UNI-T UT61E Multimeter teardown photos.

[iloveelectronics]

If Franky can't get it, get it here:
http://dx.com/p/utd04-usb-data-cable-for-digital-multimeter-ut71-ut61-series-black-136cm-150054

I can get those. But I won't be able to compete with them on price...

[Monkeh]

If Franky can't get it, get it here:
http://dx.com/p/utd04-usb-data-cable-for-digital-multimeter-ut71-ut61-series-black-136cm-150054

I can get those. But I won't be able to compete with them on price...

But unlike DX, you can get it delivered the same year.

[SeanB]

It takes 10 days from Frankie to me, a very fast service. He posted the next day after ordering, and I could see the HKPO held the parcels until they had a full consignment ( or the last day before New Year when they sent all regardless) and from there it was 8 days. Can't say anything wrong about the packaging, or the very nice stamps. Scary thing is the price of the postage from HK to ZA. From here to there is 3 times the amount, 6 times if you want airfreight.

[iloveelectronics]

But unlike DX, you can get it delivered the same year.

Thanks. That put a smile on my face

It takes 10 days from Frankie to me, a very fast service. He posted the next day after ordering, and I could see the HKPO held the parcels until they had a full consignment ( or the last day before New Year when they sent all regardless) and from there it was 8 days. Can't say anything wrong about the packaging, or the very nice stamps. Scary thing is the price of the postage from HK to ZA. From here to there is 3 times the amount, 6 times if you want airfreight.

Thanks for the kind words, Sean. You got really lucky with the stamps! They gave me the Year of the Snake special edition stamps for your package. These were only just released a few days prior to that and people were lining up to buy them! That was the only time I actually got my hands on them (literally), I couldn't believe they actually put that golden (metal?) bit on a paper stamp!

[iloveelectronics]

Gosh...I just looked up the Hong Kong Post website and those stamps are listed here: http://www.hongkongpoststamps.hk/eng/stamps/stamps_issuing_programme/2013/index.htm

What Sean got were the ones listed under "1a". Those stamps have real gold and silver on them! I should have kept them for myself..LOL!

[SeanB]

I can post them back to you Frankie........ slightly used though. Very nice looking stamps there. It is the 1a set.

[NevDickens]

Hello Gents,
First post so please be gentle.  I purchased a UT61E a while back (thanks Franky). My new computer does not have a serial port, only usb’s.      Ok need a serial to usb adapter. While checking on Ebay I found this - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/UNI-T-Multimeter-USB-Data-interface-cable-UT-D08-replace-UT-D04-for-Windows-7-XP-/130743143940?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item1e70e60e04 . You beauty, won’t have to mess around joining up leads to adapters. The unit is the same as a Silicon Labs CP2104 USB to UART Bridge controller and as such you will also need : Leadtek_GPS_Driver.zip  so your computer will recognise the lead hook-up. And yes I know it’s a gps driver, but it works. Apparently some GPS units use the same technology.
Hope this info helps someone.
Downloaded software from site below 
Cheers Neville

[notsob]

My last order from DX took 68 days to arrive (I had opened a missing goods ticket), my order from Franky took 8 days. The package from DX had some damage, luckily the included CD was OK but was scratched in shipment, Franky's packaging was exceptionally good, nothing was damaged or likely to be damaged.

Thank you Franky - Great service, and notification of order progress and shipping all the way.

[T4P]

My new computer does not have a serial port, only usb’s.     

What's wrong with RS232? And plus UltraDMM is written for RS232 on the UT61E, all you need to do is connect a simple USB > RS232, that's what i do and it works

[iloveelectronics]

My new computer does not have a serial port, only usb’s.     

What's wrong with RS232? And plus UltraDMM is written for RS232 on the UT61E, all you need to do is connect a simple USB > RS232, that's what i do and it works

Not all usb/rs232 converters work with the 61E. I have tried a few different ones. The cheapest ones usually won't work.

[NevDickens]

My new computer does not have a serial port, only usb’s.     

What's wrong with RS232? And plus UltraDMM is written for RS232 on the UT61E, all you need to do is connect a simple USB > RS232, that's what i do and it works

Nowhere in my post did I say that there was anything wrong with RS232! And as Franky said, not all of the RS232 to usb connections work with the 61e, so I purchased a lead that WORKS for me.
 I'm glad that the RS232 works for you.

[Wytnucls]

UNI-T sells an RS232/USB adapter: UT-D03
http://www.uni-trend.com.cn/cp-show.asp?yy=??&ProductNO=387

[mariush]

I'm using a 3$ serial to usb adapter and it works just fine.

Bought it from a seller safekom from ebay, and this one he sells will probably work with the ut61e :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-Male-RS232-Serial-DB9-9-Pin-Adapter-Cable-PC-/310227587778?pt=UK_Computing_Parallel_Serial_PS_2&hash=item483b0152c2

I'm saying probably because mine is semi-transparent blue, this one is black, but other than that the description of the listing sounds the same as it was when i bought mine.

