Some quick extra tests on the 6 of the 14 pocket multimeters from Part 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFEonQDkQU
Which meter *won't* survive testing?
Forum: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1083-pocket-mutimeter-shootout/'>http://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1083-pocket-mutimeter-shootout/
EEVblog Main Web Site: http://www.eevblog.com
The 2nd EEVblog Channel: http://www.youtube.com/EEVblog2
Support the EEVblog through Patreon!
http://www.patreon.com/eevblog
Stuff I recommend:
https://kit.com/EEVblog/
Donate With Bitcoin & Other Crypto Currencies!
https://www.eevblog.com/crypto-currency/
T-Shirts: http://teespring.com/stores/eevblog
๐Ÿ’— Likecoin โ€“ Coins for Likes: https://likecoin.pro/ @eevblog/dil9/hcq3

Hi, this is part Two in a pocket multimeter. shoot out a link in part one up here in a little YouTube card thing and also down below. and at the end of this video. if you haven't seen it cuz that's where I did tear downs of 14 different pocket multimeters and there are the rejects up there and some of them aren't necessarily bad, but they just didn't represent.

You know, they didn't have any clear reason why you would buy them over what effectively. Well, basically these ones here where I thought were the pick of the bunch, but I'll include the amp ropm 51a even though we had a little issue with the Bremen branded version of this in terms of range switch context. So we're just going to take a closer look at these six meters here and just see how they perform. and I expect all of these to perform admirably.

I Came in the previous video, the Aning A in 80 203 is the one that won the $10.00 shootout. In terms of build quality and functionality and things like that, the Unity 10a won the twenty dollar class shootout and the Seonhwa PM 3 won the you know, like $40 kind of. you know, the higher priced I category. The air probe is a pretty decent unit, but it doesn't have capacitance mode so just take that into account.

And if you want the absolute best in terms of that cat rating and which one has the best case, the Sanwa PM 300 which full disclosure: I actually sell on my website and there's a reason that I sell it. but I think yeah, Sim was pretty much the peak of this bunch. If cost isn't a concern, so let's just run some basic tests on these and see how they compare. I Want to show you a lot? close.

But in terms of manuals, the Seonhwa's include like just big multi-language sheets like this. By far the best manuals are on both the air probes I've lost the PM 51a but you can download that and it's just as comprehensive and you know it is in multiple languages. But yeah, they kind of have the wind because they have like operational diagrams and stuff like that if that matters but me. But I've got to say that the unity one is okay - no worries whatsoever.

only in English I Guess if you're in a different country has a different language. Diode range test will see if it whites up a white crease star LED here Yep, lights up 2.5 volts. As always that you don't expect the test current to be the same On these note, the Sanwa P.m. 3 does not light that up at all so it doesn't have the range.

The M probe lights it up doesn't display the reading, but you can see the bar graph and see the bar graph. go there so it'll list indicates but it's over the full-scale display range. The M Pro bar slash Bremen P.m. 51 can't do it.

The unity can't do it. but the A neg. no problems and you can see why some of them do it like this. Sam Were here is because the full scale maximum voltage is only 1.5 volts, so that's not enough compliance voltage to light a white LED or even a red one for that matter.

Basic Ohms accuracy test that Am probe / our Bremen is the closest one so far, but you can see that they're all within a couple of counts are all well within spec. The aning is the only one that's almost being on, but it doesn't matter. I mean they're all thin. A couple of counts.
Do it again using us and precisely 1 Meg and you're enough. near enough, near enough bang on, near enough load, and again near enough bang on and 1 volt Precision Reference pan 300s bang on similar PM threes a four to five counts out and probe is a one count above so yet still within spec but a little bit out. but hey, we only have a sample size of one. It's good enough for pocket meter, no worries.

10 volts Not a problem. 100 millivolts? No worries. Obviously they're calibrating this on the hundred millivolt range and they're not relying on the tolerance of the internal resistors for that one, so you can see that the amp probes a little bit out there. Sen was a bang on the Amp probe unity and aiming 100 millivolts.

Let's take that up to 10 volts. There we go. Still, although there are six counts out on the amp Rhodes / Primont, but he's still within spec and one volt. So yeah, the worst out of that.

But as I said sample size of one is the amp. Oh and probe / priming and 100 milli volts Ac at 400 Hertz and 100 milli volts Ac at 1 kilohertz. You can see that the Amp probe and the unit II don't have a millivolts. I reins.

they've only got the volts 1 volt range at 1 kilohertz. The Aining of course is true RMS So these ones are beginning to roll off and back down to 400 Hertz and you can see these to improve now. but this one's still bang on 10 volts Ac 400 Hertz 100 volts Ac 400 Hertz and 240 volts Ac 400 Hertz that's not mains 50 Hertz that's 400 Earth's ok. I'm gonna switch on 240 volts our 400 Hertz onto the Ohms range.

