Best DMM (under $100 US) for CRT Monitor Repair Work

[WolfgangFox]

Hello all!

I repair Arcade CRT Monitor Chassis' and I have a Fluke 77-IV (brand new), the TRUE RMS Radio Shack Meter, and a Fluke 114 (no diode test).

The RS meter and Fluke 77-IV work well, but I'm looking for another meter for a 3rd jobsite.  I need an extremely accurate voltage test (not usually above 200 volts and just down to .1 of a volt accuracy is ok), reliable resistance and diode test functions.  I need to be able to test diodes, and transistors in and out of circuit (I understand the unreliability of testing them in circuit), but just having a reliable voltage drop function would be nice.

Oh!  And also:  IT MUST HAVE A STAND TO BE ABLE TO PROP IT UP!

I bought a nice fluke 114 on ebay not realizing it didn't have a diode test.  I also bought a used Fluke 116 that as long as I can verify it's "calibration", it would be perfect also.

Are there any other meters that are as reliable as the Flukes for under $100, or should I just buy another 115,116,117 on ebay?

-Pat

[KungFuJosh]

Take a look at some Amprobe meters.

[J-R]

Start here and go down the list of Brymen DMMs until you can't handle the pain: https://www.welectron.com/Handheld
BM829s or BM785 if you can stretch the budget, otherwise BM257s or BM235.
All will be a bit tippy, but otherwise stand up well enough.

[Demon Xanth]

I DD a BM235 and regularly work with 72-96VDC without concern. It's a good size and has a good feature set. I haven't found much that I pine for, and for the rare time I need something special I usually have to jump all the way to my 34401A to get that feature (eg: 4 wire resistance).

[J-R]

The BM257s does have some advantages over the BM235 if you can afford the small increase in price:
- 0.2% basic accuracy vs 0.3%
- AutoCheck vs AutoV, so it will auto switch between ACV, DCV and Ohms
- Crest (peak hold)

BM235 does have VFD, which the BM257s doesn't have.

[abeyer]

So where is everyone with US flags in their profile recommending them actually shopping for Brymens? Last I looked there was pretty limited availability to buy them in the US. You can sometimes find specific models, but it seems to change up from time to time which ones, except for the EEVBlog one and some rebadged units sold under other brands. Otherwise you seem to have to ship from a European dealer (for $$ shipping, typically, especially bad if you're looking for a $100 price point) or a sketchy reseller.

[KungFuJosh]

So where is everyone with US flags in their profile recommending them actually shopping for Brymens?

This is exactly why I avoid Brymen. You have to pay a premium for them to get them in the USA, and without a warranty. The rebrands are overpriced, but at least some of them come with a good warranty. I think Greenlee has a lifetime warranty on at least some of them.

My favorite handheld DMM is an Amprobe 37XR-A that I bought in 2011 for $118. Unfortunately it costs 2 or 3 times as much now depending on the seller.

[J-R]

So where is everyone with US flags in their profile recommending them actually shopping for Brymens? Last I looked there was pretty limited availability to buy them in the US. You can sometimes find specific models, but it seems to change up from time to time which ones, except for the EEVBlog one and some rebadged units sold under other brands. Otherwise you seem to have to ship from a European dealer (for $$ shipping, typically, especially bad if you're looking for a $100 price point) or a sketchy reseller.

For smaller items like handheld DMMs, Welectron shipping to the US is only 9.99 € or about $11 USD.  BM235 delivered is $95 total.

Welectron is the best place to buy Brymen in my opinion.  They have a good selection of models and offer things like the + Editions with an official Brymen carry case and upgraded test probes.  They also offer other Brymen accessories, spare fuses, calibration, etc.  I usually pad my orders a bit and get a few extra goodies to take advantage of the shipping.

However, due to the price point of Brymen DMMs and shipping back to Germany, I think you have to consider the purchase a one way arrangement, unless it's a DOA situation.

[tautech]

Argue all you like about brands but for the OP's needs, specs are most important.

CRO EHT HVDC values are commonly 1kV+ and some nearing 3kV so a DMM capable of these measurements sub $100 is difficult to find.

When I did this stuff the AVO 8 Mk5 with its 3kV range was my weapon of choice.