An identical one as mine is sold by the same seller for a bit over 4$ along with a 9 to 25 adapter:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1M-USB-2-0-Serial-GPS-DB-9-Pin-RS232-DB-25-Parallel-Adapter-Printer-Modem-/310353150670?pt=UK_Computing_Parallel_Serial_PS_2&hash=item48427d42ce

[NevDickens]

Okay, all I was doing was posting up an alternative to the RS232. If people want to use the RS232 then use it. If others like myself want to use something else then thats fine as well. This will teach me to put up a post to direct those to the software so they can use the alternative lead if they so chuse. What happened to being able to have your own opinion?
Obviously I am just a newbie, what would I know.
No more posts from me!

[Wytnucls]

THe UT-04D USB cable should work on the 61E without the need for special hardware recognition software:
http://www.uni-trend.com.cn/cp-show.asp?yy=??&ProductNO=386

[Monkeh]

Okay, all I was doing was posting up an alternative to the RS232. If people want to use the RS232 then use it. If others like myself want to use something else then thats fine as well. This will teach me to put up a post to direct those to the software so they can use the alternative lead if they so chuse. What happened to being able to have your own opinion?
Obviously I am just a newbie, what would I know.
No more posts from me!

Don't mind the children, you learn to ignore them in time. Using the proper RS-232>USB adaptor made by Uni-T is definitely the best solution (although a better IC than the CP2104 would be nice).

[NevDickens]

Wytnucts-The lead I have as in my post says, is a UT-D08 made by UniTrend, the same company that makes the UT-D04 or UT-04D as you call it and as you know, anything thats hooked up to a computer needs software drivers of some sort, either whats already loaded on the computer, or what someone has to load onto it to get it to recognise that something is there. My computer obviously did not have the required driver so I found some, loaded it on and hay presto the 61e software works a treat and alls good. So if people choose the bloody RS232 then good on them, I wont be.

Monkeh
Thanks mate, as I said, I put the post up to give others an alternative and the link to the software to use if they wanted, thats all

[iloveelectronics]

I'm using a 3$ serial to usb adapter and it works just fine.

Hi mariush,

The blue adapter you posted looks suspiciously similar to one that I've tried but it didn't work with the 61E on my Windows 7 system. The driver installs ok and the computer recognises the device when I plug it in but it just won't work with the 61E software. Are you using yours on Win7 or some other system?

[Bored@Work]

I'm using a 3$ serial to usb adapter and it works just fine.

Hi mariush,

The blue adapter you posted looks suspiciously similar to one that I've tried but it didn't work with the 61E on my Windows 7 system. The driver installs ok and the computer recognises the device when I plug it in but it just won't work with the 61E software. Are you using yours on Win7 or some other system?

Let me guess, the software requires the serial interface being  one of COM1: to COM4: while the driver and Windows decided to give it a COM port > 4?

[iloveelectronics]

Let me guess, the software requires the serial interface being  one of COM1: to COM4: while the driver and Windows decided to give it a COM port > 4?

That was the easy part to fix, I just reassigned the COM port under Device Manager. I had to do it even with converters that worked with the 61E software. Problem with those el oh-so cheapo converters I tried was that they just wouldn't talk to the 61E software no matter which COM port I assigned them to.

[Monkeh]

Let me guess, the software requires the serial interface being  one of COM1: to COM4: while the driver and Windows decided to give it a COM port > 4?

That was the easy part to fix, I just reassigned the COM port under Device Manager. I had to do it even with converters that worked with the 61E software. Problem with those el oh-so cheapo converters I tried was that they just wouldn't talk to the 61E software no matter which COM port I assigned them to.

If they're PL2303 based you probably need an older driver (there are a lot of clones of the chip around, current drivers will fail to function with them).

[T4P]

Franky, have you tried the HL340 adaptors?

[iloveelectronics]

Franky, have you tried the HL340 adaptors?

Yes, those don't work on my Win7 PC. I've also tried some PL2303 (clone) based ones, but as Monkeh said, the driver didn't work. The only one I have the works is a FTDI based one.

[T4P]

Franky, have you tried the HL340 adaptors?

Yes, those don't work on my Win7 PC. I've also tried some PL2303 (clone) based ones, but as Monkeh said, the driver didn't work. The only one I have the works is a FTDI based one.

These two look suspiciously like the one i had (Don't know when it was purchased, probably 8-9 years already?)
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.244.Wq1woL&id=627697674
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.58.ymhju5&id=15450201948
Maybe you can try them out? since it's cheaper (and faster) for you 

[mariush]

I'm using a 3$ serial to usb adapter and it works just fine.

Hi mariush,

The blue adapter you posted looks suspiciously similar to one that I've tried but it didn't work with the 61E on my Windows 7 system. The driver installs ok and the computer recognises the device when I plug it in but it just won't work with the 61E software. Are you using yours on Win7 or some other system?

Mine was autodetected by Windows and the Prolific drivers were installed and worked straight away.

Here's some internal pictures I made a while ago (so excuse the quality),  it's a prolific clone chip on one side and a Maxim rs232 driver on the other side.
I had to open it because I pulled on the cable and one of the usb cable wires got loose and had to resolder it, the wires are held inside only by solder and plastic case putting pressure on the cable jacket.