Chinese Multimeter

[joeqsmith]

All I am saying is if this were a higher quality product, I would gladly pay for it.

Well, there is: https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/clamp-meters/fluke-369-fc

Would you pay $800 for a ( better quality + Fluke markup ) product? 

I like the small form factor of the UT210E and really don't need beyond the 1mA.   Personally, I have no use for any features besides the clamp but I've had many people tell me they use the other functions.   I would gladly pay double the cost of the UT210E to have better mechanical components.   Of course, that's only one data point. 

[rsjsouza]

My question is: to get better quality on the same equipment, would just double the price be enough to have it? I really don't know but, in my experience with manufacturing of other products, the price deltas of better spec'd mechanical parts quickly add up (although I haven't had the experience to use a full custom mold like Uni-T does). In my case, it was mostly due to the fact some materials/requirements required custom work.

Regarding alternatives to the clamp meter itself, the Amprobe AC50A is the same form factor of the UT210 but has 10uA of resolution. It really looks sweet and it costs the same as six or seven bottles of hand sanitizer (at running prices of these times of shortage, of course )

[joeqsmith]

My question is: to get better quality on the same equipment, would just double the price be enough to have it? I really don't know but, in my experience with manufacturing of other products, the price deltas of better spec'd mechanical parts quickly add up (although I haven't had the experience to use a full custom mold like Uni-T does). In my case, it was mostly due to the fact some materials/requirements required custom work.

Regarding alternatives to the clamp meter itself, the Amprobe AC50A is the same form factor of the UT210 but has 10uA of resolution. It really looks sweet and it costs the same as six or seven bottles of hand sanitizer (at running prices of these times of shortage, of course )

https://www.amprobe.com/product/ac50a/

It wouldn't be useful to me, at least for the reason I kept the UT210E.  I want that 1mA DC resolution for testing leakage currents in automotive.   Of course, that feature has found other uses as well.  I changed mine to support a higher count and with the higher BW and scope output, that meter sees a bit of use around my lab. 

[joeqsmith]

Maybe something like the Extech 380950 would be better but I really like the wider jaw on the UT210E. 

So far the switch has been the failure.  Maybe just better contacts and plating on the PCB would solve it.   They appear to go intermittent. 

A few others:
General Technologies Corp GTC CM100
Extech 380942 
BSIDE see link

https://www.amazon.com/1mA-DC-Clamp-Meter-Temperature/dp/B07MXDW677/ref=pd_di_sccai_2/136-0571372-6115857?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07MXDW677&pd_rd_r=bbfaf8e8-2ab1-46a9-a8c5-de71a2ebe7d4&pd_rd_w=SwPS5&pd_rd_wg=sea7a&pf_rd_p=e532f109-986a-4c2d-85fc-16555146f6b4&pf_rd_r=DAFA26W5KH5YT6CEKCNR&psc=1&refRID=DAFA26W5KH5YT6CEKCNR

[CDaniel]

For AC current you need good bandwidth not just that cheap crappy true-rms 500Hz-1KHz or so  , inrush capability for motors  ... and I doubt that 1mA by jaws resolution can be trusted in such a price range meter .
The same old problem as with a normal multimeter ...

[joeqsmith]

Working more on the electronics side than electrical, my needs for AC current normally exceed what I would find with a hand held meter.  I will use a LEM sensor, Pearson transformer or an old 1960's current probe that I rebuilt.  These get me from the 100s of KHz well into the 10s of MHz.  Of course, I am using a scope with these.   

For electrical work, I normally use that HIOKI I've shown. 

With the UT210E, I basically just use it for DC current.   The one I modified has a 3dB point around 100KHz now which obviously requires the scope to use but its still pretty limited.  It was more of an exorcise in basic analog design.     The stock meter works great with the 1mA res.   Like any other DC hall type, it drifts around but for the measurements I make, it really doesn't matter.   

Like I said, I've been pleased with the product but would pay for a higher quality version of it.  Three switches failing in 2-3 years is not good but for the $40, it's hard to fault it.

Back when I bought the UT181A, I would say the same was true.  The cost for these now is more than it's worth to me, even if they improved it. Or, it would have to have some major improvements.     Too bad really, as of all the UNI-T products I have looked at, it is by far my favorite handheld DMM.   Overall, I would say it's in my top 5. 

[tkamiya]

HIOKI is a good stuff.  It's basically a Japanese "Fluke quality" meter.  That and Sanwa used to rule the Japanese market.  Mine are both 40+ years old.  Recently, I saw a fake on eBay.  It's that good.    Of course mine being that old, they are missing safety features available today, like protective sleeve around jacks. 

By the way, one on the left was a kit.  I made it as part of high school project.  One on the right was purchased before that.  Leaky battery required some retrofit work but still works very well.  It was almost 200 dollars in late 1970s money.

[Fungus]

HIOKI is a good stuff.  It's basically a Japanese "Fluke quality" meter.

...and more expensive than the Fluke!

[NoisyBoy]

Wow, thanks for sharing, that brings back some old memory.  I have a Sanwa YX-360TR I bought back in the late 70's, it was my first multimeter when all my friends were having Simpson's, and I would go and show how it measures the hfe in transistors.  I still recall my friend took me to the electronics hobby store to shop for the multimeter and other components, too bad we don't have them any longer.

It still works 100% and I sometimes bring it out to use it just for old time's sake.