[zaoka]

I used to fix TVs for years, old Fluke 12 is unbeatable and here is why, if you measure diodes or resistance and there is a voltage present from charged capacitors this meters automatically switches to low impendance mode and discharge capacitor and switches back to measure diodes or resistance, also shows you voltage while discharging... this feature speeds up troubleshooting a lot. I used to have Fluke 87V and few others but once you get familiar to Fluke 12 you wont touch other meter for that purpose.

The meter we got was 1996, its still used by the shop as every day meter, the only thing they replaced was that buttons, other than that meter is still spot on accurate..

[abeyer]

For smaller items like handheld DMMs, Welectron shipping to the US is only 9.99 € or about $11 USD.  BM235 delivered is $95 total.

That's way better than I'd expected, I'll have to take a look. I've just seen way too many EU places that won't send anything to the US for less than 50 USD shipping (side-eye's batronix), and tend to not even look anymore unless I'm desperate.

[KungFuJosh]

Argue all you like about brands but for the OP's needs, specs are most important.

OP specified generally under 200V.

I've just seen way too many EU places that won't send anything to the US for less than 50 USD shipping (side-eye's batronix), and tend to not even look anymore unless I'm desperate.

You can't blame Batronix for what the shipper charges. I paid €55.49 shipping for the MSO demo board when I got it last year, but they shipped via DHL Express, and that's about what they charge.

I had the same feeling as you with an eBay seller that wanted $45 shipping for something even smaller. They suggested I get a label and email it to them. $45 was the minimum for anything that would take less than a month to arrive. The world is expensive.

As a seller myself, I wouldn't trust ANYTHING to a slow shitty shipping service internationally.

[J-R]

Clearly many sellers inflate their shipping prices via shipping calculator manipulation, pocketing the difference.  Something like this is clearly going on if Batronix charges around 50 Euro for a small DMM while Welectron is only about 10 Euro.  For a typical bench DMM, Batronix wants 80 Euro while Welectron is only 19.90 Euro.

[abeyer]

You can't blame Batronix for what the shipper charges. I paid €55.49 shipping for the MSO demo board when I got it last year, but they shipped via DHL Express, and that's about what they charge.

I don't blame them... but it is frustrating with shippers that don't offer any options besides "more expensive" and "most expensive", like that demo board. There are plenty of impulse buys like that I'd probably make if it weren't for the 30%+ markup for shipping, and in many of those cases I'd probably be perfectly happy to take the cheap slow boat shipping if it were offered. I get why a seller may not want to deal with it... but like I said, that's part of why I often don't even look at certain categories of seller if I can avoid it.

[KungFuJosh]

Clearly many sellers inflate their shipping prices via shipping calculator manipulation, pocketing the difference.  Something like this is clearly going on if Batronix charges around 50 Euro for a small DMM while Welectron is only about 10 Euro.  For a typical bench DMM, Batronix wants 80 Euro while Welectron is only 19.90 Euro.

I think you misunderstood what I wrote. The seller didn't change anything on the shipping calculator. I went to DHL, UPS, and FedEx websites for international shipping directly. The seller's price was exactly what I would have had to pay within a couple dollars (and the other options were more expensive by a lot).

Check what shipping service Welectron is using. It's not DHL Express if it's $20. DHL has a lower cost shipping option, as do the others, but they're not as fast.

I don't blame them... but it is frustrating with shippers that don't offer any options besides "more expensive" and "most expensive", like that demo board. There are plenty of impulse buys like that I'd probably make if it weren't for the 30%+ markup for shipping

It's not accurate to call it a markup for shipping. Markup implies padding the price for additional profit. It costs us more, but doesn't affect their margin. However, I totally agree otherwise. I wouldn't buy a $30 product from them if the shipping charge is $30 or more. But that's a common issue with any industry I buy things from overseas. If I can get the same product and one places charges significantly less for shipping (regardless of the shipping service) I typically order the cheaper shipping option if time isn't an issue.

[WolfgangFox]

I asked on the monitor repair facebook group and one person did talk about low impedance mode.  The highest voltages I would ever measure with it is probably not more than 200v.  I have a HV probe for measuring the EHT.

That fluke 12 sounds interesting, thank you for all the comments!

-Pat

[abeyer]

It's not accurate to call it a markup for shipping. Markup implies padding the price for additional profit. It costs us more, but doesn't affect their margin.

You can wordsmith it if you want, but I'm not particularly concerned where it ends up... from the purchaser's perspective a markup is a markup. I'm also not convinced they don't profit from it, as I have no way to know that one way or the other, and it's quite common for places to pad shipping costs as extra margin while keeping the list prices low.

I typically order the cheaper shipping option if time isn't an issue.

Exactly my point, as that's often the case, and exactly the frustration with places who only offer the expensive options.

[KungFuJosh]

It's not accurate to call it a markup for shipping. Markup implies padding the price for additional profit. It costs us more, but doesn't affect their margin.

You can wordsmith it if you want, but I'm not particularly concerned where it ends up... from the purchaser's perspective a markup is a markup. I'm also not convinced they don't profit from it, as I have no way to know that one way or the other, and it's quite common for places to pad shipping costs as extra margin while keeping the list prices low.

I typically order the cheaper shipping option if time isn't an issue.

Exactly my point, as that's often the case, and exactly the frustration with places who only offer the expensive options.

This is a silly thing to argue about, but it's not a markup. A higher cost is a higher cost. Words have definitions. When using an international website, conversing in English where many of the members do not speak English as their first language, we shouldn't pretend those definitions are so flexible.

mark·up
/ˈmärˌkəp/
noun
1. the amount added to the cost price of goods to cover overhead and profit.

A shipping service that costs more is not a markup. It just costs more.

In the end we agree on the cost problem anyway. 😉

ETA: You can confirm the cost of shipping by putting the weight and dimensions into the shipping service website.

[J-R]

Both Welectron and Batronix ship DHL Express:
https://www.welectron.com/shipping-cost
https://www.batronix.com/php/index.php?cmd=dispatch&loc=en

No company pays the list price for shipping; they get huge discounts.  I think it's very clear Batronix is pocketing a bit extra...

[KungFuJosh]

No company pays the list price for shipping; they get huge discounts.  I think it's very clear Batronix is pocketing a bit extra...

That's only partially true. Not every company gets the same discount rates. For example, if Welectron ships internationally more frequently than Batronix, they could negotiate a better rate.

They may pad their shipping a few dollars, I sincerely doubt they pad it 4 or 500%.

[WolfgangFox]

I used to fix TVs for years, old Fluke 12 is unbeatable and here is why, if you measure diodes or resistance and there is a voltage present from charged capacitors this meters automatically switches to low impendance mode and discharge capacitor and switches back to measure diodes or resistance, also shows you voltage while discharging... this feature speeds up troubleshooting a lot. I used to have Fluke 87V and few others but once you get familiar to Fluke 12 you wont touch other meter for that purpose.

The meter we got was 1996, its still used by the shop as every day meter, the only thing they replaced was that buttons, other than that meter is still spot on accurate..

Are you referring to the 12 or 12B?

[2N3055]

Clearly many sellers inflate their shipping prices via shipping calculator manipulation, pocketing the difference.  Something like this is clearly going on if Batronix charges around 50 Euro for a small DMM while Welectron is only about 10 Euro.  For a typical bench DMM, Batronix wants 80 Euro while Welectron is only 19.90 Euro.

I never had that happen. Not even with some random sources..
Who did that to you?

Just to let you know, some vendors have specific (very good) rates with certain logistics companies, but only for some destinations.
For instance TME will send any package less that15 kg to me for flat rate of 8,9€. Some others will send me less than 2kg for 10/20€ using same logistics company. Or for 10kg for 15/40€ (depending on speed).
Because TME ships more goods to my country  in a day than smaller companies in a year...

In fact I cannot get such a price as TME has, from that shipping company.

[BeBuLamar]

I had a Fluke 12 I used at work in the late 80's. It works well for me. Recently I got a Fluke 113 and I thought it would work about the same as the Fluke 12 but no. it's quite confusing when measuring low voltage.

[Fungus]

I had a Fluke 12 I used at work in the late 80's. It works well for me. Recently I got a Fluke 113 and I thought it would work about the same as the Fluke 12 but no. it's quite confusing when measuring low voltage.

The Fluke 113 is an electrician's meter (one of the best!)

It's not designed for low voltages or delicate work, eg. it only has Low-Z input (3k ).