean the inside of the input jacks and try to get into the test leads' banana plugs, inside the shrouds and clean them as well. If the test leads are flaky try another set. Probably nothing major wrong with the meter - probably contamination or bad connection of some sort. If the voltage readings are good this is a clue. That 17 ohms or so would not affect voltage readings.
mdzacharias 8 months ago
@lineartechbd1600 Sorry missed the bit about the high voltage reading. Maybe a bad battery could cause that - If you have no low-battery indication and still have that problem, the meter should probably be serviced or replaced.
mdzacharias 8 months ago