Here we go. so this is not hooked up of the mains. this is my reference generator up. Something overloaded not can't do it Oh I saw the battery LED Come on there.

uh-oh Looks like we've killed the aning. oops and the other two have recovered reading voltage now. But yeah, the aning, we killed it. Want one? Okay, we've got a hundred millivolts I see 400 Hertz and the amp probes a little bit low.

Let's switch it down to 50 Hertz and where it actually 60 Hertz now and yep, she's performing better. So it looks like this one - a roll-off one volt RMS 400 Hertz and the PM 300 by the way is our true RMS It's only one of the two in this group that are 10 volts, 400 Hertz Hundred volts 400 Hertz Again, the Sanwa PM 3 I'm not sure if I've just got a particular unit or not, but it's It's not some of the yum specs that there's not been out of spec, but in terms of like counts, it's probably the hot one of the highest in the group. It depends on the range in the function though, but as I said, still within spec so not a problem. 240 volts AC 400 Hertz Okay, I've got them all on Ohms range now.
I'm going to apply 240 volts at 400 Hertz Here we go. Oh hey, battery battery indicator coming on I Can't know it's overloading my reference standard I'm not killing any of them I'm certainly I'm certainly pulsing the 240 volts on there, that's for sure and there's going to be some overshoot on that and that's at 400 Hertz and they've all come good on the voltage range. No worries, let's try the Ohms. Yep, P and 300 Sine P.m.

3 is fine and the amp roams fine so all of them survived. Pretty much what you'd expect cuz all reputable brands proper properly rated. The amp probe is ul listed. These samurais are tested to exactly the same standard but in-house so no worries.

And the Unity survived that test. No worries. And the M probes survived no worries. And by the way, all of them have like acceptable Auto range speed.

Out of these three, the M probe is probably the it definitely is the fastest and well I think it is the fastest and but they're all pretty acceptable. My 10 nano farad capacitance standard o7y PM 3 almost being on and of course the M probe our 78 C doesn't have capacitance so I can't do much about that. Oh, there we go. We're over to Nanofarads over because oh, that's actually a fair bit out, isn't it? But this doesn't even have a relative mode, right? so we can't actually null that out at all and it's still well over.

Is it still within spec? Oh yeah, well. 0.1 nano residual? Still, Yeah, that's almost bang on when you take that into account. And of course, the aning is now dead so I can't measure the capacitance don't So I haven't really gone to town on the tests here, just done some basic stuff, but it's good enough to get an indication that. but my conclusion pretty much remains the same from the previous 10.

mV You know part one: I Think the best overall is still the Sanwa Just the form factor, the build quality, the functionality and the price and the slim wallet form factor, The Amp Probe, as you can see, lacks the capacitance mode. It does a reasonable job, but it does have the bar graph, so you know something if you're a bar graph fanboy. Um, you know it does the business as Ul listed. I Don't know about the Empire Pocket Meet Herb Ryman I Don't particularly find it that great, especially considering it doesn't actually have a case to put your leads in.

So I don't really think it's a good pocket multimeter in that respect. In terms of you know, being able to fold it all up and slip it in your pocket, those leads is just kind of getting away I'm If you want bargain-basement the Unity 10a not hugely more expensive than the Aning, which absolutely failed on mains on the Ohms. Unity are doing fairly well these days on input protection. If they haven't, always are done so and that ones I'm they're quite reasonable down at like the twenty odd dollar range.
and of course the PM 300 performance pretty well across the board. And also I think it's got the best case, but it's also the most expensive and it's the thickest as well, so you know it's all the trade off. But overall, as an meter that slips in your pocket, I Still think the same where Rpm Three is the go I'd Actually like to get several of these and measure the accuracy across a number of spread of them, but it's still all of them are still white within spec. No problems whatsoever.

So as always there's always a trickster of our trade offs of various ranges and whether or not they can let in test leads if that's important to you or whether or not they can do this and that, the level of the continuity you know buzzer, their response rate. they're all pretty good. The build quality you know all the or that like the Sam was probably have the best probes. very nice gold-plated they feel good quality.

They've got the rated cables on them but the air probes are no are slouch in that respect either. I don't know they're a bit Dicky though I don't know I did yeah but that's it. like it's a good they quite reasonable Me to say you know they'll all do the business. Let's just throw out the Oneg unless you have to get like a ten dollar meter.

you know any one of these is probably going to do the job for you. and the two M probes are basically match the same where our PM three and two or three times per second and the unity may be the slowest out of the bunch. I think it's two and a half to two, two and a half times per second, something like that. but they're all reasonable.

