ExTech GX900 Graphical Data Logging Multimeter with Bluetooth

[Terabyte2007]

I posted this on Martin Lortons's forum and thought a few may be interested here on the EEVblog.

----- Re-post from mjlorton.com -----

I just received my Extech GX900 which is a brand new release from Extech. The Android app was just posted yesterday. I am in the process of evaluating this meter and will post a full video review once I get all my testing done. It seems to be a meter which has functionality similar to the Fluke 289. The display is a bright, with the backlight boost button it's mega bright!!! It has a decent resolution color LCD display which is crisp and clear. It's a 50,000 count multimeter with wireless Bluetooth logging and data capture capabilities. It has some unique features such as RPM, Count, Conductance, dual frequency sensitivities and clamp adapter mode. The meter sets the initial mode with a rotary dial and then soft keys allow menu function for the mode in use. My initial testing has been very good. So far I am quite impressed with the capabilities although I have a few irritations that I will point out later in the full review. The physical size of the meter is as big as a Fluke 289, it's not a small meter by any stretch, but it makes it up in functionality. The GX900 is going for around $595.00 US, not cheap, but when you add in the functionality, wireless data logging, Windows acquisition software and unique features, it gives you a lot for your money!

More to come soon!

Below is the link to the product page.

http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=48&prodid=821

[Lightages]

This meter seems to hit some key features and accuracy specifications. It would be nice to see ore about this, perhaps at least a tear down? How fast is the continuity test? What batteries does it use and how long per a set of batteries? Update rate and autoranging speed?

For such an expensive meter I would have expected more than 2500 data records.

[retiredcaps]

Since it is branded Extech and not Flir, I wonder if this is another CEM Instruments rebadge (maybe DT-9987) with slight modifications?

http://www.cem-instruments.com/en/pro/pro-825.html

[Terabyte2007]

It very well could be. I don't Extech makes their own products with the exception of FLIR. There are quite a few similarities.

[Terabyte2007]

This meter seems to hit some key features and accuracy specifications. It would be nice to see ore about this, perhaps at least a tear down? How fast is the continuity test? What batteries does it use and how long per a set of batteries? Update rate and autoranging speed?

For such an expensive meter I would have expected more than 2500 data records.

Actually it does more data points through the logging software. I tested it to 40,000 points including Date & Time. The meter seemed to log all of them internally too. I will test the meter standalone with a logging rate of 1 sample per second and see what it tops out at.

The screen update speed is fast, I believe at it's fastest, it's like 25 updates per/s.

It uses 6 AA, so far after a few hours of testing, still at about 96%. It has a percentage of battery life in the Info screen. Very helpful, in addition to the bar graph battery meter.

The continuity test was quick, missed a few here and there, but I was snapping the leads pretty quick. I would say it had a 90% success rate.

Autorange update rate was respectable. I would say on the quicker side of most meters, I'll show this in my review video.

I am finally on some PTO over the next two weeks so I will have a bit of time to work on the video review. In the mean time if you have anymore questions, let me know. If you want me to do a specific test, also let me know.

[retiredcaps]

In the mean time if you have anymore questions, let me know. If you want me to do a specific test, also let me know.

In your upcoming video/review, can you test/comment:

1) Does the meter overshoot readings?
2) Comment on the lack of white paint/dot/marker on the rotary switch knob and how it affects the possibility of choosing a wrong function?  That is, when the range switch is on ACV, is there any confusion that it might be on A instead?
3) Provide some high resolution photos of the pcb?
4) Comment on the GX900 1 year warranty for $600 USD vs Fluke "lifetime" or Agilent 3 year warranty?

[jancelot]

Since it is branded Extech and not Flir, I wonder if this is another CEM Instruments rebadge (maybe DT-9987) with slight modifications?

http://www.cem-instruments.com/en/pro/pro-825.html

I don't know which one of the two is the copy, but certainly the Extech GX900 is much more expensive. CEM DT-9987 is 310 euros.

http://www.amazon.de/CEM-Multimeter-DT-9987-50000-Counts/dp/B00T7WQ5KG#productDetails

[retiredcaps]

Part 1 of Martin's review.

[jancelot]

Part 1 of Martin's review.

He's got a problem with the GX900, can't measure resistance and continuity, shows overload. Calibration abort? Open circuit somewhere?

[Lightages]

One word, underwhelmed.

[jancelot]

Second part is online

[dadler]

That thing is a brick! I though my 287 was big...

Seems like a decent meter but I can't see any significant reasons to go for this over the 287/289.

The color LCD looks cool though.

[retiredcaps]

Second part is online

Just got to the 21 minute mark and I can think of the crappy CEM/Extech build/solder quality all over again (links below).  How can this meter pass QA when the calibration failed and the problem at the 21 minute mark?

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/teardown-extech-ex570-my-first-but-also-last-extech/

http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/gallery/craftsman-82003/

I am reminded of

Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame you me

It will be interesting to see what Extech says.

[jancelot]

Second part is online

Just got to the 21 minute mark and I can think of the crappy CEM/Extech build/solder quality all over again.  How can this meter pass QA when the calibration failed and the problem at the 21 minute mark?

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/teardown-extech-ex570-my-first-but-also-last-extech/

http://mrmodemhead.com/blog/gallery/craftsman-82003/

I am reminded of

Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame you me

It will be interesting to see what Extech says.

Yeah, Dave also had an issue with the Extech RC200 SMD Tweezer Multimeter



The thing is that Extech multimeters are so cheap a lot of hardware stores are stocking on it to compete in price ranges. Along with Extech there goes UNI-T, Pro'S Kit, Hibok and Velleman (this one better quality I think). It's far more difficult to see Brymen, only on electronic specialized shops on cities of a certain level, and even impossible to see Fluke or Agilent where import taxes makes 200$ to 500$ in europe.

The GX900 competitor is the CEM DT-9987 which runs on battery instead of cells, so you can run datalogging continuously. The runtime is much less also looking at the datasheets.

CEM DT-9987 vs Extech GX900

[Lightages]

More expensive than a Fluke, and still built by drunk monkeys. I think Extech seriously needs to dump CEM as their manufacturer. How many times do we need to see this horrible quality control?

[BravoV]

Fluke 28x wannabe , ok, understandable  , more expensive than Fluke ? Huh ?   

and .... fail even at basic task like measuring resistance or continuity test ?

WTF ?

My opinion only, I don't think it deserved a 2nd part for the video after seeing the 1st part. 

[pascal_sweden]

I was impressed by the overall look & feel, until I saw the soldering quality at the inputs.
When the smaller PCB at the input protection is removed, you can see the soldering underneath.
This is the worst soldering job I have ever seen. Must only take a few weeks before some soldering joints come loose in active use.

One can wonder how a company manages to put such a professional looking meter on the market, which even has nice sealed compartments for the fuses and the batteries, but can not manage a decent soldering job at the PCB board level? How can they miss this?

This is not the only Chinese company though. It seems that many Chinese companies are experts in making it look nice from the outside. But why not just take that little extra step to make it good from the inside as well? It would save them a lot of work and headache with RMA handling.

[retiredcaps]

This is the worst soldering job I have ever seen.

Since it is Martin's video and Martin has his own forum, I put my observations with concrete examples of bad soldering in his forum (post #5).  So if Extech wants to address it, it is documented there.

http://mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=857.0

You will see a lot of similarities between modemhead's picture of the EX505 and the GX900 in terms of soldering.

[thefamilyman]

I've got the Uni-T UT181A which also seems to be a Fluke 28x competitor.

I love it, super accurate and the trending graphs is very useful. it's IP67 and it seemed like it when i opened it up.
CATIV rated which is useful for me as i work on generation and line input. And rechargeable  Li-ion battery which is a huge plus.
only cost me US$255 with free DHL shipping.

EDIT: UT181A not UT81A

[pascal_sweden]

Don't take the CAT IV rating for granted when it comes up to Uni-T.
They put CAT IV ratings all over the place, even on meters that hardly deserve a CAT II rating.

[thefamilyman]

Don't take the CAT IV rating for granted when it comes up to Uni-T.
They put CAT IV ratings all over the place, even on meters that hardly deserve a CAT II rating.

I've pulled it apart and checked it myself, it complies with all the correct features.
it's ETL/UL listed too.

i know that a lot of their other 'CATIV" DMMs dont meet the standard, but their UL listed meters do.

[jancelot]

I've pulled it apart and checked it myself, it complies with all the correct features.
it's ETL/UL listed too.

i know that a lot of their other 'CATIV" DMMs dont meet the standard, but their UL listed meters do.

What does ETL/UL mean?

[thefamilyman]

What does ETL/UL mean?

ETL is Electrical Testing Laboratory Intertek
UL is Underwriters Laboratories

Link to the UT181A UL/CSA standards
http://etlwhidirectory.etlsemko.com//WebClients/ITS/DLP/products.nsf/vwSearch?SearchView&Query=FIELD%20ListHead%20Contains%20ut181a%20or%20FIELD%20CatCode%20Contains%20ut181a%20or%20FIELD%20Title%20Contains%20ut181a%20or%20FIELD%20ProductInformation%20Contains%20ut181a%20or%20FIELD%20ProductInfo%20Contains%20ut181a&SearchOrder=1&SearchMax=1000&SearchWV=FALSE&SearchThesaurus=FALSE&SearchFuzzy=FALSE

basically both are certification and testing companies that test products to certain design and testing perimeters.
just means the design has been interdependently tested and approved.
Any good quality meter should be at least UL rated.

when we design and manufacture electrical products for the US market we have to use all UL rated wiring, breakers control gear etc..