Multimeter spreadsheet (80 manufacturers and over 400 meters listed)

[newDIY]

Great post.  A huge amount of work to do all this!

You might check the google Docs SS; line for the Agilent U1272A, as it is possible the line is mixed up with another model.  I believe the  U1272A has an LCD screen.

Also, prices on the lower end Agilent (Keysight) models seem a bit high, I recently checked the prices on the Keysight web page in USD, no taxes added:

U1232A, $138
U1233A, $168
U1241B, $206
U1242B, $226

[Wytnucls]

The UT1272A line is fine. it also includes similar models with OLED screens (1273A 1273AX). I will leave a note to emphasize that the A model has an LCD instead.
The quoted prices are at least a year old now and may have been gathered from a European site.

[Clear as mud]

Is there a reason Sperry Instruments meters are not listed?  They have two models that are true RMS, the DM6650T and the DM8700.  You can see an overview of all their multimeters on pages 16 and 17 of their online catalog, and the details of those two models are on page 21.  Here is a link to page 16: http://www.delzer.com/powerproducts/sperrycatalog/#16/z

[Muttley Snickers]

I think it maybe because they are already listed here under their original branding which appears to be mostly Unitrend or UnitT, one or two look like Metex but I could be wrong, also the list is primarily for meters of 6000 count or more, Wytnucls will know.

[mos6502]

Can you add to the backlight info the duration, and if the backlight timer can be switched off? This would be really useful info. Currently I'm looking for a meter where you can keep the backlight permanently on.

Here's some data:

Code: [Select]

Model          Duration     Timer can be disabled
Fluke 87V      68s          no
Brymen BM869   30s          no
Brymen BM859   30s          no
Uni-T UT139C   15s          no


[Wytnucls]

There is some info on backlight already, in cell notes. The backlight duration can be adjusted in steps on some meters, like the UT71 series.
Very few meters can have the auto OFF function disabled altogether. (So far, I've only found that feature on the Gossen Energy and the discontinued Fluke 185/183 aka Tektronix TX3/1)
I will tag those few with a '^' in their 'Light' cells.

[mos6502]

There is some info on backlight already, in cell notes. The backlight duration can be adjusted in steps on some meters, like the UT71 series.
Very few meters can have the auto OFF function disabled altogether. (So far, I've only found that feature on the Gossen Energy and the discontinued Fluke 185/183 aka Tektronix TX3/1)
I will tag those few with a '^' in their 'Light' cells.

Hey thanks. That's not looking good. Looks like I'll just have to mod my UT139C. Luckily the backlight circuit is extremely simple.

[Wytnucls]

Actually, after some careful reading of datasheets, it seems that more of the high-end meters from the top manufacturers have a backlight override feature (Fluke 289, Keysight 1251/71, Hioki 4282)

[nugglix]

Hi!

Thanks for the ongoing excellent work!

One little thing:
It seems you marked the HMC8012 benchtop as having no date & time.
But there is a setting under setup->misc->date&time.

Cheers

[Wytnucls]

Thanks for the correction. Yes, the 8012 has a date and time function for data stamp. I'm not sure if it stays in sync when the meter is switched off or if it has to be reset each time. Will correct the sheet on the next update.

8.4.2 Date & Time
The soft menu key Date&Time allows you to set the time
and date and add a date and time stamp to printouts and
saved data records. The user can reset the date and time.
Date and time can be set via knob. The respective soft
menu item is activated when it is marked in yellow. Press
Save to accept the date and time parameters.

[Bobson]

Great job Wytnucls, a lot of new models!


Some corrections of CEM DT-9979 datum (I own it and could make/give all screenshots if needed):

1. It has AC+DC Volts and Amps, both AC DC (shows separate AC and DC) and AC+DC (sum of both).
2. Don't understand, why do you show AC BW as 1KHz? It is either 10K (1000V) or 100K (<500V) for AC TRMS as stated in the manual. Is it measured value?
3. Best accuracy is 0.025% for DC, not 0.02%
4. Diode test voltage is not 2.8V but 3.2V mentioned in the manual and 3.25V tested, so it is good for many LEDs.
5. It definetely DOES NOT have 20mA current loop test!
6. It has 2 levels of backlight.
7. It has a lot of MAX/MIN functions, including number of matches and weighted mean. It has LOZ for AC voltage. LFV is mentioned in the manual, but I don't see it in the menus - so it is most probably missing.
8. It has counter for events and editable events threshold  settings (1-100%).
9. Unfortunately, it DOES NOT has external power. You could not use DMM while in charge mode.

It DOES NOT have NCV.

For me, one giant drawback compared to Fluke 287/289 is an absence of the ZOOM mode. You need to upload collected data to Android/PC in order to mangle the graphs. Maybe it is fixed in the later firmware, my version is 1.04.

[Wytnucls]

Thanks for the corrections. I found the manual on line now. Had to rely on CEM's site previously.
TRMS AC bandwidth is lower: 10kHz with 3% accuracy. I don't take into account bandwidth accuracies above 3%.
No LoZ, but VFD, according to the manual.
Will update the database on the next revision.

[ez24]

Here is the latest Excel file with a few additions and some alterations:

Hi
Is your spreadsheet locked for formatting?  I cannot read some rows and I would like to change the cells format but it is grayed out in Libreoffice.

thanks

[Wytnucls]

I'm not familiar with LibreOffice, but nothing is locked on the spreadsheet (MS Office 2010). You can modify it to your heart's content.

[Lightages]

Libre Office is another branch off from Open Office. I had problems with some documents in Libre Office and so switched back to Open Office.

[ioclk]

Thank you, great work!

[-pk-]

Can someone explain the blind spot on Amps? If the meter says 10A max, but the spreadsheet lists 5A. Does this mean it can only read up to 5A accurately, or is it accurate across the 10A range except somewhere around 5A. If it falls out of spec at the blind spot, by how much...1%?

[ez24]

New update with the latest Keysight meters and a few corrections.

I hope someday there will be an update for people with bad eyes

Black fonts on dark blue is impossible for me to read 

With locked cells it is also very hard to change 

Otherwise 

[Wytnucls]

Everything is readable if used with MS Excel. There are few dark blue cells and those have white fonts anyway.

[gameru]

In your table at Brymen BM867,appear (light off after 30s) it is wrong.Se go off after 16s

[Wytnucls]

The new model may be different.

[ez24]

Everything is readable if used with MS Excel. There are few dark blue cells and those have white fonts anyway.

Maybe this is the problem - I use LibreOffice       I cannot afford Excel.

Attached is a screen shot

Look at Rows 2 and 20  - very hard to read

[gameru]

I have the  new model BM867s.In my manual write 32s.I sent an email to Brymen,the response it was (I was checking BM867s design with engineer and found its designed backlight time is 16 seconds, not 32 seconds. I will be revising BM867s manual for next mass printing. Thanks for feeding back discrepancy to us.  )

Even the model BM869 have this problem.
The back-light timer was hiding a small annoyance for my taste, at the hard copy of the User’s manual it is clearly say that the BM869 holds the back-light on for 32 seconds, and in my BM869 it works just for 16 seconds.
The information that I got from BRYMEN was “typographical error”.
Also the specific model does not offer any special power-up mode about disabling the back-light timer.
The text was copied from a review made by Kiriakos

[Wytnucls]

Quote: I cannot afford Excel

MS Excel viewer is a free download:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=10

[Wytnucls]

Can someone explain the blind spot on Amps? If the meter says 10A max, but the spreadsheet lists 5A. Does this mean it can only read up to 5A accurately, or is it accurate across the 10A range except somewhere around 5A. If it falls out of spec at the blind spot, by how much...1%?

AC current measurement, because of the true RMS converter limitation of 10% of range, is tricky. On a 40,000 count meter for instance, there is a zone below 1A on the 10A range, where measurements are not to be trusted. Ideally, the meter should have a 4A range, to cover the dead zone between 400mA and 1A . DC current measurements are not affected.
Check your equipment, as all true RMS meters which lack an intermediate A range could be affected.
Errors can be very substantial.