PM 300s the winner in that though. So there you go. hope you liked that. Follow-up a review video if you did.

If you haven't seen the original one I'll link I did at the end of this video somewhere here and if you liked it, please give it a big thumbs up. And as always, there will be endless discussions down in the comments below or over on the Eevblog forum thread for every video. If you don't know, there is a discussion forum thread for every single video over on the eevblog forum. Youtube comments aren't that great for like you know, in-depth community discussion on stuff.

So the best place to do it is the Eevblog forum. but anyway, I hope you liked that. Catch you next time.

Avatar photo

By YTB

18 thoughts on “Eevblog #1084 – pocket multimeter shootout part 2”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars M. gaston says:

    hey dave you may do a review of the Sanwa PM33A … its a pocket hybrid multimeter with an ac/dc clamp meter that you can use as a stand also and with lots of functions and you will be surprise about the ohms and capacitance range haha its killer !!!!

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Cats Electronics says:

    The new Uni T UT123 looks fine too.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Barry Bogart says:

    Triplett 2030-C

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars peddersoldchap says:

    Could you review the Extech Extech DM220 compact pocket multimeter, please?

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars al t says:

    Go with the Amprobe DM78C. The uni-t I had 2 of and the dials failed. The Amprobe is still going 6 years later.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Victor Reppeto says:

    I just purchased the aneng 8203. It says explicitly in the instructions not to test resistance on a live circuit. It is a $10 meter after all. I noticed you skipped duty cycle test. I am guessing that is because the 8203 is the only meter that has this function.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Stanley Whiteman says:

    The APPA's copy Digitech it is actually very accurate, portable, complies with LVD (NCV) etc and it is reasonably good for basic electronics and especially for basic electrical work and even it was used for AC job few times when large and expensive Fluke was left accidentally in the office. It has a small issue however with the construction of the multimeter case. Battery compartment was modified, and this is solved this issue with the contact between batteries moved from centre between the batteries to the right hand side battery slot and insulated from left hand side battery positive terminal, after this simple modification it works wonders in all situations, it stopped loosing contacts in the battery compartment. It is very fast and accurate. Probes wires are rated for 2kV and double insulated. Victor 921 is very accurate..and fast..but a bit fragile and good for low voltage bench work etc

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Shane Sanders says:

    I need a catalog two get part can u sed ne your catelog sur

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars impact0r says:

    Am I missing something are is there no current measurement in any of these? Seems like a fundamental function that even $5 meters have…

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Vasili says:

    Thanks Dave my an8203 arrived today , seems like the winner on price function and form. You did blow it up because you didn't read the instructions mind you, but least I know what not to do ๐Ÿ˜‰

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Peter Sage says:

    Post-mortem teardown of Aneng!

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars andrew srenson says:

    Had a real "el cheapo" multimeter for years, after this vid i bought the sanwa pm3…a sleek, brand new, white, japanese made lexus as far as i'm concerned
    * good vid ๐Ÿ‘

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ziplock9000 says:

    Shame he killed the best one for electronics

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars VEC7OR says:

    Seen both videos a bit ago, and sadly all of these are crap, well not outright crap, they are just meh, my pocket-to-go multimeter would be a really nice and compact current clamp from UNI-T, the UT210E – small sized, current in DC starting at 2A, removable leads, non contact voltage indication, true RMS, I remembered it after using Amprobe AC50A at one company I used to work for, but hey AC50A is around 300eu, whilst UT210E is only 45eu.
    IMO it would be a much more versatile tool than any of those in the vid.

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars deaamir says:

    Are there any cheaper versions of sanwa pm3 ?
    It's just for casual use, nothing mission critical

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Leandro laporta says:

    After watching this i purchased a sanwa PM3, very very nice meter, thank you for helping me to choose the right one for me ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars yambo59 says:

    Did his best to kill the Aneng soon as it started reading too accurate too often, similar dismissive attitude when he tested the Aneng 8008 and it was reading too well for his liking. No interest in looking inside either to see what was fried when he zapped the ohms scale with high input. Never gives the Anengs a fair shot, could they be threatening sales of his own products-?

  18. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars M E says:

    Ok but before the AN8203 died it was consistently bang on (which I thought was quite remarkable and which you curiously didn't highlight at all). Something tells Dave me gave this poor meter a "special treatment", because he feared for his 121GW sales ๐Ÿ™‚
    "Riskier" protection test, especially with 400hz, should be done after all the measurements.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *